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EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG, 

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VOL.  V. 


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Btihioitpid  bt 
RICHARD  C  VALENTINB 
Niw  Yomi. 


C.  8.  Westoott  A»  Ca, 

TRINTERS, 

78  John  Bt,  N.  Y. 


GENESIS. 

CHAPTER  THE  THIRTY-SECOND. 


4229.  THE  predictions  of  the  Lord,  in  the  twenty-fourth 
chapter  of  Matthew,  concerning  the  last  judgment,  were  begun 
to  be  explained  in  the  fourth  volume  of  this  work ;  that  expla- 
nation has  been  prefixed  as  prefatory  to  the  chapters  through- 
out that  volume,  and  has  been  continued  as  far  as  verse  31  of 
the  same  chapter ;  see  n.  3353  to  3356,  n.  3486  to  3489,  n. 
3650  to  3655,  3751  to  3757,  n.  3897  to  3901,  n.  4056  to  4060. 
What  is  the  summary  of  the  internal  sense  of  all  the  contents 
of  that  chapter,  appears  manifest  from  what  has  been  explained 
above,  viz.,  that  the  successive  vastation  of  the  church,  and  at 
length  the  establishment  of  a  new  church,  are  predicted  in  the 
following  order :  I.  They  began  not  to  know  what  good  and 
truth  are,  but  disputed  on  the  subject.  II.  They  despised  good 
and  truth.  III.  They  did  not  acknowledge  them  in  heart. 
IY.  They  profaned  them.  Y.  And  whereas  the  truth  of  faith 
and  the  good  of  charity  would  yet  remain  with  some,  who  are 
called  the  elect,  the  state  of  faith  is  then  described.  YI.  And 
next  the  state  of  charity.  Y1I.  And  finally,  the  beginning  of 
a  new  church  is  'treated  of,  which  is  meant  by  the  words  which 
were  last  explained,  "And  he  shall  send  forth  his  angels  with 
a  trumpet  and  a  great  voice,  and  they  shall  gather  together  his 
elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  the  one  end  of  the  heavens 
even  to  the  other  end  thereof,"  verse  31.  By  these  words,  the 
beginning  of  a  new  church  is  meant,  see  n.  4060  at  the  end. 

4230.  When  the  end  of  an  old  church  and  the  beginning 
of  a  new  are  at  hand,  then  is  a  last  judgment ;  that  this  time 
is  what  is  meant  in  the  Word  by  the  last  judgment,  may  be 
seen,  n.  2117  to  2133,  3353,  4057 ;  and  also  by  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  Man.  The  subject  now  treated  of  is  the  coming 
respecting  which  the  disciples  inquired  of  the  Lord,  saying, 
"  Tell  us,  when  shall  these  things  come  to  pass  ?  especially 
what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coming,  and  of  the  consumma- 
tion of  the  age  ?"  Matthew  xxiv.  3.  Now,  therefore,  follows 
the  explanation  of  what  the  Lord  predicted  concerning  the 
very  time  of  his  coming,  and  of  the  consummation  of  the  age, 
which  is  the  last  judgment ;  but  in  the  preface  to  this  chapter 
we  shall  explain  only  the  things  contained  in  verses  32  to  35, 


6 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


which  aie  these,  "But  learn  a  parable  from  the  jig-tree :  When 
its  branch  is  yet  tender,  and  its  leaves  spring  forth,  ye  know 
that  summer  is  nigh.  So  likewise  ye,  when  ye  shall  see  all 
these  things,  know  that  it  is  near  at  the  doors.  Verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  This  generation  shall  not  pass  away,  until  all  these 
things  be  f  'ui filled.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away  y  but 
my  words  shall  not  pass  away."  The  internal  sense  of  these 
Avords  is  as  follows. 

4231.  But  learn  a  parable  from  the  fig-tree  :   When  its 
branch  is  yet  tender,  and  its  leaves  spring  forth,  ye  know  that 
summer  is  nigh,  signifies  the  first  of  a  new  church ;  the  fig-tree 
denotes  good  of  the  natural  principle,  its  branch  is  the  affection 
thereof,  and  the  leaves  are  truths ;  the  parable  which  they 
should  learn  is,  that  those  things  are  signified.    He  who  does 
not  know  the  internal  sense  of  the  "Word,  cannot  possibly  know 
what  is  involved  in  the  comparison  of  the  Lord's  coming  with 
the  fig-tree,  and  its  branch  and  leaves  ;  but  inasmuch  as  all 
comparatives  in  the  "Word  are  also  significatives,  see  n.  3579,  it 
may  hence  be  known  what  those  things  mean.  Wheresoever 
a  fig-tree  is  named  in  the  "Word,  in  the  internal  sense  it  signi- 
fies good  of  the  natural  principle,  see  n.  217;  the  reason  why 
branch  denotes  the  affection  thereof,  is  because  affection  springs 
and  flourishes  from  good  as  a  branch  from  its  trunk  ;  that  leaves 
denote  truths,  see  n.  885.    Hence,  then,  it  is  evident  what  this 
parable  involves,  viz.,  that  when  a  new  church  is  created  by 
the  Lord,  good  of  the  natural  principle  first  of  all  appears,  that 
is,  good  in  an  external  form  with  its  affection  and  truths.  By 
good  of  the  natural  principle,  is  not  meant  the  good  into  which 
man  is  born,  or  which  he  derives  from  his  parents,  but  the 
good  which  is  spiritual  as  to  its  origin  ;  into  this  good  no  one  is 
born,  but  is  led  into  it  by  the  Lord  through  the  knowledges  of 
good  and  truth ;  wherefore,  until  man  is  in  this  spiritual  good, 
he  is  not  a  man  of  the  church,  howsoever  it  may  appear  from 
connate  good  that  he  is  so.    So  likewise  ye,  xohen  ye  shall  see 
all  these  things,  know  that  it  is  near  at  the  doors,  signifies  when 
those  things  appear,  which  are  signified  in  the  internal  sense 
by  the  words  mentioned  immediately  above  (verses  29  to  31), 
and  by  these  words  concerning  the  fig-tree,  that  then  is  the 
consummation  of  the  church,  that  is,  the  last  judgment,  and 
the  coming  of  the  Lord;  consequently,  that  then  the  old  church 
is  rejected,  and  the  new  established.    It  is  said,  at  the  doors, 
because  the  good  of  the  natural  principle  and  its  truths  are  the 
first  which  are  insinuated  into  man,  whilst  he  is  regenerating 
and  becoming  a  church.     Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  This  genera- 
tion shall  not  pass  away,  until  all  these  things  be  fulfilled,  sig- 
nifies that  the  Jewish  nation  shall  not  be  extirpated  as  other 
nations ;  the  reason  whereof  may  be  seen,  n.  3-179.  Heaven 
and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  icords  shall  not  pass  awayy 


4231.] 


GENESIS. 


7 


signifies  that  the  internals  and  externals  of  the  former  church 
should  perish,  but  that  the  Word  of  the  Lord  should  abide  ; 
that  heaven  is  the  internal  of  the  church,  and  earth  its  external, 
see  n.  82,  1411,  1733,  1850,  2117,  2118,  3355.  It  is  evident, 
that  the  words  of  the  Lord  are  not  only  those  which  were  here 
spoken  concerning  His  coming  and  the  consummation  of  the 
age,  but  also  all  that  are  contained  in  the  Word.  These  words 
were  spoken  immediately  after  what  was  said  concerning  the 
Jewish  nation,  because  that  nation  was  preserved  for  the  sake 
of  the  Word,  as  may  appear  from  the  passage  cited,  n.  3479. 
From  these  considerations  then  it  is  manifest,  that  the  begin- 
nings of  the  new  church  are  here  predicted. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

I.  AXD  Jacob  went  on  his  way ;  and  the  angels  of  God 
met  him. 

2:  And  when  Jacob  saw  them,  he  said,  This  is  the  camp  of 
God  :  and  he  called  the  name  of  that  place  Mahanaim. 

3.  And  Jacob  sent  messengers  before  him  to  Esau  his  bro- 
ther, unto  the  land  of  Seir,  the  field  of  Edom. 

4.  And  he  commanded  them,  saying,  Thus  shall  ye  speak 
unto  my  lord  Esau ;  Thus  saith  thy  servant  Jacob,  I  have  so- 
journed with  Laban,  and  have  tarried  even  until  now  : 

5.  And  I  have  ox  and  ass,  flock,  and  man-servant  and  maid- 
servant, and  I  send  to  tell  my  loi'd,  to  find  favour  in  thine  eyes. 

6.  And  the  messengers  returned  unto  Jacob,  saying,  We 
came  to  thy  brother,  to  Esau,  and  also  he  cometh  to  meet  thee, 
and  four  hundred  men  with  him. 

7.  And  Jacob  feared  exceedingly,  and  was  distressed  ;  and 
he  halved  the  people  which  was  with  him,  and  the  flock,  and 
the  herd,  and  the  camels,  into  two  camps ; 

8.  And  said,  If  Esau  shall  come  to  one  camp  and  shall  smite 
it,  there  shall  be  a  camp  left  for  escape. 

9.  And  Jacob  said,  God  of  my  father  Abraham,  and  God 
of  my  lather  Isaac,  Jehovah,  saying  unto  me,  Return  to  thy 
land,  and  to  thy  nativity,  and  I  will  do  well  with  thee. 

10.  I  am  less  than  all  the  mercies,  and  than  all  the  truths, 
which  thou  hast  done  unto  thy  servant,  because  with  my  staff 
I  passed  over  this  Jordan,  and  now  I  am  in  two  camps. 

II.  Deliver  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  the  hand  of  my  brother, 
out  of  the  hand  of  Esau ;  because  I  fear  him,  peradventure  he 
may  come,  and  smite  me,  and  the  mother  upon  the  children. 

12.  And  thou  hast  said,  In  doing  well  I  Avili  do  well  with 
thee,  and  will  place  thy  seed  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  which  is 
not  numbered  for  multitude. 


8 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


13.  And  he  passed  the  night  there  in  that  night ;  and  took 
of  that  which  came  into  his  hand,  a  present  for  Esan  his  brother; 

14.  Two  hundred  she-goats,  and  twenty  he-goats,  two  hun- 
dred ewes,  and  twenty  rams, 

15.  Thirty  milch  camels  and  their  colts,  forty  cows  and  ten 
oxen,  twenty  she-asses  and  ten  foals. 

16.  And  he  delivered  them  into  the  hand  of  his  servants 
every  drove  by  themselves ;  and  said  to  his  servants,  P*ass  over 
before  me,  and  set  a  space  between  drove  and  drove. 

17.  And  he  commanded  the  first,  saying,  When  Esau  my 
brother  shall  meet  thee,  and  shall  ask  thee,  saying,  Whose  art 
thou  ?  and  whither  goest  thou  ?  and  whose  are  these  before 
thee? 

18.  And  thou  shalt  say,  Thy  servant  J acob's ;  this  is  a  pres- 
ent sent  unto  my  lord  Esau,  and  behold,  also  he  is  behind  us. 

19.  And  he  commanded  the  second,  and  the  third,  and  all 
that  went  after  the  droves,  saying,  According  to  this  word  ye 
shall  speak  to  Esau,  when  ye  find  him. 

20.  And  ye  shall  say  also,  Behold,  thy  servant  Jacob  is 
behind  us.  For  he  said,  I  will  expiate  his  faces  in  the  present 
going  before  me,  and  afterwards  I  will  see  his  faces ;  peradven- 
ture  he  will  lift  up  my  faces. 

21.  And  the  present  passed  over  before  him,  and  he  passed 
the  night  in  that  night  in  the  camp. 

22.  And  he  arose  in  that  night,  and  took  his  two  wives,  and 
his  two  handmaids,  and  his  eleven  sons,  and  passed  over  the 
ford  Jabbok. 

23.  And  he  took  them,  and  caused  them  to  pass  over  the 
river,  and  caused  what  he  had  to  pass  over. 

******** 

24.  And  Jacob  remained  alone ;  and  a  man  wrestled  with 
him  until  the  day-dawn  arose. 

25.  And  he  saw  that  he  did  not  prevail  over  him,  and  he 
touched  the  hollow  of  his  thigh,  and  the  hollow  of  Jacob's 
thigh  was  out  of  joint  as  he  wrestled  with  him. 

26.  And  he  said,  Let  me  go,  because  the  day-dawn  ariseth. 
And  he  said,  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  unless  thou  bless  me. 

27.  And  he  said  unto  him,  What  is  thy  name?  And  he 
said,  Jacob. 

28.  And  he  said,  Thy  name  shall  no  longer  be  called  Jacob, 
but  Israel ;  because  as  a  prince  thou  hast  contended  with  God 
and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed. 

29.  And  Jacob  asked  and  said,  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  thy 
name.  And  he  said,  Wherefore  is  this,  that  thou  dost  ask  for 
my  name  ?    And  he  blessed  him  there. 

30.  And  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place  Peniel ;  because 
I  have  seen  God  faces  to  faces,  and  my  soul  is  delivered. 


4232—1234.] 


GENESIS. 


9 


31.  And  the  sun  rose  upon  him,  as  he  passed  over  Penuel ; 
and  he  halted  upon  his  thigh. 

32.  Therefore  the  sons  of  Israel  eat  not  the  sinew  of  what 
is  put  out,  which  is  upon  the  hollow  of  the  thigh,  even  to  this 
day ;  hecause  he  touched  in  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  the 
sinew  of  what  was  put  out. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

4232.  The  subject  here  treated  of,  in  the  internal  sense,  is 
the  inversion  of  state  in  the  natural  principle,  to  the  end  that 
good  may  be  in  the  first  place,  and  truth  in  the  second ;  in  the 
present  case  it  is  the  implantation  of  truth  in  good,  verse  1  to 
23.  And  the  wrestlings  of  temptations,  which  on  this  occasion 
are  to  be  endured,  verse  24  to  32.  At  the  same  time,  the  Jew- 
ish nation  is  also  treated  of,  as  although  it  could  receive  nothing 
of  the  church,  still  it  represented  those  things  which  are  of  the 
church. 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

4233.  Verses  1,  2.  And  Jacob  went  on  his  way  ;  and  the 
angels  of  God  met  him.  And  when  Jacob  saw  them,  he  said, 
This  is  the  camp  of  God :  and  he  ccdled  the  name  of  that  place 
Mahanaim.  Jacob  went  on  his  way,  signifies  the  successive 
of  truth,*  that  it  might  be  conjoined  to  spiritual  and  celestial 
good :  and  the  angels  of  God  met  him,  signifies  illustration 
from  good :  and  when  Jacob  saw  them,  he  said,  This  is  the 
camp  of  God,  signifies  heaven :  and  he  called  the  name  of  that 
place  Mahanaim,  signifies  the  quality  of  the  state. 

4234.  Verse  1.  "  Jacob  went  on  his  way." — That  hereby  is 
signified  the  successive  of  truth,  to  the  end  that  it  might  be 
conjoined  to  spiritual  and  celestial  good,  appears  from  the  rep- 
resentation of  Jacob,  as  denoting  truth  of  the  natural  principle. 
What  Jacob  represented,  has  been  shown  above,  viz.,  the  Lord's 
Natural  principle ;  and  whereas  the  subject  treated  of  in  the 
internal  sense,  where  the  historical  relation  has  respect  to  Ja- 
cob, is  concerning  the  Lord,  the  manner  in  which  He  made  His 
Natural  principle  Divine,  therefore  Jacob  first  represented  truth 
in  that  principle,  and  afterwards  truth  to  which  collateral  good 
is  adjoined,  which  was  Laban ;  and  after  he  had  adjoined  this 
good,  then  Jacob  represented  such  good,  which,  however,  is 

*  By  the  successive  of  truth  appear  to  be  here  meant  the  successive  states  and 
stages  of  truth,  from  its  first  insemination  in  the  external  man,  until  it  comes  to 
bo  fully  conjoined  with  good  in  the  internal  man. 


10 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


not  Divine  good  in  the  natural  principle,  but  middle  good, 
whereby  he  could  receive  Divine  good :  such  good  Jacob  rep- 
resented when  he  departed  from  Laban,  but  still  that  good  in 
itself  is  truth,  which  thence  has  a  faculty  of  conjoining  itself 
with  Divine  good  in  the  natural  principle.  Such  is  the  truth 
which  Jacob  now  represents.  But  the  good  wherewith  it  was 
to  be  conjoined,  is  represented  by  Esau ;  that  Esau  is  Divine 
good  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle,  may  be  seen  in  n. 
3300,  3302,  3494,  3504,  3727,  3576,  3599,  3669,  3677.  This 
conjunction  itself,  viz.,  of  Divine  truth  with  the  Divine  good  of 
the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle,  is  the  subject  now  treated 
of ;  for  after  J acob  receded  from  Laban,  and  came  to  Jordan, 
and  thus  to  the  first  ingress  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  he  begins 
to  represent  that  conjunction;  for  the  land  of  Canaan,  in  the 
internal  sense,  signifies  heaven,  and  in  the  supreme  sense  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human  [principle],  see  n.  3038,  3705 :  hence  it 
is  that  by  these  words,  "  And  Jacob  went  on  his  way,"  is  sig- 
nified the  successive  of  truth,  to  the  end  that  it  might  be  con- 
joined to  spiritual  and  celestial  good.  But  these  are  subjects 
which  do  not  admit  of  being  fully  explained  to  the  apprehension; 
the  reason  is,  because  the  most  common  (or  general)  principles 
of  this  subject  are  unknown  in  the  learned  world,  even  the 
Christian ;  for  it  is  scarcely  known  what  the  natural  principle 
appertaining  to  man  is,  and  what  the  rational,  and  that  they 
are  altogether  distinct  from  each  other ;  also,  it  is  scarcely 
known  what  spiritual  truth  is,  and  what  the  good  thereof,  and 
that  these  likewise  are  most  distinct ;  and  still  less  is  it  known, 
that  during  man's  regeneration,  truth  is  conjoined  with  good, 
distinctly  in  the  natural  principle,  and  distinctly  in  the  rational, 
and  this  by  innumerable  means  ;  nay,  it  is  not  even  known 
that  the  Lord  made  His  Human  [principle]  Divine,  according 
to  the  order  in  which  He  also  regenerates  man.  Since,  there- 
fore, these  most  common  principles  are  unknown,  whatsoever  is 
said  on  the  subject  must  necessarily  appear  obscure;  but  still 
something  must  be  said,  because  otherwise  the  Word  cannot  be 
explained  as  to  the  internal  sense  ;  at  least  it  may  hence  appear 
what  is  the  nature  and  quality  of  angelic  wisdom,  for  the  inter- 
nal sen<e  of  the  Word  is  principally  for  the  angels. 

4235.  "And  the  angels  of  God  met  him." — That  hereby  is 
signified  illustration  from  good,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  the  angels  of  God,  as  denoting  somewhat  of  the  Lord ;  in 
the  present  case  they  signify  the  Divine  [principle]  which  is  in 
the  Lord,  for  in  the  Lord  was  the  Divine  [principle]  itself 
which  is  called  the  Father  ;  the  very  essence  of  life,  which  with 
man  is  called  soul,  was  hence,  and  was  Himself;  that  Divine 
[principle]  is  what  in  common  discourse  is  called  the  Divine 
Nature,  or  rather  the  Divine  Essence  of  the  Lord.  That  in  the 
Word,  by  angels  of  God  is  signified  somewhat  of  the  Lord's  Di 


4235,4236.]     .  GENESIS.  11 

vine  [principle],  maybe  seen  in  n.  1925,  2319,  2821,  3039,  4085; 
by  tbe  angels  of  God  meeting  him,  is  signified  in  a  proximate 
sense  the  influx  of  the  Divine  [principle]  into  the  natural; 
hence  comes  illustration,  for  all  illustration  is  from  an  influx  of 
the  Divine  [principle].  Inasmuch  as  the  subject  now  treated 
of  is  the  inversion  of  state  in  the  Lord's  Natural  principle,  to 
the  end  that  good  might  be  in  the  first  place,  and  truth  in  the 
second,  and  in  the  present  case  the  implantation  of  truth  in  good 
in  that  principle  (see  n.  4232),  and  as  this  could  not  be  effected 
without  illustration  from  the  Divine  [principle],  therefore  illus- 
tration from  good,  in  which  truth  might  be  implanted,  is  here 
first  treated  of. 

4236.  Verse  2.  "  And  when  Jacob  saw  them,  he  said,  This 
is  the  camp  of  God." — Hereby  is  signified  heaven  ;  the  reason 
of  this  signification  is,  because  an  army  signifies  truths  and 
goods,  see  n.  3448,  and  truths  and  goods  are  arranged  by  the 
Lord  according  to  heavenly  order ;  hence  arrangement  accord- 
ing to  order  is  the  encamping  of  an  army,  and  the  heavenly 
order  itself,  which  is  heaven,  is  the  camp.  This  camp,  or 
this  order,  is  such,  that  it  cannot  possibly  be  broken  into  by 
hell,  although  hell  is  continually  endeavouring  to  break  into  it ; 
hence  also  that  order  or  heaven  is  called  a  camp,  and  the  truths 
and  goods,  that  is,  the  angels,  who  are  arranged  according  to 
that  order,  are  called  armies :  from  these  considerations  then  it 
is  evident  Avhence  the  camp  of  God  signifies  heaven.  This 
essential  order  is  what  was  represented  by  the  encampments  of 
the  sons  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  thus  heaven  itself  was 
represented ;  and  the  cohabitation  therein  according  to  tribes 
was  called  a  camp ;  the  tabernacle,  which  was  in  the  midst, 
and  about  which  they  encamped,  represented  the  Lord  Him- 
self. That  the  sons  of  Israel  thus  encamped,  see  Numb.  i.  1  to 
the  end,  and  xxxiii.  2  to  the  end ;  that  they  encamped  about 
the  tabernacle  according  to  the  tribes,  viz.,  towards  the  east, 
Judah,  Issachar,  and  Zebulon ;  towards  the  south,  Reuben, 
Simeon,  Gad  ;  towards  the  west,  Ephraim,  Manasseh,  Benja- 
min ;  towards  the  north,  Dan,  Asher,  and  Naphtali  ;  and  the 
Levites  in  the  midst  nigh  unto  the  tabernacle,  see  Numb.  ii.  2, 
and  the  following  verses.  That  by  tribes  are  signified  all  goods 
and  truths  in  the  complex,  may  be  seen,  n.  3858,  3862,  3926, 
3939,  4060 ;  hence  it  is,  that  when  Balaam  saw  Israel  dwelling 
according  to  the  tribes,. and  the  Spirit  of  God  came  upon  him 
on  the  occasion,  he  uttered  an  enunciation,  saying,  "  How  goodly 
are  thy  tents,  0  Jacob  !  thy  habitations,  0  Israel !  as  the  valleys 
are  they  planted,  as  gardens  near  a  river"  Numb.  xxiv.  2,  3,  5, 
6  ;  that  by  those  prophetic  enunciations  was  not  meant  the 
people,  which  was  named  Jacob  an-d  Israel,  is  very  manifest ; 
but  the  heaven  of  the  Lord  was  meant,  which  was  represented. 
Hence  also  in  other  places  in  the  Word,  their  arrangements  in 


12  GENESIS.  [Ciiap.  xxxii. 

the  wilderness,  or  their  encampings  according  to  tribes,  were 
called  a  camp ;  and  by  camp  in  those  passages  in  the  internal 
sense  is  signified  heavenly  order ;  and  by  encamping,  arrange- 
ment according  to  that  order,  viz.,  according  to  the  order  in 
which  goods  and  truths  are  in  heaven,  Lev.  iv.  12  ;  viii.  17 ; 
xiii.  46  ;  xiv.  8 ;  xvi.  26,  28 ;  xxiv.  14,  23  ;  Numb.  ii. ;  v.  2  to 
4;  ix.  17  to  the  end;  x.  1  to  11,  25;  xi.  31,  32;  xii.  14, 15;  xxxi. 
19  to  24 ;  Deut.  xxiii.  10  to  14.  That  the  camp  of  God  is  hea- 
ven, may  also  appear  from  this  passage  in  Joel,  "  Before  him 
the  earth  was  moved,  the  heavens  trembled,  the  sun  and  the 
moon  were  darkened,  and  the  stars  withdrew  their  shining,  and 
Jehovah  uttered  his  voice  before  his  army,  for  his  camp  was  ex- 
ceeding great  /  because  he  that  doeth  his  Word  is  numerous," 
ii.  10, 11.  And  in  Zechariah,  "  1 will  encamp  about  mine  house 
because  of  the  army  passing  by  and  going  before,  and  no  op- 
pressor shall  pass  over  them,"  ix.  8.  And  in  the  Revelation, 
w  Gog  and  Magog  went  up  on  the  plain  of  the  earth,  and  com- 
passed the  camp  of  the  sai?its  about,  and  the  beloved  city ;  but 
fire  came  down  from  God,  .  .  .  and  consumed  them,"  xx.  9. 
Gog  and  Magog  denote  those  who  are  in  external  worship, 
separated  from  internal  and  made  idolatrous,  see  n.  1151 ;  the 
plain  of  the  earth  denotes  truth  of  the  church  ;  that  plain  is 
doctrinal  truth,  is  shown  in  n.  2450,  and  that  the  earth  is  the 
church,  in  n.  566,  662,  1066,  1068,  1850,  2117,  2118,  3355 ;  the 
camp  of  the  saints  denotes  heaven,  or  the  Lord's  kingdom  in 
the  earths,  which  is  the  church.  Inasmuch  as  several  expres- 
sions in  the  Word  have  an  opposite  sense,  so  also  has  camp, 
and  accordingly  in  this  sense  it  signifies  evils  and  falses,  and 
consequently  hell :  as  in  David,  "  If  the  wicked  shall  encamp 
against  me,  my  heart  shall  not  fear,"  Psalm  xxvii.  3.  Again, 
"  God  hath  scattered  the  bones  of  them  that  encamped  against 
me ;  thou  hast  made  ashamed,  because  God  hath  rejected 
them,"  liii.  5 ;  the  same  also  is  meant  by  the  camp  of  Ashur, 
in  which  the  angel  of  Jehovah  smote  an  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  thousand,  Isaiah  xxxvii.  36 ;  and  likewise  by  the  camp  of 
the  Egyptians,  Exod.  xiv.  20. 

4237.  "  And  he  called  the  name  of  that  place  Mahanaim." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  the  quality  of  the  state,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  calling  a  name,  as  denoting  quality, 
see  n.  144,  145,  1754,  1896,  2009,  3421  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  place,  as  denoting  state,  see  n.  2625,  2837,  3356, 
3387.  In  the  original  tongue,  Mahanaim  signifies  two  camps ; 
and  two  camps  signify  both  the  heavens,  or  both  the  kingdoms 
of  the  Lord,  viz.,  the  celestial  and  spiritual ;  and  in  the  supreme 
sense,  the  Divine  Celestial  and  Divine  Spiritual  [principle]  of 
the  Lord ;  hence  it  is  evident  that  the  quality  of  the  Lord's 
state,  when  His  natural  principle  was  illustrated  by  spiritual 
and  celestial  good,  is  signified  by  Mahanaim.    But  the  quality 


4237—4240.] 


GENESIS. 


13 


of  this  state  cannot  be  described,  inasmuch  as  the  Divine  states, 
which  the  Lord  had  when  He  made  the  Human  [principle]  in 
Himself  Divine,  do  not  fall  into  any  human  apprehension,  nor 
even  into  any  angelic,  only  by  appearances  illustrated  by  the 
light  of  heaven  which  is  from  the  Lord,  and  by  states  of  man's 
regeneration ;  for  the  regeneration  of  man  is  an  image  of  the 
glorification  of  the  Lord ;  see  n.  3138,  3212,  3296,  3490. 

4238.  Verses  3  to  5.  And  Jacob  sent  messengers  before  him 
to  Esau  his  brother,  unto  the  land  of  Seir,  the  field  of  Edom. 
And  he  commanded  them,  saying,  Thus  shall  ye  speak  unto  iny 
lord  Esau,  Thus  saith  thy  servant  Jacob,  I  have  sojourned  with 
Laban,  and  have  tarried  even  until  now.  And  I  have  ox  and 
ass,  flock,  and  m  an-servant  and  maid-servant,  and  I  send  to  tell 
my  lord,  to  find  favour  in  thine  eyes.  And  Jacob  sent  mes- 
sengers before  him  to  Esau  his  brother,  signifies  first  commu- 
nication with  celestial  good :  unto  the  land  of  Seir,  signifies 
celestial  natural  good  :  the  field  of  Edom,  signifies  truth  thence 
derived :  and  he  commanded  them,  saying,  Thus  shall  ye  speak 
unto  my  lord  Esau,  signifies  first  acknowledgment  of  good,  that 
it  was  in  a  superior  place :  I  have  sojourned  with  Laban,  and 
have  tarried  even  until  now,  signifies  that  he  had  imbibed  the 
good  signified  by  Laban :  and  I  have  ox  and  ass,  flock,  and 
man-servant  and  maid-servant,  signifies  acquisitions  in  their 
order  whilst  he  sojourned  there :  and  I  send  to  tell  my  lord,  to 
find  favour  in  thine  eyes,  signifies  instruction  concerning  that 
state,  and  also  condescension  and  humiliation  of  truth  before 
good. 

4239.  Yer.  3.  "  Jacob  sent  messengers  before  him  to  Esau 
his  brother." — That  hereby  is  signified  first  communication 
with  celestial  good,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  send- 
ing messengers,  as  denoting  to  communicate ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  Esau,  as  denoting  celestial  good  in  the  nat- 
ural principle,  see  n.  3300,  3302,  3494,  3504,  3527,  3576,  3599, 
3669.  The  subject  here  treated  of,  as  was  said  above,  n.  4234, 
is  the  conjunction  of  divine  truth  of  the  natural  principle,  which 
is  Jacob,  with  divine  good  in  that  principle,  which  is  Esau ; 
wherefore  the  illustration  of  the  natural  principle  by  the  Di- 
vine was  first  treated  of,  n.  4235  ;  the  subject  now  treated  of 
in  this  passage  is  concerning  the  first  communication,  which  is 
signified  by  Jacob  sending  messengers  to  Esau  his  brother. 
That  in  the  Word,  good  and  truth  are  brothers,  may  be  seen, 
n.  367,  3303. 

4240.  "  Unto  the  land  of  Seir."— That  hereby  is  signified 
celestial  natural  good,  appears  from  the  signification  of  the 
land  of  Seir,  as  denoting,  in  a  supreme  sense,  the  celestial  nat- 
ural good  of  the  Lord.  The  reason  why  the  land  of  Seir  has 
this  signification,  is,  because  Mount  Seir  was  the  boundary  of 
the  land  of  Canaan  on  one  part,  Joshua  xi.  16,  17 ;  and  all 


u 


GENESIS. 


[Chai>.  xxxii. 


boundaries,  as  rivers,  mountains,  and  lands,  represented  those 
things  which  were  ultimates,  see  n.  1585,  1866,  4116,  for  they 
put  on  representations  from  the  land  of  Canaan  which  was  in 
the  midst,  and  which  represented  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom, 
and  in  a  supreme  sense  His  Divine  Human  [principle],  see  n. 
1607,  3038,  3481,  3705.  The  ultimates,  which  are  boundaries, 
are  those  things  which  are  called  natural  principles,  for  spiritual 
and  celestial  principles  terminate  in  natural  principles.  This  is 
the  case  in  the  heavens,  for  the  inmost  or  third  heaven  is  celes- 
tial, because  principled-  in  love  to  the  Lord ;  the  middle  or 
second  heaven  is  spiritual,  because  principled  in  neighbourly 
love ;  the  last  or  first  heaven  is  celestial  and  spiritual-natural, 
because  principled  in  simple  good,  which  is  the  ultimate  of 
order  therein  :  the  case  is  similar  with  a  regenerate  man,  who 
is  a  little  heaven.  These  considerations,  therefore,  will  show 
why  the  land  of  Seir  signifies  celestial  natural  good.  Esau  also, 
who  dwelt  there,  represented  that  good,  as  has  been  explained 
above,  hence  also  the  same  good  is  signified  by  the  land  wherein 
he  dwelt,  for  lands  assume  the  representations  of  those  who 
dwell  therein,  see  n.  1675.  From  what  has  been  said,  then,  it 
may  appear  what  is  signified  by  Seir  in  the  Word,  as  in  Moses, 
"  Jehovah  came  from  Sinai,  and  rose  up  from  Seir  unto  them,' 
he  shone  forth  from  mount  Par  an,  and  he  came  out  from  the 
myriads  of  holiness,"  Dent,  xxxiii.  2.  And  in  the  song  of  De- 
borah and  Barak,  "Jehovah,  when  thou  wentest  forth  out  of 
Seir,  when  thou  departedst  out  of  the  field  of  Edom,  the  earth 
trembled,  and  the  heavens  dropped ;  the  clouds  also  dropped 
waters ;  the  mountains  flowed  down ;  .  .  .  this  Sinai  betore 
Jehovah  God  of  Israel,"  Judges  v.  4,  5.  And  in  the  prophecy 
of  Balaam,  "  I  see  him,  but  not  now ;  I  behold  him,  but  not 
nigh ;  a  Star  shall  arise  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  Sceptre  shall  rise 
out  of  Israel :  .  .  .  and  Edom  shall  he  an  inheritance,  and  Seir 
shall  be  an  inheritance,  of  his  enemies,  and  Israel  shall  become 
strong,"  Numb.  xxiv.  17,  18.  Every  one  may  see  that  in  these 
passages  Seir  signifies  somewhat  of  the  Lord,  for  it  is  said  that 
Jehovah  rose  up  from  Seir,  that  he  went  forth  out  of  Seir,  and 
departed  out  of  the  field  of  Edom,  and  that  Edom  and  Seir  shall 
be  an  inheritance ;  but  what  principle  of  the  Lord  is  signified, 
no  one  can  know  except  from  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word. 
That  it  is  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  [principle],  and  specifically 
the  Divine  Natural  principle  therein  as  to  good,  may  appear 
from  what  has  been  said  above ;  to  arise  and  go  forth  out  of 
Seir,  denotes  that  He  would  also  make  the  natural  principle 
Divine,  that  hence  it  might  become  light,  that  is,  intelligence 
and  wisdom,  and  thus  Jehovah,  not  only  as  to  the  human 
rational,  but  also  as  to  the  human  natural  [principle]  ;  Avhere- 
fore  it  is  said,  Jehovah  rose  up  from  Seir,  and  Jehovah  went 
forth  from  Seir ;  that  the  Lord  is  Jehovah,  see  n.  1343,  1736, 


4241,  4242.] 


GENESIS. 


15 


2004,  2005,  2018,  2025,  2156,  2329,  2921,  3023,  3035.  The  like 
is  involved  in  the  prophetic  burden  of  Duniah  in  Isaiah,  "I/e 
ealleth  to  me  out  <?/•'>&&>,  Watchman,  what  of  the  night?  watch- 
man, what  of  the  night  ?  The  watchman  said,  The  morning 
cometh,  and  also  the  night,"  xxi.  11,  12.  By  the  land  of  Seir, 
in  a  respective  sense,  is  properly  signified  the  Lord's  kingdom 
with  those  who  are  out  of  the  church  (that  is,  with  the  Gen- 
tiles), when  a  church  is  established  amongst  them,  and  the  for- 
mer or  old  church  is  falling  away  from  charity  and  faith :  that 
in  such  a  case,  they  who  are  in  darkness  have  light,  appears 
from  several  passages  in  the  Word.  This  is  properly  signified 
by  arising  out  of  Seir,  and  going  forth  out  of  Seir,  and  depart- 
ing from  the  held  of  Edom,  also  by  Seir  becoming  an  inherit- 
ance ;  as  likewise  by  this  passage  in  Isaiah,  "  He  called  to  me 
out  of  Seir,  Watchman,  what  of  the  night?  The  watchman 
said,  The  morning  cometh,  and  also  the  night ;"  the  morning 
cometh,  is  the  Lord's  Advent  (see  n.  2405,  2780),  and  hence 
illustration  to  those  who  are  in  night,  that  is,  in  ignorance ; 
that  this  illustration  is  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  prin- 
ciple, see  n.  4211.  As  several  expressions  in  the  Word  have 
also  an  opposite  sense,  so  likewise  has  Seir,  as  in  Ezekiel  xxv. 
8,  9 ;  xxxv.  2  to  15,  and  in  the  historical  of  the  Word  through- 
out. 

4241.  "The  field  of  Edom."— That  hereby  is  signified  truth 
derived  from  good,  appears  from  the  signification  of  the  field 
of  Edom,  as  denoting  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle  as  to 
good,  to  which  are  conjoined  the  doctrinals  of  truth,  or  truths, 
see  n.  3302,  3322 ;  truths  thence  derived,  or  which  are  from 

food,  are  distinct  from  truths  from  which  good  is  derived, 
ruths  from  which  good  is  derived  are  those  which  man  im- 
bibes before  regeneration,  but  the  truths  derived  from  good 
are  those  which  he  imbibes  after  regeneration ;  for  after  regen- 
eration, truths  proceed  from  good,  for  man  then  perceives  and 
knows  from  good  that  they  are  truths.  Such  truth,  viz.,  the 
truth  of  good,  is  what  is  signified  by  the  field  of  Edom ;  in 
like  manner  also  in  the  passage  above  quoted,  from  the  book  of 
Judges,  "Jehovah,  when  thou  wentest  forth  out  of  Seir,  when 
thou  depa?'tedst  out  of  the  field  of  Edom"  v.  4. 

4242.  Ver.  4.  "And  he  commanded  them,  saying,  Thus 
shall  ye  speak  unto  my  lord  Esau." — That  hereby  is  signified 
the  first  acknowledgment  of  good,  that  it  was  in  a  superior 
place,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  commanding  the 
messengers  to  speak,  as  denoting  reflection  and  thence  percep- 
tion that  it  is  so  (see  n.  3661,  3682),  and  consequently  acknow- 
ledgment; and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Emu,  as  denoting- 
good  ;  see  above,  n.  4234,  4239.    That  it  was  in  a  superior 

{dace,  is  signified  by  Jacob  calling  Esau,  not  brother,  but  his 
ord,  and  himself  his  servant,  and  afterwards  in  like  manner. 


16 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


During  man's  regeneration,  truth  is  apparently  in  the  first 
place,  and  good  in  the  second,  but  when  man  is  regenerated, 
good  is  in  the  first  place  and  truth  in  the  second,  see.  n.  1904, 
2063,  2189,  2697,  2979,  3286,  3289,  3310,  3325,  3330,  3332, 
3336,  3470,  3509,  3539,  3548,  3556,  3563,  3570,  3576,  3599, 
3603,  3701 .  This  also  is  what  is  meant  by  the  prophetic  words 
of  Isaac  the  father  to  Esau  his  son,  "  By  thy  sword  thou  shalt 
live,  and  shalt  serve  thy  brother ;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
when  thou  shalt  have  the  dominion,  thou  shalt  break  his  yoke 
from  off  thy  neck,"  Gen.  xxvii.  40 ;  the  inversion  of  this  state, 
as  predicted  in  these  prophetic  words,  is  now  treated  of. 

4243.  "I  have  sojourned  with  Laban,  and  have  tarried  even 
Tintil  now." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  he  imbibed  the  good 
signified  by  Laban,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of 
Laban,  as  denoting  a  middle  good,  that  is,  good  not  genuine, 
but  yet  serving  to  introduce  genuine  truths  and  goods,  see  n. 
3974,  3982,  3986,  4063  ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  sojourning, 
as  denoting  to  be  instructed,  see  n.  1463,  2025 ;  and  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  tarrying,  or  abiding  with,  as  predicated  ol 
a  life  of  truth  with  good,  see  n.  3613.  In  the  present  case  it 
denotes  to  imbibe  ;  hence  it  is  manifest,  that  by  these  words,  "  I 
have  sojourned  with  Laban,  and  have  tarried  even  until  now," 
is  signified  that  he  imbibed  the  good  represented  by  Laban. 
The  case  is  this :  truth  cannot  be  implanted  in  good  except  by 
means  (or  mediums) ;  which  means  (or  mediums)  were  treated 
of  in  the  preceding  chapters,  concerning  Jacob's  sojourning  and 
tarrying  with  Laban,  and  the  flock  he  there  acquired ;  the  sub- 
ject now  treated  of  in  this  chapter  is  the  process  of  conjunction, 
thus  the  inversion  of  state,  in  that  order  which  takes  place  when 
truth  becomes  subordinate  to  good.  Truth  is  apparently  in  the 
first  place,  when  man  learns  truth  from  affection,  but  does  not 
yet  live  so  much  according  to  it ;  but  good  is  in  the  first  place, 
when  he  lives  according  to  the  truth  which  he  has  learnt  from 
affection,  for  then  truth  becomes  good,  becaiise  man  then  be- 
lieves it  to  be  good  to  act  according  to  truth.  They  who  are 
regenerated  are  in  this  good,  and  also  they  who  have  conscience, 
that  is,  who  no  longer  reason  whether  it  be  truth,  but  who  do 
it  because  it  is  truth,  and  thus  have  imbibed  it  in  faith  and  life. 

4244.  Ver.  5.  "And  I  have  ox  and  ass,  flock,  and  man- 
servant and  maid-servant." — That  hereby  are  signified  acqui- 
sitions in  their  order,  appears  from  the  signification  of  ox  and 
ass,  flock,  man-servant  and  maid-servant,  as  denoting  subser- 
vient exterior  and  interior  goods  and  truths,  thus  acquisitions  in 
their  order.  That  ox  is  natural  exterior  good,  and  ass  (he-ass) 
natural  exterior  truth,  may  be  seen  in  n.  2781 ;  and  that  flock  is 
natural  interior  good,  man-servant  the  truth  thereof,  and  maid- 
servant the  affection  of  that  truth,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  each  expression,  as  occasionally  explained  above.  Those  goods 


*243— 4246.] 


GENESIS. 


17 


and  truths  are  the  acquisitions  here  treated  of;  it  is  evident 
that  they  are  named  in  their  order,  for  the  exterior  are  ox  and 
ass,  bul  ilif  interior  are  flock,  man-servant,  and  maid-servant. 

4245.  "  And  I  send  to  tell  my  lord,  to  find  favour  in  thine 
t  \  es." — -That  hereby  is  signified  instruction  concerning  his  state, 
and  also  the  condescension  and  humiliation  of  truth  before 
good,  appears  from  the  signification  of  sending  to  tell,  as  denot- 
ing to  instruct  concerning  his  state ;  that  the  condescension  and 
humiliation  of  truth  before  good  is  next  denoted,  is  manifest, 
tor  he  calls  him  his  lord,  and  says,  "  to  find  favour  in  thine 
eyes,"  which  are  words  of  condescension  and  humiliation.  The 
quality  of  this  state  is  here  described,  when  inversion  takes 
place,  and  truth  is  made  subordinate  to  good  ;  that  is,  when 
they  who  have  been  in  the  affection  of  truth,  begin  to  be  in  the 
affection  of  good.  But  the  occurrence  of  this  inversion  and 
subordination  appears  to  those  only  who  are  regenerated,  and 
not  even  to  them,  unless  they  reflect  thereupon.  At  this  day 
there  are  few  who  are  regenerated,  and  still  fewer  who  reflect ; 
wherefore  the  things  here  said  concerning  truth  and  good  must 
needs  be  obscure,  and  possibly  of  such  a  nature  as  not  to  be 
acknowledged,  especially  by  those  who  set  the  truths  of  faith  in 
the  first  place,  and  the  good  of  charity  in  the  second,  and  who 
thence  think  much  about  doctrinals,  but  not  concerning  goods 
of  charity,  and  think  about  eternal  salvation  from  the  former, 
not  from  the  latter.  ,They  who  so  think,  cannot  possibly  know, 
and  still  less  perceive,  that  the  truth  of  faith  is  made  subor- 
dinate to  the  good  of  charity.  The  things  which  a  man  thinks, 
and  from  which  he  thinks,  affect  him  ;  if  he  were  to  think 
from  goods  of  charity,  he  would  then  see  manifestly,  that 
truths  which  are  of  faith  are  in  the  second  place  ;  he  would 
then  also  see  truths  themselves  as  in  light ;  for  the  good  which 
is  of  charity  is  like  flame,  which  affords  light,  and  thereby 
illustrates  all  and  every  thing  which  he  had  before  imagined 
to  be  true ;  and  he  would  also  perceive  howr  falses  had  inter- 
mixed themselves,  and  assumed  an  appearance  as  if  they  were 
truths. 

4246.  Verses  6,  7,  8.  And  the  messengers  returned  to  Ja- 
cob, saying,  We  cams  to  thy  brother,  to  Esau,  and  also  he  cometh 
to  meet  thee,  and  four  hundred  men  with  him.  And  Jacob 
feared  exceedingly,  and  toas  distressed /  and  he  halved  the 
people  which  was  with  him,  and  the  flock,  and  the  herd,  and 
the  camels,  into  two  camps.  And  he  said,  If  Esau  shall  come 
to  one  camp,  and  smite  it,  there  shall  be  a  camp  left  for  escape. 
The  messengers  returned  to  Jacob,  saying,  We  came  to  thy  bro- 
ther, to  Esau,  and  aiso  he  cometh  to  meet  thee,  signifies  that 
good  continually  flowTs-in,  that  it  may  appropriate  truths  to 
itself :  and  four  hundred  men  with  him,  signifies  the  present 
state  of  good,  that  it  may  take  the  prior  place  :  and  Jacob  feared 

vol.  v.  2 


18 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


exceedingly,  and  was  distressed,  signifies  the  state  when  it  is 
being  changed  :  and  he  halved  the  people  which  was  with  him, 
and  the  flock,  and  the  herd,  and  the  camels,  into  two  camps, 
signifies  preparation  and  arrangement  of  truths  and  goods  in 
the  natural  principle  to  receive  the  good  represented  by  Esau  : 
and  he  said,  If  Esau  shall  come  to  one  camp,  and  smite  it,  there 
shall  be  a  camp  left  for  escape,  signifies  according  to  every 
event. 

4247.  Yer.  6.  "  And  the  messengers  returned  to  Jacob, 
saying,  We  came  to  thy  brother,  to  Esau,  and  also  he  cometh 
to  meet  thee." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  good  continually 
flows-in,  that  it  may  appropriate  truths  to  itself,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  brother,  in  this  case  Esau,  as  denoting 
good  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Xatural  principle,  concerning  which 
see  above ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  coming  to  meet,  as 
denoting  to  flow  in,  of  which,  we  shall  speak  presently  :  and  as 
it  denotes  influx,  so  it  denotes  appropriation.  From  what  has 
been  occasionally  said  above  on  this  subject,  it  may  appear  how 
the  case  is  with  good  and  truth,  and  with  the  influx  of  good 
into  truth,  and  concerning  the  appropriation  of  truth  by  good; 
viz.,  that  good  is  continually  flowing-in,  and  truth  receives,  for 
truths  are  the  vessels  of  good.  Divine  good  cannot  be  applied 
to  any  other  vessels  than  genuine  truths,  for  they  mutually  cor- 
respond to  each  other ;  when  man  is  in  the  affection  of  truth, 
in  which  he  is  in  the  beginning  before  he  is  regenerated,  then 
also  good  continually  flows-in  ;  but  as  yet  it  has  no  vessels,  that 
is,  truths,  to  which  it  may  apply  itself  and  be  appropriated. 
For  in  the  beginning  of  regeneration  man  is  not  as  yet  in  know- 
ledges ;  but  as  at  that  time  good  is  continually  flowing-in, 
it  produces  the  afl'ection  of  truth,  for  the  aftection  of  truth  is 
from  no  other  source  than  from  the  continual  endeavour  of  Di- 
vine good  to  flow-in.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  even  at  such 
time  good  is  in  the  first  place,  and  the  principal  agent,  although 
truth  appears  to  be  so ;  but  when  man,  at  adult  age,  being  in 
knowledges,  is  regenerated,  then  good  manifests  itself;  for  then 
he  is  not  so  much  in  the  aftection  of  knowing  truth,  as  in  the 
aftection  of  doing  it:  far  heretofore  truth  had  been  in  the  un- 
derstanding, but  now  it  is  in  the  will ;  and  when  it  is  in  the 
will,  it  is  in  the  man ;  for  the  will  constitutes  the  real  man. 
Such  is  the  perpetual  circle  which  takes  place  in  man ;  every 
thing  of  science  and  knowledge  is  insinuated  through  the  sight 
and  hearing  into  the  thought,  and  thence  into  the  will,  and 
from  the  will  through  the  thought  into  the  act.  From  the  mem- 
ory, which  is  as  an  internal  eye,  Or  internal  sight,  there  is  a 
like  circle,  viz.,  from  that  internal  sight  through  the  thought 
into  the  will,  and  from  the  will  through  the  thought  into  act ; 
or,  if  any  thing  opposes  the  endeavour  to  act,  it  comes  forth 
into  act  as  soon  as  the  opposing  principle  is  removed.  From 


4247—4249.] 


GENESIS. 


19 


these  considerations  it  may  appear  how  the  case  is  as  to  influx, 
and  the  appropriation  of  truth  by  good,  viz.,  that  first  of  all 
the  truths  which  are  of  faith  are  insinuated  through  the  hearing 
or  the  sight,  and  then  are  stored  np  in  the  memory,  whence 
they  are  successively  elevated  into  the  thought,  and  at  length 
flow  into  the  will ;  and  when  they  are  in  the  will,  they  proceed 
thence  through  the  thought  into  act ;  bnt  if  they  cannot  come 
into  act,  they  are  in  the  endeavour  thereto,  which  is  internal 
act,  for  as  often  as  faculty  is  granted,  it  becomes  external  act. 
Let  it,  however,  be  known  what  this  circle  is,  and  that  it  is  good 
which  produces  it,  for  life,  which  is  from  the  Lord,  flows  only 
into  good,  thus  through  good,  and  thus  from  inmost  principles. 
That  the  life,  which  flows-in  through  inmost  principles,  produces 
the  above  circle,  may  be  manifest  to  every  one,  for  without  life 
nothing  is  produced  ;  and  since  the  life  from  the  Lord  flows  only 
into  good,  and  through  good,  it  follows  that  it  is  good  which 
produces  and  flows  into  truths,  and  appropriates  them  to  itself, 
in  proportion  as  man  is  principled  in  the  knowledges  of  truth, 
and  at  the  same  time  is  willing  to  receive  them. 

4248.  "And  four  hundred  men  with  him." — That  hereby 
is  signified  the  present  state  of  good,  that  it  may  take  the  prior 
place,  appears  from  the  signification  of  four  hundred,  as  denot- 
ing properly  temptations  and  their  duration,  see  n.  2959,  2966. 
Tins  is  the  state  which  is  meant ;  as  may  appear  from  what 
follows,  viz.,  that  he  feared  exceedingly,  and  was  distressed, 
and  that  on  this  account  he  divided  his  camp  into  two,  verses 
7,  8;  also  that  from  fear  he  prayed  ardently  to  Jehovah,  verses 
9  to  12  ;  and  finally  that  he  wrestled  with  an  angel,  by  which 
wrestling  is  signified  temptation,  as  will  appear  from  the  expla- 
nation thereof  in  the  remainder  of  this  chapter.  When  the 
state  is  inverted  in  man  who  is  in  the  process  of  regeneration, 
that  is,  when  good  takes  the  prior  place,  then  come  temptations ; 
man  cannot  undergo  them  before,  because  he  is  not  as  yet  prin- 
cipled in  knowledges  whereby  he  may  defend  himself,  and  to 
which  he  may  have  recourse  for  consolation  ;  wherefore  also  no 
one  undergoes  temptations  until  he  arrives  at  adult  age  ;  tempt- 
ations are  what  unite  truths  to  good,  see  n.  2272,  3318,  36D6, 
3928.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  four  hundred  men  with 
him,  is  signified  the  state,  that  good  may  take  the  prior  place. 

4249.  V  er.  7.  "  And  Jacob  feared  exceedingly,  and  was  dis- 
tressed."— That  hereby  is  signified  the  state  when  it  is  being 
changed,  appears  from  this  consideration,  that  fear  and  distress 
are  the  beginning  of  temptations,  and  that  they  precede  whilst 
the  state  is  inverting  or  changing.  The  further  arcana  which 
lie  concealed  in  what  is  here  said,  that  Esau  went  to  meet  Jacob 
with  four  hundred  men,  and  that  hence  Jacob  had  fear  and  dis- 
tress, cannot  easily  be  explained  to  the  apprehension,  because 
they  are  of  a  more  interior  nature.    We  shall  only  observe 


20 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


that  when  good  takes  the  prior  place,  and  brings  truth  into 
subordination  to  itself,  as  is  the  case  when  man  undergoes  spir- 
itual temptations,  the  good  which  flows-in  from  an  interior 
principle,  has  with  it  several  truths,  which  were  stored  \ip  with 
man  in  his  interior  man.  These  truths  cannot  come  to  his  in- 
tuition and  apprehension  until  good  becomes  the  primary  agent, 
for  then  the  natural  principle  begins  to  he  illustrated  by  good, 
whence  it  appears  what  things  therein  are  concordant  and  what 
are  discordant ;  hence  come  the  fear  and  straitness  which  pre- 
cede spiritual  temptation ;  for  spiritual  temptation  acts  upon 
the  conscience,  which  is  of  the  interior  man,  wherefore  also 
when  man  enters  into  such  temptation,  he  does  not  know  whence 
he  has  this  fear  and  straitness,  but  the  angels  attendant  on  man 
know  this  well ;  for  temptation  is  from  this  ground,  that  the 
angels  keep  man  in  goods  and  truths,  whereas  evil  spirits  keep 
him  in  evils  and  falses.  The  principles  which  exist  with  the 
spirits  and  angels  attendant  on  man,  are  perceived  by  man  just 
as  if  they  were  in  himself;  for  the  principles  which  exist  in- 
teriorly are  thought  by  man,  during  his  life  in  the  body,  and 
whilst  he  does  not  believe  that  they  all  enter  by  influx,  not  to 
be  produced  by  causes  without  him  ;  but  he  supposes  that  all 
the  causes  of  their  production  are  within  him,  and  proper  to 
him  as  his  own,  when  yet  it  is  not  so :  for  whatsoever  a  man 
thinks  and  wills,  that  is,  all  his  thought  and  all  his  affection, 
is  either  from  hell  or  from  heaven  ;  when  he  thinks  and  wills 
evil  things,  and  is  thence  delighted  with  false  principles,  let 
him  know  that  his  thoughts  and  affections  are  from  hell ;  and 
whilst  he  thinks  and  wills  good  things,  and  is  thence  delighted 
with  truths,  that  they  are  from  heaven,  that  is,  through  heaven 
from  the  Lord.  But  the  thoughts  and  affections  which  occur 
in  man,  present  themselves  for  the  most  part  under  an  appear- 
ance different  from  what  they  are  in  themselves;  as  the  combat 
of  evil  spirits  with  angels,  grounded  in  those  principles  which 
have  place  with  man  who  is  about  to  be  regenerated,  presents 
itself  under  an  appearance  of  fear  and  straitness,  and  of  tempt- 
ation. These  things  must  needs  appear  paradoxes  to  man,  be- 
cause almost  every  man  of  the  church  at  this  day  believes,  that 
all  the  truth  which  he  thinks,  and  the  good  which  he  wills  and 
does,  is  from  himself,  although  he  says  otherwise  when  he  speaks 
from  the  doctrine  of  faith ;  yea,  such  is  his  nature,  that  if  any 
one  should  tell  him  that  spirits  from  hell  flow  into  his  thought 
and  will  when  he  thinks  and  wills  what  is  evil,  and  that  angels 
from  heaven  flow-in  when  he  thinks  and  wills  what  is  good,  he 
would  stand  astonished  at  hearing  such  an  assertion,  urging 
that  he  has  a  sensible  feeling  of  life  in  himself,  and  that  he 
thinks  and  wills  from'  himself.  In  this  sensible  feeling  his 
faith  is  grounded,  but  not  in  any  doctrinal  tenet;  when  yet  the 
droctrinal  tenet  is  true,  and  the  sensible  feeling  is  fallacious. 


4250,  4251.] 


GENESIS. 


21 


From  almost  continual  experience  of  now  several  years  it  has 
been  given  me  to  know  this,  and  so  certainly,  as  to  have  no 
doubt  remaining  about  it. 

4250.  ''Ami  lie  halved  the  people  which  was  with  him,  ami 
the  flock,  and  the  herd,  and  the  camels,  into  two  camps." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  preparation  and  arrangement  of  truths 
and  goods  in  the  natural  principle  to  receive  the  good  repre- 
sented by  Esau,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  people,  as 
denoting  truth,  also  false  principles,  see  n.  1259,  12G0,  3581; 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  flock,  as  denoting  interior  goods, 
and  also  things  not  good ;  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  herd,  as 
denoting  exterior  goods,  and  also  things  not  good,  see  n.  2566, 
4244 ;  (4.)  from  the  signification  of  camels,  as  denoting  exterior 
or  common  truths,  thus  also  things  not  true,  see  n.  3048,  3071, 
3143,  3145 ;  and  (5.)  from  the  signification  of  camps,  as  denot- 
ing order,  in  a  good  sense  genuine  order,  and  in  an  opposite 
sense  order  not  genuine,  see  n.  4236 :  that  to  halve  denotes  to 
divide  into  two,  and  thus  to  dispose  himself  to  receive,  is  mani- 
fest. How  this  is  effected,  may  appear  from  what  has  been  just 
now  said  above,  viz.,  that  when  good  flows  in,  as  is  the  case 
when  the  order  is  inverted,  and  good  takes  the  prior  place,  then 
the  natural  principle  is  illustrated,  and  therein  is  seen  what 
truth  and  good  is  genuine,  and  what  is  not  genuine ;  these  are 
afterwards  separated,from  each  other,  so  that  some  are  retained, 
but  others  are  removed.  Hence  the  order  becomes  altogether 
changed  from  what  it  had  before  been ;  for  when  good  has  the 
dominion,  it  is  attended  with  this  effect,  inasmuch  as  truths  are 
then  only  ministers  and  servants,  and  are  arranged  in  heavenly 
order  nearer  and  nearer,  according  to  the  reception  of  good  by 
truths,  and  also  according  to  the  quality  of  the  good ;  lor  good 
receives  its  quality  from  truths. 

4251.  Ver.  8.  "And  said,  If  Esau  shall  come  to  one  camp 
and  smite  it,  there  shall  be  a  camp  left  for  escape." — That  here- 
by is  signified  according  to  every  event,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  camp,  as  denoting  order,  see  just  above;  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  smiting,  as  denoting  to  destroy ;  ana 
(3.)  from  the  signification  of  a  camp  being  left  for  escape,  as 
denoting  that  order  should  not  perish  in  the  natural  principle, 
but  somewhat  would  remain  over  and  above ;  thus  denoting 
preparation  and  arrangement  according  to  every  event.  For 
the  natural  principle,  so  long  as  truth  has  dominion  therein, 
cannot  see  what  truth  is  genuine  and  what  is  not  genuine,  nei- 
ther what  good ;  but  when  good,  which  is  the  good  of  love  to 
the  Lord  and  of  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  has  dominion 
therein,  it  then  sees  this ;  hence  it  is,  that  when  the  time  o± 
state  is  at  hand,  when  good  takes  the  dominion,  man  is  almost 
in  ignorance  of  what  is  good  and  true,  thus  of  what  shall  be 
destroyed,  and  what  shall  be  retained,  as  is  manifest  in  tempt- 


22 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


ations.  "When  a  man  is  in  such  ignorance,  then  preparation 
and  arrangement  are  made,  not  by  man,  but  by  the  Lord ;  in 
the  present  case,  by  the  Lord  Himself,  because  the  Lord  by 
His  own  proper  power  arranged  and  reduced  all  things  in  Him- 
self into  divine  order. 

4252.  Verses  9  to  12.  And  Jacob  said,  God  of  my  father 
Abraham,  and  God  of  my  father  Isaac,  Jehovah,  saying  unto 
me,  Return  to  thy  land,  and  to  thy  kindred,  and  I 'will  do  well 
with  thee.  I  am,  less  than  all  the  mercies,  and  than  all  the 
truth,  tohich  thou  hast  done  unto  thy  servant  •  because  with  my 
staff  I  jxissed  over  this  Jordan,  and  now  I  am  in  two  camps. 
Deliver  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  the  hand  of  my  brother,  out  of 
the  hand  of  Esau :  because  I fear  him,  peradventure  he  may 
come  and  smite  me,  and  the  mother  upon  the  children.  And 
thou  hast  said,  In  doing  vjell,  I  will  do  well  with  thee,  and  will 
place  thy  seed  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  which  is  not  numbered  for 
multitude.  Jacob  said,  God  of  my  father  Abraham,  and  God 
of  my  father  Isaac,  Jehovah,  signifies  the  holy  [principle]  of 
preparation  and  arrangement :  saying  unto  me,  Return  to  thy 
land  and  to  thy  kindred,  and  I  will  do  well  with  thee,  signifies 
for  conjunction  with  Divine  good  and  truth :  I  am  less  than  all 
the  mercies,  and  than  all  the  truth,  which  thou  hast  done  unto 
thy  servant,  signifies  humiliation  in  that  state  as  to  good  and 
truth :  because  with  my  staff  I  passed  over  this  Jordan,  and 
now  I  am  in  two  camps,  signifies  that  from  a  little  there  was 
much :  deliver  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  the  hand  of  my  brother, 
out  of  the  hand  of  Esau,  because  I  fear  him,  signifies  the  state 
respectively,  because  he  made  himself  prior:  peradventure  he 
may  come  and  smite  me,  and  the  mother  upon  the  children, 
signifies  that  he  might  perish :  and  thou  hast  said,  In  doing 
well  I  will  do  well  with  thee,  signifies  that  nevertheless  in  such 
case  he  should  gain  life  :  and  1  will  place  thy  seed  as  the  sand 
of  the  sea,  which  is  not  numbered  for  multitude,  signifies  fruc- 
tification and  multiplication  on  the  occasion. 

4252^.  Ver.  9.  "Jacob  said,  God  of  my  father  Abraham, 
and  God  of  my  father  Isaac,  Jehovah." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied the  holy  [principle]  of  preparation  and  arrangement,  ap- 
peal's (1.)  from  the  signification  of  God  of  father  Abraham,  as 
denoting  the  Lord's  essential  Divine  [principle],  see  n.  3439; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  God  of  father  Isaac,  as  de- 
noting His  Divine  Human  [principle],  see  n.  3T04,  4180;  and 
inasmuch  as  each  is  Jehovah,  it  is  said,  God  of  my  lather 
Abraham,  God  of  my  father  Isaac,  Jehovah  ;  but  in  the  present 
case  is  signified  the  holy  [principle],  which  proceeds  from  the 
Divine,  for  every  thing  holy  is  from  thence.  The  reason  why 
such  holy  principle  is  signified,  is,  because  it  was  in  the  natural 
principle,  represented  by  Jacob,  in  which  the  good,  represented 
by  Esau,  was  not  as  yet  conjoined  with  truth ;  for  the  subject 


4252—4255.] 


GENESIS. 


23 


now  treated  of  is  the  state  of  the  reception  of  good,  and  in  the 
present  passage  the  state  of  preparation  and  arrangement,  in 
order  that  it  might  he  received.  Nothing  else  is  implied  in 
Jacob's  supplication  ;  wherefore  by  the  above  words  is  signified 
the  holy  [principle]  of  preparation  and  arrangement. 

4253.  "  Saying  unto  me,  Return  to  thy  land,  and  to  thy  kin- 
dred, and  I  will  do  well  with  thee." — That  hereby  is  signified 
for  conjunction  with  divine  good  and  truth,  appears  from  what 
was  said  above,  n.  4069,  4070,  where  nearly  the  same  words 
occur. 

4254.  Ver.  10.  "  I  am  less  than  all  the  mercies,  and  than 
all  the  truth,  which  thou  hast  done  unto  thy  servant."- — That 
hereby  is  signified  humiliation  in  that  state  as  to  good  and 
truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the  predication  of  mercy,  as  having  re- 
lation to  the  good  which  is  of  love,  and  (2.)  from  the  predication 
of  truth,  as  having  relation  to  the  truth  which  is  of  faith,  see 
n.  3122.  That  they  are  words  of  humiliation,  is  evident;  hence 
it  may  appear,  that  by  them  is  signified  humiliation  in  that 
state  as  to  good  and  truth. 

4255.  "  Because  with  my  staff  I  passed  over  this  Jordan, 
and  now  I  am  in  two  camps." — That  hereby  is  signified,  that 
from  a  little  there  was  much,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  staff,  as  denoting  power,  and  as  being  predicated  of  truth,  see 
n.  4013,  4015 ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  Jordan,  as  denot- 
ing initiation  into  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  of  which 
we  shall  speak  presently ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  two 
camps,  as  denoting  goods  and  truths,  as  above,  n.  4250,  for  two 
camps  in  this  case  are  the  people,  flock,  herd,  and  camels, 
which  he  halved.  Hence  it  is  manifest  that  the  above  words, 
in  a  proximate  sense,  signify  that  he  had  little  of  truth,  when 
he  was  initiated  into  knowledges,  and  that  afterwards  he  had 
many  truths  and  goods ;  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  that  from 
little  there  was  much.  From  wdiat  has  been  heretofore  ex- 
plained it  is  evident,  that  the  subject  treated  of  in  the  internal 
sense  is  the  manner  in  which  the  Lord  made  the  Human  [prin- 
ciple] in  Himself  Divine,  and  this  successively,  according  to 
order ;  thus  concerning  progression  into  intelligence  and  'wis- 
dom, and  at  length  into  the  Divine ;  hence  it  is  manifest  what 
is  meant  by  from  a  little  to  much.  The  reason  why  Jordan 
denotes  initiation  into  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  is, 
because  it  was  a  boundary  of  the  land  of  Canaan ;  that  all  the 
boundaries  of  that  land  signified  those  things  which  are  first 
and  last  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  also  of  the  church,  and  thus 
which  are  first  and  last  of  celestial  and  spiritual  things,  which 
constitute  the  Lord's  kingdom  and  his  church,  see  n.  1585, 
1806,  4116,  4240  ;  hence  Jordan,  as  being  a  boundary,  signified 
initiation  into  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  for  these  are 
the  first  things,  and  at  length,  when  man  is  made  a  church  or 


24 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxii. 


the  Lord's  kingdom,  they  become  the  last.  That  Jordan  has 
this  signification,  may  also  be  rendered  evident  from  other  pas- 
sages in  the  Word,  as  in  David,  "  O  my  God,  my  soul  boweth 
itself  over  me  ;  therefore  will  I  remember  thee  from  the  land 
of  Jordan,  and  of  the  Hermonites  from  the  mount  of  Little- 
ness," Psalm  xlii.  6 ;  to  remember  from  the  land  of  Jordan, 
denotes  from  what  is  last,  thus  from  what  is  low.  Again,  "  Ju- 
dah  became  his  sanctuary,  Israel  his  dominions :  the  sea  saw 
and  fled,  Jordan  turned  itself  away  backward,"  cxiv.  2,  3,  5 ; 
where  Judah  denotes  the  good  of  celestial  love,  and  Israel  the 
good  of  spiritual  love,  see  n.  3654 ;  sea  denotes  the  knowledges 
of  truth,  see  n.  28 ;  Jordan  denotes  the  knowledges  of  good, 
which  are  said  to  turn  themselves  away  backward,  when  the 
good  of  love  obtains  the  dominion ;  for  in  such  case  knowledges 
are  viewed  from  that  good,  but  not  good  from  them,  according^ 
to  what  has  been  frequently  shown  above.  So  in  the  book  of 
Judges,  "  Gilead  dwelling  in  the  passage  of  Jordan :  and  why 
shall  Dan  fear  ships  ?"  v.  17;  where  Gilead  denotes  sensual  good 
or  what  is  pleasant,  by  which  man  is  first  initiated  when  he  is 
regenerated,  see  n.  4117,  4124;  to  dwell  in  the  passage  of  Jor- 
dan, denotes  in  those  things  which  are  initianients,  thus  which 
are  the  first  and  last  of  the  Lord's  church  and  kingdom.  These 
things  were  also  represented  by  Jordan,  when  the  sons  of  Israel 
entered  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  Joshua  iii.  14  to  the  end,  iv.  1 
to  the  end ;  for  by  the  land  of  Canaan  was  represented  the  Lord's 
kingdom,  see  n."l413.  1437,  1607,  3038,  3481,  3686,  3705,  and 
by  Jordan  being  divided,  and  their  passing  over  on  dry  ground, 
was^signihed  the  removal  of  evils  and  falses,  and  the  admission 
of  those  who  were  principled  in  goods  and  truths.  The  like 
was  signified  by  the  waters  of  Jordan  being  divided  by  Elijah, 
when  he  was  taken  up  into  heaven,  2  Kings  ii.  8  ;  and  by  Elisha, 
when  he  entered  upon  the  prophetic  office  in  the  place  of  Elijah, 
verse  14  of  the  same  chapter.  Naaman's  being  healed  of  his 
leprosy  by  washing  himself  seven  times  in  Jordan,  according 
to  the  command  of  Elisha,  2  Kings  v.  1  to  14,  represented  bap- 
tism, for  baptism  signifies  initiation  into  the  church,  and  into 
the  things  of  the  church;  thus  it  signifies  regeneration  and  the 
things  of  regeneration  ;  not  that  any  one  is  regenerated  by  bap- 
tism, but  that  it  is  a  sign  thereof,  which  should  be  remembered. 
And  inasmuch  as  the  tilings  of  the  church  are  signified  by  bap- 
tism, and  the  like  by  Jordan,  as  was  said  above,  therefore  the 
people  were  baptized  in  Jordan  by  John,  Matt.  iii.  6 ;  Mark.  i. 
5;  and  also  the  Lord  Himself  was  willing  to  be  baptized  there 
by  John,  Matt.  iii.  13  to  17 ;  Mark  i.  9.  Whereas  Jordan  sig- 
nifies those  things  which  are  first  and  last  of  the  Lord's  kingdom 
and  church  (such  are  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  for  by 
these  man  is  introduced),  therefore  also  Jordan  is  mentioned  as 
a  boundary  of  the  new  earth,  or  holy  hand,  Ezekiel,  chap,  xlvii. 


4256,  4257.] 


GENESIS. 


25 


18  ;  that  the  new  earth  or  holy  land  is  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and 
also  the  new  church,  which  is  the  Lord's  kingdom  in  the  earths, 
see  n.  1733,  1850,  2117,  2118,  3355. 

425(5.  Ver.  11.  "Deliver  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  the  hand 
of  my  brother,  out  of  the  hand  of  Esau,  because  I  fear  him." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  the  state  respectively,  because  he  made 
himself  prior,  may  appear  from  what  has  been  frequently  said 
above,  especially  in  treating  of  the  primogeniture  which  Jacob 
procured  to  himself  by  the  pottage  of  lentiles,  and  of  the  bless- 
ing which  he  took  away  from  Esau  by  craft.  What  was  repre- 
sented and  signified  by  those  circumstances,  may  be  seen  in  the 
passages  where  they  are  treated  of,  namely,  that  apparently, 
truth  is  in  the  first  place  during  the  process  of  man's  regenera- 
tion, and  good  in  the  second ;  but  that  actually,  good  is  in  the 
first  place,  and  truth  in  the  second,  and  that  it  is  manifestly  so 
when  he  is  regenerated,  see  n.  3539,  3548,  3556,  3563,  3570, 
3576,  3603,  3701,  4243,  4244,  4247.  When,  therefore,  the  order 
is  inverted,  and  good  takes  its  prior  place  manifestly,  that  is, 
when  it  begins  to  have  dominion  over  truth,  then  the  natural 
man  is  in  fear  and  straitness  (n.  4249),  and  also  enters  into 
temptations ;  the  reason  is,  because  when  truth  was  in  the  first 
place,  that  is,  when  it  seemed  to  itself  to  have  dominion,  then 
falses  intermixed  themselves  ;  for  truth  of  itself  cannot  see  whe- 
ther it  be  truth,  but  must  see  it  from  good,  and  where  false 
principles  are,  there  is  fear  when  good  approaches.  All  like- 
wise who  are  principled  in  good,  begin  to  be  afraid  when  false 
principles  appear  in  the  light  derived  from  good,  for  they  fear 
false  principles,  and  are  desirous  that  they  may  be  extirpated, 
which,  if  they  are  inherent,  is  impossible,  except  by  divine 
means  from  the  Lord ;  and  hence  it  is,  that  they  who  are  about 
to  be  regenerated,  after  fear  and  straitness  come  into  tempta- 
tions also,  for  temptations  are  the  divine  means  of  removing 
those  false  principles.  This  is  the  most  secret  cause  why  man, 
during  the  process  of  regeneration,  undergoes  spiritual  tempta- 
tions ;  but  this  cause  in  no  wise  appears  to  man,  for,  like  every 
thing  which  moves,  provokes,  and  torments  the  conscience,  it 
is  above  the  sphere  of  his  perception. 

4257.  "  Perad venture  he  may  come  and  smite  me,  and  the 
mother  upon  the  children." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  he 
might  perish,  is  evident  without  explanation.  To  smite  the 
mother  upon  the  children,  was  a  form  of  speaking  in  use 
amongst  the  ancients  who  were  principled  in  representatives 
and  significatives,  signifying  the  destruction  of  the  church  and 
of  all  things  appertaining  to  the  church,  either  in  general  or  in 
particular  with  man  who  is  the  church  ;  for  by  mother  they 
understood  the  church,  see  n.  289,  2691,  2717,  and  by  sons  the 
truths  appertaining  to  the  church,  see  n.  489,  491,  533,  1147, 
2623,  3373 ;  hence  to  smite  the  mother  upon  the  children,  de« 


26 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


notes  to  perish  utterly.  Man  also  perishes  utterly,  when  the 
church,  and  what  appertains  to  the  church,  perishes  in  him, 
that  is,  when  the  affection  of  truth,  which  is  properly  signified 
by  mother,  and  which  constitutes  the  church  in  man,  is  de- 
stroyed. 

4258.  Ver.  12.  "And  thou  hast  said,  In  doing  well  I  will 
do  well  with  thee." — That  hereby  is  signified,  that  still  in  such 
case  he  should  gain  life,  appears  from  the  signification  of  doing 
well,  as  denoting  to  gain  life  ;  for  by  Jacob  is  represented  truth, 
and  truth  has  not  life  from  itself,  but  from  the  good  which 
flows  into  it,  as  has  been  frequently  shown  above  ;  hence,  to  do 
well  here  signifies  to  gain  life :  the  life  of  truth  derived  from 
good  is  also  here  treated  of. 

4259.  "  And  I  will  place  thy  seed  as  the  sand  of  the  sea, 
which  is  not  numbered  for  multitude." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied fructification  and  multiplication  in  such  case,  appeal's  from 
the  signification  of  seed,  as  denoting  the  faith  of  charitv,  and 
also  charity  itself,  see  n.  1025,  1417,  1610,  2818,  3373 ;  that  to 
place  it  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  which  is  not  numbered  for  mul- 
titude, denotes  multiplication,  is  evident :  fructification  is  pre- 
dicated of  good,  which  is  of  charitv,  and  multiplication  is  pre- 
dicated of  truth,  which  is  of  faith,  see  n.  913,  9S3,  2846,  2847. 

4260.  Verses  13  to  15.  And  he  passed  the  night  there  in 
that  night  ;  and  took  of  that  which  came  into  his  hand,  apres- 
sentfor  Esau  his  brother  •  two  hundred  she-goats,  and  twenty 
he-goats,  two  hundred  ewes,  and  twenty  rams,  thirty  milch 
camels  and  their  colts,  forty  cows  and  ten  oxen,  twenty  she-asses 
and  ten  foals.  He  passed  the  night  there  in  that  night,  signi- 
fies in  that  obscure  state  :  and  took  of  that  which  came  into  his 
hand,  a  present  for  Esau  his  brother,  signifies  things  divine  to 
be  initiated  into  celestial  natural  good  :  two  hundred  she-goats, 
and  twenty  he-goats,  two  hundred  ewes,  and  twenty  ranis,  sig- 
nifies goods,  and  thence  truths  divine  :  thirty  milch  camels  and 
their  colts,  forty  cows  and  ten  oxen,  twenty  she-asses  and  ten 
foals,  signifies  things  of  service  (or  things  subservient)  both 
general  and  special, 

4261.  Ver.  13.  "He  passed  the  night  there  in  that  night." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  in  that  obscure  state,  appears  from 
the  signification  oi  passing  the  night,  and  also  of  night,  as  de- 
noting an  obscure  state,  see  n.  1712,  3693. 

4262.  "And  took  of  that  which  came  into  his  hand,  a  pres- 
ent for  Esau  his  brother." — That  hereby  are  signified  things 
divine  to  be  initiated  into  celestial  natural  good,  appeal's  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  taking  of  that  ivhich  came  into  his 
hand,  as  denoting  of  those  tilings  which  were  providently  pre- 
sented, thus  which  were  of  the  Divine  Providence ;  and  where- 
as those  things  which  are  of  the  Divine  Providence,  are  divine, 
therefore,  by  taking  of  that  which  came  into  his  hand,  divine 


4258—4263.] 


GENESIS. 


27 


things  are  here  signified  ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  a  present) 
as  denoting  initiation,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently;  and 
(3.)  from  the  representation  of  Esau,  as  denoting  the  Divine 
Natural  principle  as  to  good,  see  n.  3302,  3322,  3504,  3599,  in 
the  present  case  as  to  celestial  good,  hecanse  the  natural  prin- 
ciple was  not  as  yet  made  Divine.  The  reason  why  this  pres- 
ent signifies  initiation,  is,  hecanse  it  was  made  to  secure  good- 
will and  favour;  for  the  presents  which  in  old  time  were  given 
and  offered  had  various  significations.  Those  which  were  given 
to  kings  and  priests,  on  coming  before  them,  had  one  significa- 
tion, and  those  which  were  offered  up  on  the  altar  had  another; 
the  former  signified  initiation,  hut  the  latter  worship,  see  n.  349. 
All  sacrifices  in  general,  of  whatsoever  sort,  were  called  pres- 
ents, or  gifts,  and  particularly  the  offerings  consisting  of  bread 
and  wine,  or  cakes  with  a  libation;  for  in  the  original  tongue, 
offering  (Mincha)  signifies  present,  or  gift.  That  presents  were 
given  to  kings  and  priests,  on  going  to  them,  appears  from  sev- 
eral passages  in  the  Word,  as  when  Saul  consulted  Samuel,  1 
Sam.  ix.  7,  8 ;  and  when  they  who  despised  Saul  did  not  offer 
him  a  present,  1  Sam.  x.  27  ;  when  the  queen  of  Sheba  came  to 
Solomon,  1  Kings  x.  2 ;  and  also  when  the  rest  came,  of  whom 
it  is  written,  "All  the  earth  sought  the  faces  of  Solomon  to  hear 
hi-;  wisdom,  .  .  .  and 'they  offered  every  one  his  present,  vessels 
of  silver,  and  vessels  of  gold,  and  garments,  and  arms,  and 
spices,  horses,  and  mules,"  x.  24,  25 ;  and  as  the  ritual  was 
holy,  signifying  initiation,  therefore  also  the  wise  men  from  the 
east,  who  came  to  Jesus  at  his  birth,  brought  presents,  gold, 
frankincense,  and  myrrh,  Matt.  ii.  11 ;  gold  signifying  celestial 
love,  frankincense  spiritual  love,  and  myrrh  those  loves  in  the 
natural  principle.  That  the  above  ritual  was  commanded, 
appears  from  Moses,  "  The  faces  of  Jehovah  shall  not  be  seen 
empt}r,"  Exod.  xxiii.  15  ;  Dent.  xvi.  16,  17 ;  and  that  the  pres- 
ents which  were  given  to  priests  and  kings  should  be  as  those 

fiven  to  Jehovah,  may  be  proved  from  other  passages  in  the 
Tord.  That  the  presents  which  were  sent  signified  initiation, 
is  evident  from  those  which  the  twelve  princes  of  Israel  sent  to 
initiate  the  altar,  after  it  had  been  anointed,  Numb.  vii.  1  to 
the  end  ;  where  their  presents  are  called  initiation,  verse  88. 

4263.  Yer.  14.  "Two  hundred  she-goats  and  twenty  he- 
goats,  two  hundred  ewes  and  twenty  rams." — That  hereby  are 
signified  divine  goods,  and  thence  truths,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  she-goats  and  of  ewes,  as  denoting  goods,  see  n. 
3995,  4006,  4169  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  he-goats  and 
of  rams,  as  denoting  truths,  see  n.  4005,  4170,  in  the  present 
case  divine  goods  and  truths.  The  reason  why  goods  and  truths 
are  so  frequently  mentioned,  and  signified  by  so  many  various 
things,  is,  because  all  things  appertaining  to  heaven  and  to  the 
church  have  reference  thereto ;  the  things  which  are  of  lovf 


23 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


and  cnarity  having  reference  to  good,  and  those  which  are  of 
faith  to  truths:  hut  still  their  differences  as  to  genera  and  spe- 
cies are  innumerable,  yea  indefinite ;  as  may  appear  from  this 
consideration,  that  all  who  are  principled  in  good  are  in  the 
Lord's  kingdom,  and  yet  no  two  societies  therein  are  in  like 
good,  nor  even  one  individual  in  a  society  in  like  good  with  an- 
other. For  one  and  the  same  good  appertaining  to  two  persons 
can  in  no  wise  he  given,  still  less  that  appertaining  to  several, 
for  in  such  case  they  would  he  one  and  the  same,  and  not  two, 
still  less  several.  Every  single  [thing  or  principle]  consists  of 
various  [things  or  principles]  ;  and  this  by  celestial  harmony 
and  concord. 

4264.  "  Thirty  milch  camels  and  their  colts,  forty  cows  and 
ten  oxen,  twenty  she-asses  and  ten  foals." — That  hereby  are 
signified  things  of  service  (or  things  subservient)  both  general 
and  special,  appears  from  the  signification  of  milch  camels  and 
their  colts,  of  cows  and  oxen,  and  of  she-asses  and  their  foals,  as 
denoting  those  things  which  are  of  the  natural  man,  of  which 
frequent  mention  has  been  made  above  ;  concerning  camels,  see 
n.  3048,  3071,  3143,  3145  ;  concerning  cows,  see  n.  1824,  1825, 
2180,  2781,  2830  ;  concerning  she-asses,  see  n.  2781.  That  those 
things  which  are  of  the  natural  man  are  respectively  things  of 
service  (or  things  subservient),  see  n.  1486,  3019,  3020,  3167 ; 
hence  it  is,  that  by  the  above  things  are  signified  things  of 
service,  both  general  and  special.  As  to  their  numbers,  that 
of  the  she-goats  being  two  hundred,  of  the  he-goats,  twenty,  of 
the  sheep,  two  hundred,  of  the  rams,  twenty,  of  the  camels  and 
their  colts,  thirty,  of  the  cows,  forty,  of  the  oxen,  ten,  of  the 
she-asses,  ten,  and  of  their  foals,  ten,  they  are  arcana  which  can- 
not be  opened  without  much  explanation  and  ample  deduction; 
for  all  numbers  in  the  Word  signify  things,  see  n.  482,  487, 
575,  647,  648,  755,  813, 1988,  2075,  2252,  3252  ;  and  what  they 
signify,  was  shown  where  they  occur  in  the  preceding  pages. 
I  have  also  occasionally  been  surprised,  that  when  the  discourse 
of  the  angels  conies  down  into  the  world  of  spirits,  it  has  like- 
wise fallen  into  various  numbers ;  also  that  where  numbers  ar6 
read  in  the  Word,  things  are  understood  by  the  angels ;  for 
number  does  not  in  any  way  penetrate  heaven,  because  num- 
bers are  measures  both  of  space  and  of  time,  and  these  belong 
to  the  world  and  to  nature,  to  which  in  the  heavens  states  and 
changes  of  states  correspond.  The  most  ancient  people,  who 
were  celestial  men,  and  had  communication  with  angels,  knew 
what  was  signified  by  the  single  numbers,  and  also  by  the  com- 
pound ;  hence  the  signification  thereof  was  derived  to  their  de- 
scendants, and  to  the  sons  of  the  ancient  church.  These  are 
things  which  will  hardly  be  credited  by  the  men  of  the  church 
at  the  present  day,  who  believe  that  nothing  more  holy  is  stored 
up  in  tho  AVord  than  what  appears  in  the  letter. 


4261—4266.] 


GENESIS. 


29 


4265.  Yerses  16  to  23.  And  he  delivered  them  into  the  hand 
of  his  servants,  every  drove  by  themselves,  and  said  unto  his 
servants,  jPass  over  before  me,  and  set  a  space  between  drove 
and  drove.  And  he  commanded  the  first,  saying,  When  Esau 
my  brother  shall  meet  thee,  and  shall  ask  thee,  saying,  Whose 
art  thou  ?  and  whither  goest  thou  f  and  whose  are  these  before 
thee  ?  And  thou  shalt  say,  Thy  servant  Jacob's :  it  is  a  present 
sent  unto  my  lord  Esau  •  and  behold,  also  he  is  behind  us.  And 
he  commanded  the  second,  and  the  third,  and  all  that  went  after 
the  droves,  saying,  According  to  this  word  ye  shall  speak  unto 
Esau  when  ye  find  him.  And  ye  shall  say  also,  Behold,  thy 
servant  Jacob  is  behind  us.  For  he  sa  id,  I  will  expiate  his 
faces  in  the  present  going  before  me,  and  afterwards  I  will  see 
his  faces  ;  peradventure  he  will  lift  up  my  faces.  And  the 
present  passed  over  before  him',  and  he  passed  the  night  in 
that  night  in  the  camp.  And  he  arose  in  that  night,  and  took 
his  two  toives,  and  his  two  handmaids,  and  his  eleven  sons,  and 
2>assed  over  the  ford  Jabbok.  And  he  took  them,  and  caused 
them  to  pass  over  the  river  y  and  caused  what  he  had  to  pass 
over.  He  delivered  them  into  the  hand  of  his  servants,  every 
drove  by  themselves,  and  said  unto  his  servants,  Pass  over 
before  me,  and  set  a  space  between  drove  and  drove,  signifies 
orderly  arrangement  in  the  manner  in  which  they  should  be 
initiated :  and  he  commanded  the  first,  saying,  When  Esau  my 
brother  shall  meet  thee,  and  shall  ask  thee,  saying,  Whose  art 
thou  ?  and  whither  goest  thou  ;  and  whose  are  these  before 
thee  ?  and  thou  shalt  say,  Thy  servant  Jacob's :  it  is  a  present 
sent  unto  my  lord  Esau ;  and  behold,  also  he  is  behind  us, 
signifies  submission :  and  he  commanded  the  second,  and  the 
third,  and  all  that  went  after  the  droves,  saying,  According  to 
this  word  ye  shall  speak  unto  Esau  when  ye  find  him,  signifies 
continuation :  and  ye  shall  say  also,  Behold,  thy  servant  J acob 
is  behind  us.  For  he  said,  I  will  expiate  his  faces  in  the  present 
going  before  me,  and  afterwards  I  will  see  his  faces  ;  peradven- 
ture he  will  lift  up  my  faces,  signifies  preparation  for  what  fol- 
lows :  and  the  present  passed  over  before  him,  signifies  effect : 
and  he  passed  the  night  in  that  night  in  the  camp,  signifies  the 
things  which  follow :  and  he  arose  in  that  night,  and  took  his 
two  wives,  and  his  two  handmaids,  and  his  eleven  sons,  and 
passed  over  the  ford  Jabbok,  signifies  the  first  insinuation  of 
the  affections  of  truth  with  the  truths  acquired ;  the  ford  Jab- 
bok is  the  first  insinuation  :  and  he  took  them,  and  caused  them 
to  pass  over  the  river,  and  he  caused  what  he  had  to  pass  over, 
signifies  further  insinuation. 

4266.  Yer.  16.  "  And  he  delivered  them  into  the  hand  of  his 
servants,  every  drove  by  themselves  ;  and  said  unto  his  servants, 
Pass  over  before  me,  and  set  a  space  between  drove  and  drove." — ■ 
That  hereby  is  signified  orderly  arrangement  in  the  manner  in 


so 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


which  they  should  be  initiated,  appears  (1 .)  from  the  signification 
of  delivering  into  the  hand,  as  denoting  to  instruct  with  ability; 
that  hand  denotes  ability,  see  n.  878,  3091,  3387,  3563;  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  servants,  as  denoting  those  things 
which  are  of  the  natural  man,  see  n.  3019,  3020,  for  all  things 
which  are  of  the  natural  or  external  man  are  subordinate  to  the 
spiritual  or  internal  man;  hence  all  things  which  are  in  the 
natural  man  are  respectively  things  of  service,  and  are  called 
servants ;  (3)  from  the  signification  of  drove,  as  denoting  scien- 
tifics  and  knowledges,  and  thus  doctrinals,  see  n.  3767,  3768 ; 
so  long  as  these  things  are  in  the  natural  or  external  man.  that 
is,  in  his  memory,  and  not  as  yet  implanted  in  the  spiritual  or 
internal  man,  they  are  signified  by  droves  given  into  the  hand  of 
Servants  ;  (-4.)  from  the  signification  of  by  themselves,  as  denoting 
to  each  according  to  classes,  or  according  to  genera  and  species; 
and  (5)  from  the  signification  of  passing  over  before  Die,  and 
setting  a  space  between  drove  and  drove,  as  denoting  to  prepare 
the  way  to  good  which  was  to  be  received  ;  for  the  subject  here 
treated  of  is  the  reception  of  good  by  truth,  and  their  conjunc- 
tion in  the  natural  man.  From  each  of  these  particulars  it  is 
evident,  that  by  all  of  them  in  general  is  signified  orderly  ar- 
rangement in  the  manner  in  which  they  should  be  initiated. 
As  to  the  initiation  of  truth  into  good  in  the  natural  man,  it 
cannot  by  any  means  be  explained  to  the  apprehension,  for  the 
man  of  the  church  at  this  day  does  not  even  know  what  the  in- 
ternal or  spiritual  man  is,  although  lie  often  speaks  on  the  sub- 
ject; nor  does  he  know  that  truth  is  to  be  initiated  in  good  in 
the  external  or  natural  man,  that  he  may  become  a  man  of  the 
church ;  still  less  that  there  is  any  orderly  arrangement  from 
the  Lord  in  that  man,  to  the  end  that  his  conjunction  with  the 
internal  man  may  be  effected.  These  considerations,  which  are 
most  common  (or  general),  are  at  this  day  so  hidden,  that  it 
is  not  known  that  such  effects  have  place;  wherefore,  to  explain 
every  particular  thing  which  is  here  contained  in  the  internal 
sense  concerning  orderly  arrangement  and  initiation,  would  be 
to  speak  complete  arcana,  which  could  not  be  believed  ;  conse- 
quently it  would  be  in  vain,  or  like  casting  seed  upon  the  water 
oi  sand.  This  is  the  reason  why  a  particular  explanation  is 
omitted,  and  only  a  general  one  given,  both  here  and  also  in 
the  following  part  of  this  period. 

■4267.  A'erses  17,  18.  "And  he  commanded  the  first,  saying, 
"When  Esau  my  brother  shall  meet  thee,  and  shall  ask  thee,  say- 
ing, "Whose  art  thou?  and  whither  goest  thou?  and  whose  are 
these  before  thee  ?  and  thou  shalt  say,  Thy  servant  Jacob's  :  it 
is  a  present  sent  unto  my  lord  Esau ;  and  behold  also  he  is 
behind  us." — That  hereby  is  signified  submission,  appeal's  in  like 
manner  from  the  internal  sense  of  each  word,  from  which  this 
general  sense  results.    That  submission  with  the  things  apper- 


4267—4269.] 


GENESIS. 


31 


taining  to  submission  are  signified,  is  evident ;  for  be  commanded 
the  servants  that  they  should  call  his  brother  lord,  and  himself 
a  servant,  and  that  a  present  should  be  sent  as  to  a  lord  from  a 
servant.  That  good  is  respectively  a  lord,  and  truth  a  servant, 
and  that  still  they  are  called  brethren,  has  been  frequently 
shown  above ;  they  are  called  brethren,  because  when  good  and 
truth  are  conjoined,  good  is  presented  in  truth  as  in  an  image, 
and  afterwards  they  act  conjointly  to  produce  effect ;  but  good 
is  called  lord,  and  truth  servant,  before  they  are  conjoined,  and 
still  more  whilst  there  is  any  dispute  about  priority. 

4208.  Ver.  19.  "And  he  commanded  the  second,  and  the 
third,  and  all  that  went  after  the  droves,  saying,  According  to 
this  word  shall  ye  speak  to  Esau  when  ye  find  him." — That 
hereby  is  signified  continuation  of  orderly  arrangement  and  of 
submission,  appears  without  further  explanation  from  what  has 
been  said  above,  n.  4266,  4267. 

4269.  Verses  20,  21.  "  And  ye  shall  say  also,  Behold,  thy 
servant  Jacob  is  behind  us.  For  he  said,  I  will  expiate  his  faces 
in  the  present  that  goeth  before  me,  and  afterwards  I  will  see 
his  faces  ;  perad venture  he  will  lift  up  my  faces.  And  the  pres- 
ent passed  over  before  him ;  and  he  passed  the  night  in  that 
night  in  the  camp." — That  hereby  is  signified  preparation  for 
what  follows ;  that  by  the  present  passing  over  before  him,  i? 
signified  effect ;  and,  that  by  passing  the  night  in  that  night  ii» 
the  camp,  are  signified  those  things  which  follow,  may  appear 
from  the  respective  words  in  the  internal  sense,  which,  it  is  evi- 
dent, denote  preparation  that  he  may  be  kindly  received.  But 
the  manner  in  which  each  of  the  circumstances  here  mentioned 
occurs,  cannot  possibly  be  explained  to  the  apprehension ;  for 
so  long  as  the  common  or  general  principles  of  a  subject  are  not 
known,  its  singulars  cannot  rise  into  any  light,  but  fall  into 
mere  shade.  Common  or  general  notices  must  necessarily  pre- 
cede, for  unless  this  is  the  case,  singrlars  have  no  place  of  abode 
wherein  to  enter :  in  an  abode  where  there  is  mere  shade,  they 
do  not  appear,  and  in  an  abode  where  there  are  false  principles, 
they  are  either  rejected,  suffocated,  or  perverted,  and  where 
evils  are,  they  are  derided.  It  is  enough  that  these  general 
principles  be  received,  namely,  that  before  man  can  enter  into 
the  Lord's  kingdom,  he  must  be  regenerated  (John  iii.  3);  that 
previous  to  regeneration,  truth  is  apparently  in  the  first  place, 
and  good  in  the  second;  but  that  when  regeneration  is  effected; 
the  order  becomes  inverted,  and  good  is  in  the  first  place,  and 
truth  in  the  second ;  also,  when  the  order  is  inverted,  that  the 
Lord  so  arranges  and  orders  things  in  the  natural  or  external 
man,  that  truth  is  there  received  from  good,  and  submits  itself 
to  good,  so  that  man  no  longer  acts  from  truth,  but  from  gcod, 
that  is,  from  charity ;  also,  that  he  acts  from  cnarity,  when  he 
lives  according  to  the  truths  of  faith,  and  loves  doctrine  for  the 


32 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


sake  of  life.  The  process  of  the  things  here  contained  in  the 
internal  sense  concerning  the  orderly  arrangement,  initiation, 
and  submission  of  truth  before  good,  appears  in  clear  light 
before  the  angels,  for  such  things  are  subjects  of  angelic  wisdom, 
although  man  sees  nothing  respecting  them  ;  nevertheless,  they 
who  are  principled  in  simple  good  grounded  in  simple  faith,  are 
in  the  faculty  of  knowing  such  things,  and  if  they  do  not  com- 
prehend them  in  the  life  of  the  body,  by  reason  of  worldly 
cares,  and  the  gross  ideas  thence  derived,  still  they  comprehend 
them  in  another  life,  where  worldly  and  corporeal  things  are 
removed  ;  for  then  they  are  illustrated,  and  come  into  angelic 
intelligence  and  wisdom. 

4270.  Ver.  22.  "  And  he  arose  in  that  night,  and  took  his 
two  wives,  and  his  two  handmaids,  and  his  eleven  sons,  and 
passed  over  the  ford  Jabbok." — That  hereby  is  signified  the 
first  insinuation  of  the  affections  of  truth  with  the  truths  ac- 
quired, appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  the  two  wives, 
Rachel  and  Leah,  as  denoting  the  affections  of  truth,  see  n. 
3758,  3782,  3793,  3819 ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  tioo 
handmaids,  Bilhah  and  Zilpah,  as  denoting  the  exterior  affec- 
tions of  truth  serving  as  means  (or  mediums),  see  n.  3849, 
3931 ;  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  sons,  as  denoting  truths, 
see  n.  489,  491,  533,  1147,  2623,  3373;  and  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  the  ford  JabhoTc,  as  denoting  first  insinuation. 
The  reason  why  Jabbok  denotes  first  insinuation,  is,  because 
it  was  a  boundary  of  the  land  of  Canaan ;  that  all  the  bounda- 
ries of  that  land  were  significative  of  the  celestial  and  spiritual 
things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  according  to  distance  and  situa- 
tion, may  be  seen,  n.  1585,  1866,  4116,  4240  ;  so  also  the 
ford  or  passage  of  Jabbok,  which  was,  in  respect  to  the  land 
of  Canaan,  beyond  Jordan,  and  was  the  boundary  of  the  inher- 
itance of  the  sons  of  Reuben  and  Gad,  see  Numb.  xxi.  24 ; 
Dent.  ii.  36,  37;  iii.  16,  17;  Joshua  xii.  2;  Judges  xi.  13,  22. 
The  reason  why  it  was  ceded  to  them  for  an  inheritance,  was, 
because  by  Reuben  was  represented  faith  in  the  understanding, 
or  doctrine,  which  is  the  first  principle  of  regeneration  ;  or,  in 
general,  truth  of  doctrine,  by  which  good  of  life  is  attained  to, 
see  n.  3861,  3866;  and  by  Gad  were  represented  works  of 
faith,  see  n.  3934;  those,  namely,  truths  ot  faith  or  doctrinals, 
and  works  of  faith  which  are  first  wrought,  are  the  things  by 
which  man,  who  is  regenerated,  is  insinuated  into  good :  hence 
it  is,  that  by  the  ford  Jabbok  is  signified  first  insinuation. 

4271.  Ver.  23.  "And  he  took  them,  and  caused  them  to 
pass  over  the  river,  and  caused  what  he  had  to  pass  over." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  further  insinuation,  appears  from  what 
has  been  just  now  said  above ;  for  he  caused  to  pass  over  not 
only  the  wives,  the  handmaids,  and  the  sons,  but  also  the  herd 
and  flock,  thus  all  that  he  had,  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  in 


4270— 4274.] 


GENESIS. 


33 


which  he  met  Esau;  and  as  in  the  internal  sense,  the  conjunc- 
tion of  truth  with  good  in  the  natural  principle  is  here  treated 
of,  by  passing  that  river  nothing  else  is  signified  but  first  in- 
sinuation, and  here  where  the  same  things  are  repeated,  and  it 
is  also  added,  that  he  caused  all  that  he  had  to  pass  over,  is 
signified  further  insinuation. 

*    $  ,  *    *    #    *  * 

4272.  Verses  24,  25.  And  Jacob  remained  alone  ;  and  a 
man  wrestled  with  him,  until  the  day-damn  arose.  And  lie  saw 
that  he  did  not  prevail  over  him  /  and  he  touched  the  hollow  of 
his  thigh,  and  the  holloio  of  JacoVs  thigh  was  out  of  joint  as  he 
wrestled  with  him.  Jacob  remained  alone,  signifies  good  of 
truth  procured,  which  in  this  case  was  ultimate  :  and  a  man 
wrestled  with  him,  signifies  temptation  as  to  truth  :  until  the 
day-dawn  arose,  signifies  before  the  conjunction  of  natural  good, 
signified  by  Jacob,  with  celestial,  spiritual,  or  divine  good  of 
truth  :  and  lie  saw  that  he  did  not  prevail  over  him,  signifies  that 
he  overcame  in  temptations:  and  he  touched  the  hollow  of  his 
thigh,  signifies  where  celestial  spiritual  good  is  conjoined  witli 
the  natural  good  signified  by  Jacob  :  and  the  hollow  of  Jacob's 
thigh  was  out  of  joint  as  he  wrestled  with  him,  signifies  that  as 
yet  truth  had  not  the  ability  of  conjoining  itself  entirely  to  good. 

The  same  words  have  also  respect  to  Jacob  himself  and  his 
posterity,  and  then  their  quality  is  signified.  In  this  sense,  by 
touching  the  hollow  of  his  thigh,  is  signified  where  conjugial 
love  is  conjoined  to  natural  good;  and  by  the  hollow  of  Jacob's 
thigh  being  out  of  joint  in  his  wrestling  with  him,  is  signified 
that  that  conjunction  was  altogether  hurt  and  disturbed  in  the 
posterity  of  Jacob. 

4273.  Ver.  24.  "  Jacob  remained  alone." — That  hereby  is 
signified  good  of  truth  procured,  which  in  this  case  was  ulti- 
mate, appears  from  the  representation  of  Jacob  in  this  passage, 
as  denoting  the  good  of  truth.  What  has  been  represented  by 
Jacob,  has  been  shown  in  the  foregoing  pages  ;  that  he  repre- 
sented various  things  in  the  natural  principle,  because  the  state 
of  truth  and  good  varies  in  its  beginning,  in  its  progress,  and 
in  its  end,  see  n.  3775,  4234  ;  in  the  present  case  he  represents 
the  good  of  truth.  The  reason  of  this  representation  is,  be- 
cause his  wrestling  is  presently  treated  of,  by  which,  in  the  in- 
ternal sense,  is  signified  temptation  ;  and  because  he  was  named 
Israel,  whereby  is  signified  the  celestial  spiritual  man  ;  also  be- 
cause, in  what  next  follows,  his  conjunction  with  Esau  is  treated 
of,  by  which  is  signified  the  initiation  of  truth  into  good.  These 
are  the  reasons  why  Jacob  now  represents  the  ultimate  good  of 
truth  in  the  natural  principle. 

4274.  "And  a  man  wrestled  with  him." — That  hereby  is- 
signified  temptation  as  to  truth,  appears  from  the  signification. 

vol.  v.  3 


34 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


of  wrestling,  as  denoting  temptation  ;  temptation  itself  is  no- 
thing else  but  wrestling  or  combat,  for  truth  is  assaulted  by 
evil  spirits,  and  is  defended  by  angels,  who  are  attendant  on 
man  ;  the  perception  of  this  combat  in  man  is  temptation,  see 
n.  741,  751,  761,  1661,  3927,  4249,  4256.  But  it  is  not  pos- 
sible for  any  temptation  to  exist,  unless  man  be  principled  in 
the  good  of  truth,  that  is,  in  the  love  or  affection  thereof;  for 
he  who  does  not  love  his  own  truth,  or  is  not  affected  by  it,  lias 
no  concern  about  it;  but  he  who  loves  it,  is  in  anxiety  lest  it 
should  suffer  hurt.  Nothing  but  what  man  believes  to  be  true, 
constitutes  his  intellectual  life,  and  nothing  but  what  he  has 
impressed  upon  himself  as  being  good,  constitutes  his  voluntary 
life  ;  wherefore,  when  that  which  he  believes  to  be  true  is  as- 
saulted, the  life  of  his  intellect  is  assaulted,  and  when  that 
which  he  has  impressed  upon  himself  as  being  good  is  assaulted, 
the  life  of  his  will  is  assaulted  ;  therefore,  when  man  is  tempted, 
his  life  is  at  stake.  The  reason  why  the  beginning  of  combat 
is  as  to  truth,  is,  because  this  is  what  man  at  first  principally 
loves,  and  whatsoever  is  the  object  of  any  love,  the  evil  spirits 
assault;  but  when  man  loves  good  in  preference  to  truth,  as  is 
the  case  when  the  order  is  inverted,  he  is  then  tempted  as  to 
good.  "What  temptation  is,  however,  few  know,  because  few  at 
this  day  undergo  any  temptation  ;  for  none  can  be  tempted  but 
they  who  are  principled  in  the  good  of  faith,  that  is,  who  are 
in  charity  towards  their  neighbour.  They  who  are  not  in  such 
charity,  in  case  they  were  tempted,  would  instantly  yield  ;  and 
they  who  yield,  come  into  a  confirmation  of  what  is  evil,  and 
into  a  persuasion  of  what  is  false,  for  in  such  case  the  attend- 
ant evil  spirits  conquer,  to  whom  they  are  thereby  associated. 
This  is  the  reason  why  few  at  this  day  are  admitted  into  any 
spiritual  temptation,  but  only  into  some  natural  anxieties,  that 
thereby  they  may  be  withdrawn  from  the  loves  of  self  and  of 
the  world,  into  which  otherwise  they  would  rush  headlong  with- 
out restraint. 

4275.  "  Until  the  day-dawn  arose." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied before  the  conjunction  of  natural  good,  signified  hy  Jacob, 
with  the  celestial  principle,  or  divine  good  of  truth,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  day-dawn,  as  denoting  in  a  supreme 
sense  the  Lord,  in  a  representative  sense  His  kingdom,  and  in 
an  universal  sense  the  celestial  principle  of  love,  see  n.  2405. 
In  the  present  case,  the  celestial  spiritual  principle  is  under- 
stood ;  for  when  the  day-dawn  arose,  Jacob  was  named  Israel, 
by  whom  is  signified  the  celestial  spiritual  man  ;  before  tho 
arising  of  day-dawn,  therefore,  denotes  before  the  conjunction 
of  natural  good,  now  signified  hy  Jacob,  with  the  celestial  spir- 
itual principle.  What  the  celestial  spiritual  principle  is,  will 
be  shown  in  treating  of  Israel,  verse  28. 

4276.  Ver.  25.  "  And  he  saw  that  he  did  not  prevail  over 


4275—4279.] 


GENESIS. 


35 


him." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  lie  overcame  in  tempta- 
tions, appears  without  explanation. 

4277.  "And  he  touched  the  hollow  of  his  thigh." — That 
hereby  is  signified  where  celestial  spiritual  good  is  conjoined 
with  the  natural  good  signified  by  Jacob,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  thigh,  as  denoting  conjugial  love,  and  hence  all 
celestial  and  spiritual  loves,  because  these  are  derived  from 
conjugial  love,  as  offsprings  from  their  parent,  see  tx.  3021 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  hollow  of  the  thigh  (voice 
sen,  acetabuli,  aut  cavi  illius),  as  denoting  where  conjunction 
is  ;  in  the  present  case  therefore,  where  there  is  conjunction  of 
celestial  spiritual  good  with  the  natural  good  signified  by  Jacob. 
But  nothing  can  be  said  concerning  this  conjunction,  unless  it 
be  first  known  what  celestial  spiritual  good  is,  which  is  Israel, 
and  what  natural  good  is,  which  is  Jacob  ;  this  will  be  pointed 
out  in  what  follows  (verse  28),  where  Jacob,  then  named  Israel, 
is  treated  of,  and  also  afterwards,  where  the  posterity  of  Jacob 
are  treated  of. 

4278.  "And  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  was  out  of  joint  as 
he  wrestled  with  him." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  as  yet 
truth  had  not  the  ability  to  conjoin  itself  entirely  to  good,  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  being  out  of  joint,  as  denoting 
that  truths  were  not  yet  arranged  in  that  order,  in  which,  to- 
gether with  good,  they  could  all  enter  celestial  spiritual  good, 
on  which  subject  more  will  be  said  in  the  explanation  at  verse 
31  ;  consequently  that  truth  had  not  yet  ability  to  conjoin  itself 
with  good ;  for  the  hollow  of  the  thigh  is  where  goods  are  con- 
joined, as  was  said  above,  n.  4277. 

4279.  The  things  which  have  been  hitherto  explained,  are 
thus  to  be  understood  in  the  supreme  and  in  the  internal  senses ; 
but  in  a  different  manner  in  the  inferior  sense,  for  in  the  latter, 
lacob  and  his  posterity  are  treated  of  as  to  their  quality.  As 
the  Word  is  from  the  Lord,  and  descends  from  Him  through 
heaven  to  man,  it  is  therefore  divine  as  to  every  particular;  and 
as  it  has  descended  from  the  Lord,  so  it  ascends,  that  is,  is 
elevated  to  Him,  and  this  through  the  heavens.  That  there 
are  three  heavens,  is  well  known ;  and  also  that  the  inmost  is 
called  the  third  heaven,  the  middle  is  called  the  second  heaven, 
and  the  lowest  is  called  the  first  heaven :  wherefore  when  the 
Word  ascends  or  descends,  in  the  Lord  it  is  divine ;  in  the  third 
heaven  it  is  celestial,  for  that  heaven  is  the  celestial  heaven ; 
in  the  second  heaven  it  is  spiritual,  for  that  heaven  is  the  spirit- 
ual heaven  ;  in  the  first  heaven  it  is  celestial  and  spiritual  nat- 
ural, for  that  heaven  is  also  so  named  ;  but  in  the  church  with 
man  the  Word  is,  as  to  the  sense  of  the  letter,  natural,  that  is, 
worldly  and  terrestrial.  Hence  it  is  evident  what  the  quality 
of  the  Word  is,  and  how  the  case. is  with  the  Word  whilst  it  is 
read  by  man  who  is  in  a  holy  principle,  that  is,  who  is  in  good 


36 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


and  truth,  for  in  such  case  with  him  it  appears  as  worldly,  or 
as  historical,  in  which  nevertheless  there  is  a  holy  principle  ; 
whereas  in  the  first  heaven  it  appears  as  celestial  spiritual  nat- 
ural, in  which  nevertheless  there  is  a  divine  principle  ;  hut  in 
the  second  heaven  it  is  spiritual ;  in  the  third  heaven  it  is  celes- 
tial ;  and  in  the  Lord  it  is  Divine.  The  sense  of  the  Word  is 
according  to  the  heavens ;  the  supreme  sense  of  the  Word,  in 
which  the  Lord  is  treated  of,  is  for  the  inmost  or  third  heaven; 
its  internal  sense,  in  which  the  Lord's  kingdom  is  treated  of,  is 
for  the  middle  or  second  heaven ;  the  inferior  sense  of  the  Word, 
in  which  the  internal  sense  is  determined  to  that  nation  which 
is  there  named,  is  for  the  lowest  or  first  heaven  ;  hut  the  lowest 
or  literal  sense  is  for  man,  whilst  he  yet  lives  in  the  world. 
Nevertheless,  man  is  of  such  a  nature,  that  the  interior  sense, 
and  then  the  internal  and  supreme,  may  he  communicated  to 
him  ;  fur  he  has  communication  with  the  three  heavens,  heing 
created  to  be  an  image  of  them  ;  insomuch  that  whilst  he  lives 
in  love  to  the  Lord,  and  in  charity  towards  his  neighbour,  he  is 
a  heaven  in  miniature  ;  hence  it  is  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  within  that  man,  as  the  Lord  Himself  teaches  in  Luke,  "  Be- 
hold,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you"  xvii.  21.  These 
things  are  said  in  order  to  show,  that  in  the  Word  there  is  not 
only  a  supreme  sense  and  an  internal  sense,  but  also  an  inferior 
sense  ;  and  that  in  this,  namely,  the  inferior  sense,  the  internal 
sense  is  determined  to  that  nation  which  is  there  named  ;  and 
when  this  is  the  case,  it  appears  manifestly  from  the  series  of 
things  treated  of.  That  in  the  present  instance,  the  man's 
wrestling  with  Jacob,  and  his  thigh  being  put  out  of  joint,  are 
predicated  also  of  Jacob  and  his  posterity,  is  evident.  Where- 
fore it  is  allowable  to  explain  these  same  words  according  to 
that  sense.  This  sense,  in  the  sequel,  will  be  called  the  inter- 
nal historical  sense,  and  this  also  because  it  is  occasionally 
represented  to  the  life  and  in  form  in  the  first  heaven,  which 
also  at  times  I  have  been  permitted  to  see.  See  the  exposition 
premised,  n.  4272,  in  the  new  period. 

4280.  In  that  sense,  by  touching  the  hollow  of  Jacob's 
thigh,  is  signified  where  conjugial  love  is  conjoined  to  natural 
good,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  the  hollow  of  the  thigh, 
as  denoting  where  there  is  conjunction  of  conjugial  love,  see 
above,  n.  4277.  The  reason  why  conjunction  there  with  natural 
good  is  signified,  is,  because  there  the  thigh  is  conjoined  to  the 
feet,  feet  "in  the  internal  sense  signifying  natural  good ;  that 
feet  have  this  signification,  see  n.  21G2,  3147,  3761,  3986.  The 
signification  of  thigh  as  denoting  conjugial  love,  and  of  feet  as 
denoting  natural  good,  is  amongst  the  'things  which  are  anti- 
quated and  lost ;  but  the  ancient  church,-  which  was  principled 
in  representatives  and  significative*,  knew  this  full  well ;  and 
the  knowledge  of  such  things  constituted  their  intelligence  and 


42S0,  4281.] 


GENESIS. 


37 


wisdom  ;  yea,  not  only  the  intelligence  and  wisdom  of  those 
tiho  were  of  that  church,  but  also  of  those  who  were  out  of 
the  church,  as  may  appear  from  the  most  ancient  books  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  from  those  which  at  this  day  are  called  fabulous; 
for  significatives  and  representatives  were  derived  to  them  from 
the  ancient  church  :  with  these  also  the  thighs  and  loins  signi- 
fied the  conjugial  principle,  and  the  feet  natural  principles.  This 
signification  of  the  thighs  and  feet  is  grounded  in  the  corre- 
spondences of  all  man's  members,  organs,  and  viscera  with  the 
Grand  Man,  which  correspondences  are  treated  of  at  the  close 
of  the  chapters  now  under  explanation ;  concerning  the  corre- 
spondences with  the  thighs  and  feet,  more  will  be  said  in  the 
following  pages,  where  it  will  be  proved  by  living  experience 
that  this  is  their  signification.  These  things  must  needs  appear 
paradoxes  in  the  present  day,  because,  as  was  just  now  said, 
the  above  science  is  altogether  obsolete  and  lost ;  nevertheless 
the  superior  excellence  of  this  science  above  other  sciences  may 
appear  from  this  consideration,  that  the  Word  as  to  the  internal 
sense  cannot  be  known  without  it ;  and  that  the  angels,  who  are 
attendant  on  man,  perceive  the  Word  according  to  that  sense; 
also,  that  by  this  science  communication  is  given  to  man  with 
heaven ;  and,  what  is  incredible,  the  real  internal  man  thinks 
no  otherwise  (than  according  to  that  science),  for  when  the  ex- 
ternal man  apprehends  the  Word  according  to  the  letter,  the 
internal  man  apprehends  it  according  to  the  internal  sense ;  al- 
though man,  during  his  life  in  the  body,  is  ignorant  of  it.  This 
may  appear  especially  from  this  circumstance,  that  when  man 
comes  into  another  life  and  becomes  an  angel,  he  knows  it  as  it 
were  of  himself  and  without  instruction.  What  conjugial  love 
.is,  which  is  signified  by  thighs,  and  also  by  loins,  may  be  seen, 
n.  995,  1123,  2727  to  2759 ;  and  that  conjugial  love  is  the  fun- 
damental love  of  all  loves,  n.  686,  3021 ;  hence  it  is,  that  they 
who  are  principled  in  genuine  conjugial  love,  are  principled 
also  in  celestial  love,  or  love  to  the  Lord,  and  in  spiritual  love, 
or  charity  towards  their  neighbour;  wherefore  by  conjugial 
love  is  not  only  meant  that  love  itself,  but  also  all  celestial  and 
spiritual  love.  These  loves  are  said  to  be  conjoined  with  natural 
good,  when  the  internal  man  is  conjoined  with  the  external,  or 
the  spiritual  man  with  the  natural ;  this  conjunction  is  what  is 
signified  by  the  hollow  of  the  thigh  (volam  femoris).  That 
with  Jacob  and  his  posterity  in  general  there  was  no  conjunc- 
tion, will  appear  manifest  from  what  follows,  for  in  the  internal 
historical  sense  this  is  the  subject  here  treated  of. 

4281.  That  by  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  being  out  of  joint 
as  he  wrestled  with  him,  is  signified  that  that  conjunction  in 
the  posterity  of  Jacob  wras  altogether  hurt  and  disturbed,  may 
appear  from  the  signification  of  being  out  of  joint  in  the  above 
sense,  as  denoting  to  be  disturbed  (or  be  put  out),  and  thereby 


38 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii 


be  injured.  That  the  hollow  of  the  thigh  denotes  conjunction, 
is  evident  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  -42S0 ;  and  that  Jacob 
in  the  Word  not  only  denotes  Jacob,  but  likewise  all  his  pos- 
teritv,  appears  from  very  many  passages,  as  Numb,  xxiii.  7, 10, 
21,  23 ;  xxiv.  5.  17,  19 ;  Dent"  xxxiii.  10 ;  Isaiah  xL  27 ;  xliii. 
1,  22 ;  xliv.  1,  2,  21 ;  xlviii.  12 ;  lix.  20 ;  Jer.  x.  16,  25 ;  xxx. 
7,  10,  18  ;  xxxi.  7,  11 ;  xlvi.  27,  28  ;  Hos.  x.  11 ;  Amos  vii.  2 ; 
Micah  ii.  12  ;  iii.  8  ;  Psalm  xiv.  7 ;  xxiv.  6 ;  lix.  13  ;  lxxviii.  5  ; 
xeix.  4  ;  and  in  other  places.  That  Jacob  and  his  posterity  were 
such,  that  with  them  celestial  and  spiritual  love  could  not  be 
conjoined  with  natural  good,  that  is,  the  internal  or  spiritual 
man  with  the  external  or  natural,  is  evident  from  the  particulars 
related  in  the  AVord  concerning  that  nation ;  for  they  knew  not, 
nor  were  they  willing  to  know,  what  the  internal  or  spiritual 
man  is,  and  therefore  it  was  not  revealed  to  them.  For  they 
believed  that  nothing  but  an  external  and  natural  principle  ap- 
pertained to  man,  neither  did  they  regard  any  other  principle 
in  all  their  worship,  insomuch  that  divine  worship  with  them 
was  no  other  than  idolatrous ;  for  when  external  worship  is 
separated  from  internal,  it  is  merely  idolatrous.  The  church, 
which  was  instituted  amongst  them,  was  not  a  church,  but  only 
the  representative  of  a  church ;  wherefore  that  church  is  called 
a  representative  church ;  that  the  representative  of  a  church 
may  be  given  amongst  such  persons,  see  n.  1361,  3670,  420S. 
For  in  representations  the  person  is  not  reflected  upon,  but  only 
the  thing  which  is  represented  ;  wherefore  divine,  celestial,  and 
spiritual  tilings  were  represented,  not  only  by  persons,  but  by 
tilings  inanimate,  as  by  Aaron's  garments,  by  the  ark,  the  altar, 
the  oxen  and  sheep  which  were  sacrificed,  by  the  candlestick 
with  the  lights,  by  the  bread  of  arrangement  on  the  golden 
table,  by  the  anointing  oil,  the  frankincense,  and  other  similar 
thing.-;.  Hence  it  Avas  that  kings,  both  bad  and  good  alike,  rep- 
resented the  Lord's  regal  principle ;  and  the  high  priests,  both 
bad  and  good  alike,  when  they  discharged  their  office  in  an  ex- 
ternal form  according  to  the  statutes  and  commandments,  repre- 
sented the  things  appertaining  to  the  Lord's  Divine  priesthood. 
To  the  intent,  therefore,  that  the  representative  of  a  church 
might  exist  amongst  them,  such  statutes  and  laws  were  given 
them  by  manifest  revelation,  as  were  altogether  representa- 
tive ;  wherefore  so  long  as  they  were  principled  therein,  and 
observed  them  strictly,  so  long  were  they  capable  of  represent- 
ing ;  but  when  they  turned  aside  from  them  to  the  statutes  and 
laws  of  other  nations,  and  especiallv  to  the  worship  of  another 
god,  they  deprived  themselves  of  the  faculty  of  representing ; 
in  consequence  whereof  they  were  driven  by  external  means, 
which  were  captivities,  overthrows,  threats,  and  miracles,  to 
laws  and  statutes  truly  representative  ;  but  not  by  internal 
means,  like  those  who  have  internal  worship  in  the  external 


4282,  4283.] 


GENESIS. 


39 


In  the  internal  historical  sense,  which  respects  Jacob  and  his 
posterity,  these  things  are  signified  by  the  hollow  of  Jacob's 
thigh  being  out  of  joint. 

4282.  Verses  26  to  28.  And  he  said,  Let  me  go,  because  the 
day-dawn  ariseth.  And  he  said,  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  unless 
thou  bit  ss  me.  And  he  said  unto  him,  What  is  thy  mime  f  And 
he  said,  Jacob.  And  he  said,  Thy  name  shall  no  longer  be  called 
Jacob,  but  Israel;  because  as  a  prince  thou  hast  contended  with 
God  and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed.  He  said,  Let  me  go, 
because  the  day-dawn  ariseth,  signifies  that  temptation  ceased 
when  conjunction  was  at  hand :  and  he  said,  I  will  not  let  thee 
go,  unless  thou  bless  me,  signifies  that  conjunction  was  about 
in  take  place:  and  he  said  unto  him,  What  is  thy  name?  and 
he  said,  Jacob,  signifies  the  quality  of  good  derived  from  truth : 
and  he  said,  Thy  name  shall  no  longer  be  called  Jacob,  but 
Israel,  signifies  the  Divine  celestial-spiritual  principle  at  this 
time ;  Israel  is  the  celestial-spiritual  man,  which  is  in  the  nat- 
ural, thus  natural;  the  clestial-spiritual  man  himself,  which  is 
rational,  is  Joseph:  because  as  a  prince  thou  hast  contended 
with  God  and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed,  signifies  continual 
victories  in  combats  as  to  truths  and  goods. 

In  the  internal  historical  sense,  which  treats  of  Jacob  and 
his  posterity,  by  the  same  words  is  signified  as  follows :  by  Let 
me  go,  because  the  day-dawn  ariseth,  is  signified  that  the  rep- 
resentative should  depart  from  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  before 
they  came  into  the  representatives  of  the  land  of  Canaan :  by 
he  said,  I  will  not  let  thee  go  unless  thou  bless  me,  is  signified 
that  they  were  urgent  to  be  representative :  by  he  said  to  him, 
What  is  thy  name  ?  and  he  said,  Jacob,  is  signified  that  they 
were  the  posterity  of  Jacob  with  their  quality  :  by  he  said,  Thy 


that  they  could  not  represent  as  Jacob,  but  as  from  a  new  given 
quality  :  by  because  as  a  prince  thou  hast  contended  with  God 
and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed,  is  signified  by  reason  of  the 
contumacy  which  was  in  their  lusts  and  phantasies. 

4283.  Ver.  26.  "And  he  said,  Let  me  go,  because  the  day- 
dawn  ariseth." — -That  hereby  is  signified  that  temptation  ceased 
when  conjunction  was  at  hand,  appears  (1.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  letting  me  go,  viz.,  from  wrestling  with  me,  as  denoting 
that  temptation  ceased  ;  that  wrestling  denotes  temptation,  may 
be  seen  above,  n.  4274 ;  and  that  it  ceased,  is  evident  from 
what  follows :  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  day-daion,  as  de- 
noting conjunction  of  natural  good  signified  by  Jacob  with 
celestial-spiritual,  or  divine  good  of  truth ;  concerning  which, 
see  also  above,  n.  4275.  The  reason  why  the  wrestling  began 
before  the  day-dawn  arose,  and  was  finished  after  it  arose,  and 
why  mention  is  next  made  of  what  was  done  when  the  sun 
arose,  is,  because  the  times  of  the  day,  like  the  times  of  the 


name  shall  no  longer  be  called 


iO 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii 


year,  signify  states,  see  n.  487,  488,  493,  893,  2788,  3785.  In 
the  present  case,  they  signify  states  of  conjunction  by  tempta- 
tions ;  for  when  conjunction  of  the  internal  man  with  the  ex- 
ternal is  effected,  it  is  day-dawn  to  him,  for  then  he  enters  into 
a  spiritual  or  celestial  state ;  then  also  the  light  as  of  day-dawn 
appears  to  him,  if  he  is  in  such  a  state  as  to  be  able  to  perceive 
it;  in  other  respects  his  intellectual  principle  is  illuminated, 
and  his  case  is  like  that  of  a  person  awaking  from  sleep  in  the 
morning,  when  day-daAvn  by  its  light  first  announces  the  ap- 
proach of  day. 

4284.  "And  he  said,  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  unless  thou  bless 
me." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  conjunction  was  about  to 
take  place,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  not  letting  thee 
go,  as  denoting  that  temptation  would  not  cease,  see  n.  4283 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  Messing,  as  denoting  con- 
junction, see  n.  3504,  3514,  3530,  3584.  Hence  it  is  evident, 
that  by  these  words,  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  unless  thou  bless 
me,  is  signified,  that  temptation  would  not  cease  until  conjunc- 
tion was  effected ;  that  is,  that  conjunction  was  about  to  take 
place. 

4285.  Ver.  27.  "And  he  said  unto  him,  What  is  thy  name? 
And  he  said,  Jacob." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  quality  of 
good  derived  from  truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  n.  144,  145,  1754,  1896,  2009, 
2724,  3006;  and  (2.)  from  the  represenation  of  Jacob,  as  denot- 
ing the  good  of  truth,  see  above,  n.  4273. 

4286.  Ver.  28.  "And  he  said,  Thy  name  shall  no  longer  be 
called  Jacob,  but  Israel." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  Divine 
celestial-spiritual  principle  at  this  time,  and  that  Israel  is  the 
celestial-spiritual  man  which  is  in  the  natural,  thus  which  is 
natural  (the  celestial  man  himself  who  is  rational  being  Joseph), 
may  appear  from  what  follows  concerning  Jacob  and  Israel, 
and  also  concerning  Joseph ;  but  first  it  may  be  expedient  to 
show  what  is  meant  by  the  celestial-spiritual  principle.  It  is 
known  indeed  in  the  church  at  this  day,  that  there  is  a  spiritual 
man,  and  that  there  is  a  natural  man,  or  an  internal  man  and 
an  external ;  but  what  the  spiritual  or  internal  man  is,  is  not  as 
yet  so  well  known,  still  less  what  the  celestial  man  is,  and  that 
he  is  distinct  from  the  spiritual ;  and  as  this  is  not  known,  it 
cannot  be  known  what  the  celestial-spiritual  man  is,  who  in  this 
passage  is  Israel :  it  may  therefore  be  expedient  to  say  a  few 
words  on  the  subject.  It  is  a  known  thing  that  there  are  three 
heavens,  viz.,  the  inmost,  middle,  and  ultimate  heaven,  or,  what 
is  the  same  thing,  the  third,  second,  and  first ;  the  inmost  or 
third  heaven  is  celestial,  for  the  angels  of  that  heaven  are  called 
celestial,  because  they  are  principled  in  love  to  the  Lord,  and 
hence  are  most  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and  consequently  they 
excel  all  the  rest  in  wisdom ;  they  are  innocent,  and  are  henca 


4281—4286.] 


GENESIS. 


n 


called  innocences  and  wisdoms ;  these  angels  are  distinguished 
into  internal  and  external,  the  internal  are  more  celestial  than 
the  external.  The  middle  or  second  heaven  is  spiritual,  for  the 
angels  of  that  heaven  are  called  spiritual,  because  they  are 

{jrincipled  in  charity  towards  their  neighbour,  that  is,  in  mutual 
ove,  which  is  such,  that  one  loves  another  more  than  himself; 
and  as  they  are  in  this  love,  they  are  intelligent,  and  are  hence 
called  intelligences ;  these  angels  also  are  distinguished  into 
internal  and  external,  the  internal  being  more  spiritual  than  the 
external.  But  the  ultimate  or  first  heaven  is  also  celestial  and 
spiritual,  yet  not  in  the  same  degree  as  the  foregoing,  for  a 
natural  principle  adheres  to  the  angels  in  it,  in  consequence  of 
which  they  are  called  celestial  and  spiritual-natural ;  they  are 
also  principled  in  mutual  love,  but  they  do  not  love  others  more 
than  themselves,  but  as  themselves  ;  they  are  in  the  affection  of 
good  and  in  the  knowledge  of  truth,  and  are  also  distinguished 
into  internal  and  external.  But  what  the  celestial-spiritual  prin- 
ciple is,  shall  also  be  briefly  explained.  They  who  were  just 
above  called  spiritual,  and  are  in  the  middle  or  second  heaven, 
are  called  celestial-spjritual ;  they  are  named  celestial  by  virtue 
of  mutual  love,  and  spiritual  by  virtue  of  intelligence  thence  de- 
rived. The  internal  in  that  heaven  are  they  who  are  represented 
by  Joseph,  and  also  in  the  Word  are  called  Joseph,  but  the  ex- 
ternal are  they  who  are  represented  by  Israel,  and  also  in  the 
"Word  are  called  Israel ;  the  former,  viz.,  the  internal  who  are 
called  Joseph,  partake  of  the  rational  principle,  whereas  the 
latter,  who  are  called  Israel,  partake  of  the  natural  principle, 
for  they  are  in  the  middle  between  the  rational  principle  and 
the  natural.  This  is  the  reason  why  it  was  said,  that  Israel 
is  the  celestial-spiritual  man  who  is  in  the  natural,  thus  who  is 
natural,  and  that  Joseph  is  the  celestial-spiritual  man  himself 
who  is  rational ;  for  in  a  universal  sense,  all  good  which  is  of 
love  and  charity  is  called  celestial ;  and  all  truth  which,  by  de- 
rivation thence,  is  of  faith  and  intelligence,  is  called  spiritual. 
These  observations  are  made  in  order  that  it  may  be  known 
what  is  meant  by  Israel ;  but  in  a  supreme  sense,  Israel  signifies 
the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  celestial-spiritual  principle ;  whereas 
in  the  internal  sense,  he  signifies  the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom 
in  heaven  and  on  earth :  the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom  on  earth 
is  the  church,  which  is  called  the  spiritual  church;  and  whereas 
Israel  is  the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom,  he  is  also  the  spiritual 
man,  for  in  every  such  man  there  is  the  Lord's  kingdom,  because 
man  is  heaven  in  its  least  form,  and  also  the  church,  see  n. 
4279.  By  Jacob  is  represented  in  a  supreme  sense  the  Lord 
as  to  the  natural  principle,  both  celestial  and  spiritual ;  and  in 
the  internal  sense,  the  Lord's  kingdom  such  as  it  is  in  the  ulti- 
mate or  first  heaven,  consequently  also  that  principle  of  the 
church ;  good  in  the  natural  principle  is  what  is  here  called 


42 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


celestial,  and  truth  in  the  same  principle  is  what  is  called  spirit- 
ual. From  these  considerations  it  may  appear,  what  is  signified 
in  the  Word  by  Israel  and  by  Jacob,  and  also  why  Jacob  was 
named  Israel.  But  what  has  been  said  must  needs  appear  ob- 
scure ;  principally  for  this  reason,  because  few  know  what  the 
spiritual  man  is,  and  scarcely  any  what  the  celestial  man  is ; 
consequently,  that  there  is  any  distinction  between  the  spiritual 
man  and  the  celestial.  The  reason  why  this  is  not  known,  is, 
because  there  is  no  distinct  perception  of  the  good  which  is  of 
love  and  charity,  and  of  the  truth  which  is  of  faith ;  and  these 
things  are  not  perceived,  because  there  is  no  longer  any  genuine 
charity,  for  where  a  thing  is  not,  there  cannot  be  any  percep- 
tion of  it ;  also  because  man  is  but  little  solicitous  about  those 
things  which  relate  to  the  life  after  death,  and  thus  about  those 
which  relate  to  heaven,  but  very  solicitous  about  those  things 
which  concern  the  life  in  the  body,  and  thus  about  the  things 
of  the  world.  If  man  were  solicitous  about  those  things  which 
relate  to  the  life  after  death,  and  consequently  about  the  things 
of  heaven,  he  would  easily  apprehend  all  that  has  been  said 
above ;  for  what  a  man  loves,  he  easily  imbibes  and  apprehends  ; 
whereas  what  he  does  not  love,  he  imbibes  and  apprehends  with 
difficulty.  That  Jacob  and  Israel  have  distinct  significations,  is 
very  manifest  from  the  Word ;  for  in  its  historical  parts,  as  also 
in  the  prophetical,  mention  is  sometimes  made  of  Jacob,  some- 
times of  Israel,  and  sometimes  of  both  in  one  verse  :  hence  it 
may  appear,  that  there  is  an  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  and 
that  without  this  sense  it  cannot  be  at  all  known.  That  Jacob 
is  sometimes  called  Jacob,  and  sometimes  Israel,  appears  from 
the  following  passages  in  Genesis  :  11  Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of 
the  sojournings  of  his  father.  .  .  .  These  are  the  nativities  of 
Jacob  :  Joseph  a  son  of  seventeen  years  :  .  .  .  and  Israel  loved 
Joseph  more  than  all  his  sons,"  xxxvii.  1,  2,  3  ;  where  Jacob 
is  first  called  Jacob,  and  presently  Israel,  and  is  called  Israel 
on  the  occasion  when  Joseph  is  treated  of.  Again,  "  "When  Jacob 
saw  that  there  was  corn  in  Egypt,  Jacob  said  to  his  sons  .  . .  And 
the  sons  of  Israel  came  to  buy  in  the  midst  of  those  who  came," 
xlii.  1,  5.  And  afterwards,  "  They  went  up  out  of  Egypt,  and 
came  into  the  land  of  Canaan  unto  Jacob  their  father  ;  .  .  . 
and  when  they  told  him  all  the  words  of  Joseph  which  he  spake 
unto  them,  .  .  .  the  spirit  of  Jacob  their  father  revived  ;  and 
Israel  said,  It  is  much,  Joseph  my  son  is  yet  alive,"  xlv.  25, 
27,  28.  Further,  "  And  Israel  departed,  and  all  that  he  had  : 
.  .  .  and  God  spake  unto  Israel  in  the  visions  of  the  night, 
and  said,  Jacob,  Jacob.  And  he  said,  Behold  me.  .  .  .  And  Jar 
cob  arose  from  Beersheba,  and  the  sons  of  Israel  carried  Jacob 
their  father,"  xlvi.  1,  2,  5 ;  and  in  the  same  chapter,  "  These 
are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Israel  that  came  into  Egypt,  of 
Jacob  and  his  sons,"  verse  8.    Again,  "  Joseph  brought  in  Jar 


4286.] 


GENESIS. 


43 


cob  his  father,  and  set  him  before  Pharaoh  ;  .  .  .  and  Pharaoh 
said  unto  Jacob ;  .  .  .  and  Jacob  said  unto  Pharaoh,"  xlvii.  7 
to  10.  Also,  in  the  same  chapter,  "And  Israel  dwelt  in  the 
land  of  Goshen;  .  .  .  and  Jacob  lived  in  the  land  of  Egypt 
seventeen  years ;  .  .  .  and  the  days  of  Israel  approached  that 
he  must  die ;  and  he  called  his  son  Joseph,"  verses  27  to  29. 
Again,  "  And  one  told  Jacob,  and  said,  Behold,  thy  son  Joseph 
coineth  unto  thee :  and  Israel  strengthened  himself,  and  sat  upon 
his  bed ;  and  Jacob  said  unto  Joseph,  God  Schaddai  appeared 
\into  me  in  Luz,"  xlviii.  2,  3 ;  and  Israel  is  named  in  the  same 
chapter,  verses  8,  10,  11,  13,  14,  20,  21.  And  lastly,  "  Jacob 
called  unto  his  sons,  and  said,  Gather  yourselves  together ;  .  .  . 
and  hear,  ye  sons  of  Jacob,  and  hearken  unto  Israel  your  fa- 
ther. .  .  .  And  when  Jacob  had  made  an  end  of  commanding 
his  sons,"  xlix.  1,  2,  33.  From  these  passages  it  manifestly 
appears  that  Jacob  is  sometimes  called  Jacob,  and  sometimes 
Israel,  and  thus  that  Jacob  is  one  thing,  and  Israel  another ;  or 
that  one  thing  is  signified  when  Jacob  is  named,  and  another 
when  Israel  is  named,  also  that  this  arcanum  cannot  be  known 
at  all,  except  from  the  internal  sense.  The  signification  of  Jacob 
and  of  Israel  has  been  shown  above ;  in  general  by  Jacob  is 
signified  the  external  of  the  church,  and  by  Israel  the  internal, 
for  every  church  has  an  external  and  an  internal,  or  is  internal 
and  external ;  and  whereas  that  which  is  of  the  church  is  sig- 
nified by  Jacob  and  by  Israel,  and  all  of  the  church  is  from  the 
Lord,  hence  in  a  supreme  sense,  the  Lord  is  both  Jacob  and 
Israel,  Jacob  as  to  the  Divine  natural  principle,  Israel  as  to 
the  Divine  spiritual.  Hence  the  external  principle  of  the  Lord's 
kingdom  and  church  is  Jacob,  and  the  internal  principle  is 
Israel,  as  may  appear  further  from  the  following  passages,  in 
which  also  each  is  named  in  his  peculiar  sense  ;  in  the  prophecy 
of  Jacob,  at  that  time  Israel,  "  By  the  hands  of  the  mighty 
One  of  Jacob  /  hence  the  shepherd,  the  stone  of  Israel,"  Gen. 
xlix.  24.  So  in  Isaiah,  "  Hear,  O  Jacob  my  servant,  and  Israel 
whom  I  have  chosen ;  .  .  .  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  thy 
seed,  and  my  blessing  upon  thine  offspring.  .  .  .  This  shall  say, 
I  am  Jehovah's ;  and  this  shall  call  himself  by  the  name  of 
Jacob  ;  and  he  shall  write  with  his  hand  unto  Jehovah,  and  shall 
surname  himself  by  the  name  of  Israel"  xliv.  1,  3,  5 ;  in  this 
passage  Jacob  and  Israel  manifestly  denote  the  Lord,  and  the 
seed  and  sons  of  Jacob  and  Israel  denote  those  who  are  prin- 
cipled in  faith  in  Him.  So  in  the  prophecy  of  Balaam,  "  Who 
shall  count  the  dust  of  Jacob,  and  the  number  of  the  fourth 
part  of  Israel  ?n  Numb,  xxiii.  10.  And  again,  "  No  divination 
is  against  Jacob]  nor  enchantment  against  Israel:  at  this  time  it 
shall  be  said  of  Jacob  and  of  Israel,  What  hath  God  wrought?" 
verse  23  of  the  same  chapter.  Again,  "  How  goodly  are  thy 
tents,  0  Jacob!  thy  tabernacles,  O  Israel!"  xxiv.  5.  And 


44 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


again,  "A  Star  shall  arise  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  Sceptre  out  of 
Israel"  verse  17  of  the  same  chapter.  So  in  Isaiah,  "  My 
glory  will  I  not  give  to  another.  Hearken  unto  me,  O  Jacob, 
and  Israel  called  by  me ;  I  am  the  same,  I  am  the  first,  I  also 
am  the  last,"  xlviii.  11,  12.  Again  in  the  same  prophet, 
"  Jacob  shall  cause  them  that  come  to  take  root ;  Israel  shall 
blossom  and  flourish,  and  the  faces  of  the  world  shall  be  tilled 
with  fruit,"  xxvii.  6.  And  in  Jeremiah,  Fear  not,  my  ser- 
vant Jacob ;  neither  be  dismayed,  O  Israel;  for,  lo,  I  have 
kept  thee  from  afar,"  xxx.  10.  And  in  Micah,  "  In  gathering 
I  will  gather  together  Jacob  all  of  thee ;  in  assembling  I  will 
assemble  the  remains  of  Israel ;  I  will  put  them  together  as  the 
sheep  of  Bozrah,"  ii.  12.  The  reason  why  Jacob  was  named 
Israel,  appears  from  the  words  themselves,  when  that  name  was 
given  him,  "  Thy  name  shall  not  any  longer  be  called  Jacob, 
but  Israel ;  because  as  a  prince  thou  hast  contended  with  God  and 
with  men,  and  hast  prevailed^  For  in  the  original  tongue,  Israel 
signifies  one  contending  as  a  prince  with  God ;  whereby,  in  the 
internal  sense,  is  signified  that  he  conquered  in  the  combats 
of  temptations ;  for  temptations  and  combats  in  temptations 
were  the  means  whereby  the  Lord  made  His  Human  [principle] 
Divine,  see  n.  1737, 1S13,  and  elsewhere ;  and  temptations  and 
victories  in  temptations  are  what  make  man  spiritual,  where- 
fore Jacob  was  for  the  first  time  named  Israel  when  he  had 
wrestled ;  that  to  wrestle  is  to  be  tempted,  see  n.  4274.  It  is 
a  known  thing  that  the  church,  or  the  man  of  the  Christian 
church,  calls  himself  Israel ;  but  still  no  one  in  the  church  is 
Israel,  unless  he  be  made  a  spiritual  man  by  temptations,  as 
the  name  itself  also  implies.  That  it  was  afterwards  conhrmed 
that  Jacob  should  be  called  Israel,  appears  from  what  follows, 
where  these  words  occur,  "  God  appeared  unto  Jacob  again,  as  he 
came  out  of  Padan-Aram,  and  blessed  him.  And  God  said  unto 
him,  Thy  name  is  Jacob  :  thy  name  shall  no  longer  be  called 
Jacob,  but  Israel  shall  be  thy  name ;  and  he  called  his  name 
Israel,"  Gen.  xxxv.  9,  10 ;  the  reason  of  this  confirmation  will 
be  shown  below. 

4287.  "  Because  as  a  prince  thou  hast  contended  with  God 
and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed." — That  hereby  are  signified 
continual  victories  in  combats  as  to  truths  and  goods,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  conU  ndiiuj  as  a  prince,  as  denoting 
to  overcome  in  combats,  which  are  here  temptation-combats, 
since  these  are  treated  of ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
with  God  and  with  men,  as  denoting  as  to  truths  and  goods,  of 
which  we  shall  speak  presently.  Inasmuch  as  in  a  supreme 
sense  the  Lord  is  treated  of,  in  that  sense  it  is  He  who  is  meant 
by  contending  as  a  prince  with  God  and  men  ;  for  by  His  own 
proper  ability  He  sustained  all  temptations,  and  thereby  over- 
came the  hells,  for  He  admitted  all  the  hells  in  their  order  into 


4287.] 


GENESIS. 


45 


Himself,  yea,  even  to  the  angels,  of  whom  we  shall  speak  pres- 
ently;* and  thus  he  reduced  into  order  all  the  tilings  in  the 
heavens  and  in  the  hells,  and  at  length  glorified  Himself,  that 
is,  made  the  Human  [principle]  in  Himself  Divine.  Hence  it 
is  r\  ident,  that  the  Lord  in  a  supreme  sense  is  Jacob  and  Israel, 
as  was  shown  just  above,  n.  4286 ;  and  not  only  that  He  as  a 
prince  contended,  that  is,  sustained  all  temptation-combats, 
and  conquered  in  them,  but  also  that  He  sustains  them  with 
every  man;  but  see  what  has  been  frequently  said  above  on 
this  subject,  viz.,  that  the  Lord  above  all  others  sustained  the 
most  grievous  temptations,  n.  1663,  1668,  1787,  2776,  2786, 
2795,  2S16.  That  the  Lord  combated  from  Divine  love,  which 
is  not  the  case  with  any  man,  n.  1690,  1691,  1789,  1812,  1813, 
1820.  That  although  He  had  no  actual  evil,  the  Lord  fought 
against  the  hereditary  evil  from  the  mother,  so  that  at  length 
He  was  not  her  son,  n.  1444,  1573,  2025,  2574,  2649,  3318. 
That  the  Lord  by  temptation-combats,  and  continual  victories, 
arranged  all  things  into  a  heavenly  form,  n.  1928.  And  that 
by  continual  victories  in  temptation-combats  He  united  the 
Divine  Essence  to  the  Human,  n.  1661, 1737, 1813,  1921,  2025, 
2026,  2500,  2523,  2632,  2776.  And  that  the  Lord  with  man 
sustains  temptations,  and  subdues  evil  and  the  hells,  n.  987, 
1661,  1692.  That  to  contend  with  God  and  with  men  denotes 
to  be  tempted  as  to  truths  and  goods,  is  an  arcanum  which 
does  not  appear  from  the  letter :  that  it  was  not  God  with 
whom  Jacob  contended,  must  be  evident  to  every  .one,  and  will 
also  be  made  manifest  from  the  explanation  below  ;  for  it  cannot 
be  predicated  of  any  man  that  he  contends  with  God,  and  pre- 
vails. But  the  internal  sense  teaches  what  is  here  signified  by 
God  and  by  men,  viz.,  that  by  God  is  signified  truth,  and  by 
men,  good  ;  and  this,  because  God  in  the  internal  sense  signi- 
fies truth,  and  hence  when  truth  is  treated  of,  the  term  God  is 
used,  n.  2586,  2769,  2807,  2822 ;  and  when  the  term  man  is 
used,  good  is  understood.  The  reason  why  man  denotes  good, 
is,  because  the  Lord  is  the  sole  Man,  and  from  Him  man  is 
called  man,  see  n.  49,  288,  565,  1894 ;  also  because  from  Him 
heaven  is  man,  and  is  called  the  Grand  Man,  see  n.  6S4,  1276, 
3624  to  3649,  3741  to  3751.  Hence  also  the  most  ancient 
church,  which  was  principled  in  celestial  good,  was  called  man, 
n.  478  ;  wherefore  also  by  man  in  the  Word,  where  good  is 
treated  of,  is  signified  good,  as  in  Isaiah,  "  I  will  render  a  man- 
man  (yirum  hominem)\  more  rare  than  gold,  and  a  man  (Jiom- 
inem)  than  the  gold  of  Ophir,"  xiii.  12.    Again,  "  The  inhabit- 

*  Concerning  the  angels  and  the  temptations  which  the  Lord  endured  from 
them,  see  below,  n.  4295. 

f  The  reader  will  here  see  the  necessity  of  attending  to  the  distinction  fre- 
quently pointed  out  in  the  preceding  work,  and  also  in  other  translated  works  of 
our  author,  between  the  two  Latin  terms  Homo  and  Vir,  which  are  rendered 


46 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


ants  of  the  earth  shall  be  burned,  and  few  man-man  shall  be 
left,"  xxiv.  6 ;  man-man  (vir  homo)  denotes  spiritual  good  or 
the  good  of  truth ;  man  (homo)  denotes  good.  Again,  "  The 
highways  are  wasted,  they  have  ceased  to  pass  in  the  way,  he 
hath  made  vain  the  covenant,  he  hath  disdained  the  cities,  he 
regardeth  not  a  man-ma?i,"  xxxiii.  8.  And  in  Jeremiah,  "  I 
beheld  the  earth,  and  lo,  it  was  void  and  empty ;  and  the  hea- 
vens, and  their  light  was  none  ;  .  .  .  I  beheld,  and  lo,  there  was 
not  a  mem,  and  all  the  birds  of  the  heavens  were  flown  away," 
iv.  23,  25.  Again,  "  Behold,  the  days  are  coining,  saith  Jeho- 
vah, in  which  I  will  sow  the  house  of  Israel,  and  the  house  of 
Judah,  with  the  seed  of  man,  and  with  the  seed  of  beast,"  xxxi. 
27.  And  in  Ezekiel,  "Thy  merchants  with  the  soul  of  man 
and  vessels  of  brass  gave  thy  trading,"  xxvii.  13.  Again,  "  Ye 
my  flock,  the  flock  of  my  pasture,  ye  are  a  man,  I  am  your 
God,"  xxxiv.  31.  Again,  "  The  wasted  cities  shall  be  full  of 
the  flock  of  man"  xxxvi.  38.  In  these  passages  man  denotes 
those  who  are  principled  in  good,  and  thus  it  denotes  good,  for 
man  is  man  by  virtue  of  good  ;  but  truth,  which  is  derived  from 
good,  is  called  in  the  Word  man-man  (vir  homo),  and  also  the 
son  of  man. 

4288.  These  same  words  which  have  been  hitherto  explained 
have  respect  also  to  the  Jewish  and  Israelitish  nation,  which 
in  the  Word  is  named  Jacob,  as  has  been  said  and  shown 
above,  n.  4279 ;  in  that  sense,  which  is  called  the  internal  his- 
torical sense,  by  these  words,  Let  me  go,  became  the  day-dawn 
ariseth,  is  signified  that  the  representative  should  depart  from 
the  posterity  of  Jacob,  before  they  came  into  the  representatives 
of  the  land  of  Canaan.  The  quality  of  that  nation  has  been 
shown  above,  viz.,  that  no  internal  worship  appertained  to  it, 
but  only  external,  thus  that  the  conjugial  celestial  principle  was 
separated  from  it,  and  therefore  that  no  church  could  be  estab- 
lished in  it,  but  only  the  representative  of  a  church,  see  n.  4281. 
But  it  is  requisite  to  know  what  is  meant  by  a  representative 
church,  and  what  by  the  representative  of  a  church :  a  repre- 
sentative church  is,  when  internal  worship  is  in  external;  but 
the  representative  of  a  church  is,  when  there  is  no  internal 
worship,  yet  nevertheless  external.  In  each  case  there  are 
nearly  similar  external  rituals,  viz.,  similar  statutes,  laws,  and 
precepts  ;  but  in  a  representative  church,  externals  correspond 
with  internals,  so  as  to  make  one,  whereas  in  the  representative 
of  a  church  there  is  no  such  correspondence,  because  the  exter- 
nals are  either  without  internals,  or  at  variance  with  them.  In 
a  representative  church,  celestial  and  spiritual  love  is  princi- 

nlike  by  the  English  term  Man,  but  which  in  the  original  Latin  have  very  distinct 
significations.  What  their  distinct  significations  are,  may  be  seen  in  the  note  at 
n.  166,  Vol.  I.  of  this  work,  and  also  in  the  preliminary  observations  to  the  trea- 
tise on  Conjugial  Love. 


4288.]  GENESIS.  47 

pal ;  whereas  in  the  representative  of  a  church,  corporeal  and 
worldly  love  is  principal :  celestial  and  spiritual  love  is  the 
very  internal  itself,  but  where  this  love  does  not  exist,  but  only 
the  corporeal  and  worldly,  the  external  is  without  the  internal. 
The  ancient  church,  which  was  after  the  flood,  was  a  represent- 
ative church  ;  but  that  which  was  established  amongst  the  pos- 
terity of  Jacob  was  merely  the  representative  of  a  church.  But 
to  render  the  distinction  more  evident,  we  will  illustrate  it  by 
particular  cases.  In  the  representative  church,  divine  worship 
was  celebrated  on  mountains,  because  they  signified  celestial 
love,  and  in  a  supreme  sense  the  Lord  (see  n.  795,  1430,  2722, 
4210),  and  whilst  they  were  celebrating  worship  on  mountains, 
they  were  in  their  holy  principle,  because  at  the  same  time  in 
celestial  love.  In  the  representative  church,  divine  worship 
was  also  celebrated  in  groves,  because  they  signified  spiritual 
love,  and  in  a  supreme  sense  the  Lord  as  to  that  love  (see  n. 
2722),  and  whilst  they  were  celebrating  worship  in  groves,  they 
were  in  their  holy  principle,  because  at  the  same  time  in  spirit- 
ual love.  In  the  representative  church,  when  they  celebrated 
divine  worship,  they  turned  their  faces  to  the  rising  sun,  be- 
cause by  the  rising  sun  also  was  signified  celestial  love,  see  n. 
101,  1529, 1530,  2441,  2495,  3636,  3611  ;  also  when  they  looked 
at  the  moon,  they  were  overpowered  in  like  manner  with  a  cer- 
tain holy  veneration,  because  the  moon  signified  spiritual  love, 
see  n.  1529,  1530,  1531,  2495,  4060  ;  in  like  manner  when  they 
beheld  the  starry  heaven,  because  this  signified  the  angelic 
heaven  or  the  Lord's  kingdom.  In  the  representative  church 
they  had  tents  or  tabernacles,  and  divine  worship  in  them  ;  and 
this  was  holy,  because  tents  or  tabernacles  signified  the  holy 
principle  of  love  and  worship,  see  n.  414,  1102,  2145,  2152, 
3312  ;  and  thus  in  numberless  other  cases.  In  the  representa- 
tive of  a  church,  indeed,  divine  worship  was  at  first  in  like 
manner  celebrated  on  mountains  ad  in  groves;  they  looked 
likewise  towards  the  rising  sun,  and  to  the  moon  and  stars ; 
moreover,  worship  was  celebrated  in  tents  or  tabernacles.  But 
whereas  they  were  in  external  worship  without  the  internal,  or 
in  corporeal  and  worldly  love,  but  not  in  celestial  and  spiritual 
love,  and  thus  worshipped  the  mountains  and  groves  themselves, 
and  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  as  likewise  their  tents  or  taberna- 
cles, and  hence  made  those  rituals  idolatrous,  which  in  the  an- 
cient church  were  holy,  therefore  they  were  restrained  to  what 
was  common,  viz.,  to  the  mountain  where  Jerusalem  was,  and 
at  last  where  Zion  was,  to  the  rising  of  the  sun  as  seen  thence 
and  from  the  temple,  to  a  common  tent,  which  was  called  the 
tent  of  assembly,  and  finally  to  the  ark  in  the  temple  ;  in  order 
that  the  representative  of  a  church  might  exist  when  they  were 
in  a  holy  external  principle,  otherwise  they  would  have  pro- 
faned holy  things.    Hence  the  distinction  between  a  represent- 


48 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


ative  church  and  the  representative  of  a  church  may  he  seen ; 
in  general,  they  who  were  of  the  representative  church  had 
communication  with  the  three  heavens  as  to  interiors,  to  which 
external  things  served  as  a  plane ;  whereas  they  who  were  in 
the  representative  of  a  church,  did  not  communicate  with  hea- 
ven as  to  interiors,  hut  still  the  externals,  in  which  they  were 
held,  might  serve  as  a  plane,  and  this  miraculously  of  the  Lord's 
providence,  in  order  that  some  communication  might  exist  be- 
tween heaven  and  man  through  something  like  a  church ;  for 
without  such  communication,  mankind  would  perish.  What 
the  correspondence  of  internal  things  is,  cannot  be  explained 
in  a  few  words ;  but,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  we 
shall  speak  more  particularly  on  the  subject  in  the  following 
pages. 

4289.  That  by  these  words,  Let  me  go,  because  the  da/y-dawfk 
ariseth,  is  signified  that  the  representative  should  depart  from 
the  posterity  of  Jacob,  before  they  came  into  the  representa- 
tives of  the  land  of  Canaan,  appears  from  the  series  of  things 
in  the  internal  historical  sense,  in  which  the  posterity  of  Jacob 
are  treated  of.  Their  state  as  to  the  things  appertaining  to  the 
church,  is  also  described  in  the  Word  by  evening,  by  night, 
and  by  morning  or  day-dawn ;  the  latter  signifies  when  they 
came  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  consequently  into  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  church  there.  The  case  herein  is  this :  the  rep- 
resentative of  a  church  could  not  be  established  amongst  them, 
until  they  were  altogether  vastated,  that  is,  until  they  had  no 
knowledge  of  internal  things  ;  for  if  they  had  had  a  knowledge 
of  internal  things,  they  might  have  been  affected  with  them, 
and  thus  might  have  profaned  them.  For  holy  things,  or  in- 
ternal truths  and  goods,  may  be  profaned  by  those  who  know 
and  acknowledge  them,  and  still  more  by  those  who  are  affect- 
ed with  them,  but  not  by  those  who  do  not  acknowledge  them ; 
on  these  subjects,  see  what  was  said  and  shown  above  concern- 
ing profanation,  viz.,  that  they  who  know  and  acknowledge  holy 
things,  may  profane  them,  but  not  they  who  do  not  know  and 
acknowledge  them,  n.  593, 1008, 1010,  1059,  339S,  3898.  They 
who  are  within  the  church  may  profane  holy  things,  but  not 
they  who  are  without;  see  n.  2051.  Consequently,  they  who 
cannot  remain  in  good  and  truth,  are  withheld  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  acknowledgment  and  belief  of  them ;  see  n.  339S,  3402. 
And  that  they  are  Kept  in  ignorance  to  prevent  profanation, 
n.  301  to  303.  What  danger  arises  from  profanation  of  holy 
things,  u.  571,  582.  That  worship  is  made  external,  to  prevent 
the  profanation  of  the  internal,  n.  1327, 1328.  That  on  this  ac- 
count internal  truths  were  not  discovered  to  the  Jews,  n.  3398. 
Therefore  it  was  provided  of  the  Lord,  that  the  genuine  or 
internal  representative  of  the  church  should  depart  from  the 
posterity  of  Jacob,  before  they  came  into  the  representatives 


4289,  4290.] 


GENESIS. 


4G 


of  the  land  of  Canaan,  insomuch  that  they  did  not  know  any- 
thing  concerning  the  Lord.  They  knew  indeed  that  the  Mes- 
siah was  to  come  into  the  world,  but  to  the  intent  that  He  might 
raise  them  to  glory  and  eminenee  above  all  nations  of  the  earth, 
not  that  lie  might  save  their  sonls  to  eternity ;  yea,  neither  did 
they  know  any  thing  of  a  heavenly  kingdom,  nor  of  a  life  after 
death,  nor  even  of  charity  and  faith.  In  order  that  they  might 
be  reduced  to  this  ignorance,  they  were  kept  for  some  hundred 
years  in  Egypt,  and  when  they  were  called  out  thence,  they 
had  lost  all  knowledge  of  the  very  name  of  Jehovah,  see  Exod. 
iii.  12  to  14 ;  and  moreover  they  had  lost  all  worship  of  the 
representative  church,  insomuch  that  after  the  promulgation 
of  the  commandments  of  the  decalogue  in  their  presence  from 
mount  Sinai,  within  a  month  of  days  they  relapsed  to  the 
Egyptian  worship  of  a  golden  calf,  Exod.  xxxii.  And  as  the 
people  which  were  brought  forth  out  of  Egypt  were  of  such  a 
quality,  therefore  they  all  perished  in  the  wilderness ;.  for  no- 
thing was  any  longer  required  of  them  but  to  preserve  the 
statutes  and  commandments  in  their  external  form,  inasmuch 
as  this  was  to  perform  the  representative  of  the  church :  but  to 
this  the}'  who  had  grown  up  to  mature  age  in  Egypt  could  not 
be  brought  back,  but  their  children  could,  although  with  diffi- 
culty ;  at  first  by  miracles,  and  afterwards  by  fears  and  captivi- 
ties, as  is  evident  from  the  books  of  Joshua  and  Judges.  Ilence 
it  may  appear,  that  every  genuine  or  internal  representative  of 
the  church  had  departed  from  them  before  they  came  into  the 
land  of  Canaan,  where  an  external  representative  of  the  church 
was  begun  amongst  them  in  a  full  form ;  for  the  land  of  Canaan 
was  the  very  land  itself  where  representatives  of  the  church 
could  be  exhibited,  because  all  the  places  and  boundaries  in 
that  land  were  representative  from  ancient  times,  as  may  be 
seen  in  n.  3686. 

4290.  In  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  these  words,  he 
said,  I  will  not  let  thee  go.  unless  thou  bless  me,  is  signified 
that  they  were  urgent  to  be  representative ;  for  to  be  urgent  is 
signified  by  the  words,  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  and  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  church  by  being  blessed.  That  the  posterity 
of  Jacob  were  urgent  to  be  representative  of  the  church,  and 
that  they  were  not  chosen  above  other  nations,  cannot  indeed 
appear  from  the  historicals  of  the  Word  in  the  sense  of  the 
letter,  because  in  this  sense  the  historicals  of  the  Word  involve 
arcana  of  heaven,  and  therefore  so  follow  in  a  series ;  and  be- 
cause the  very  names  signify  things.  That  several  names,  as 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  a  supreme  sense  signify  the 
Lord  Himself,  has  been  abundantly  shown  in  the  foregoing 
pages ;  see  also  n.  1965,  1989,  2011,  3245,  3305,  3439.  "That 
the  posterity  of  Jacob  were  not  chosen,  but  were  urgent  to 
have  a  church  amongst  them,  may  appear  from  the  internal 
vol.  v.  4 


50 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii 


historical  sense  in  several  passages  of  the  Word,  and  plainly  in 
the  following,  "  Jehovah  said  unto  Moses,  Go  up  hence,  thou 
and  the  people,  whom  thou  hast  brought  up  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  unto  the  land  which  I  sware  unto  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  saying,  Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  it. ...  I  will  not  go  up 
in  the  midst  of  thee,  for  thou  art  a  stiff-necked  people ;  lest  I 
consume  thee  in  the  way.  When  the  people  heard  these  evil 
tidings,  they  mourned,  and  they  laid  aside  every  one  his  orna- 
ment from  upon  him  And  Moses  took  the  tent,  and  stretched 

it  for  himself  without  the  camp,  and  removed  it  far  from  the 
camp.  .  .  .  And  Moses  said  unto  Jehovah,  See,  thou  say  est  unto 
me,  Cause  th  is  people  to  go  up,  when  thou  hast  not  made  known 
to  me  whom  thou  wilt  send  with  me  ;  .  .  .  now  therefore,  I  pray 
thee,  if  I  have  found  grace  in  thine  eyes,  make  known  to  me, 
I  pray  thee,  thy  ways,  that  I  may  know  concerning  thee,  that 
I  have  found  grace  in  thine  eyes ;  see  also,  that  this  nation  is 
thy  people.  He  said  therefore,  My  faces  shall  go  until  I  shall 
give  thee  rest,"  Exod.  xxxiii.  It  is  here  said  that  Moses  caused 
the  people  to  go  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  also  afterwards,  that 
they  laid  aside  their  ornaments,  and  mourned,  and  that  Moses 
stretched  his  tent  without  the  camp,  and  hereby  that  Jehovah 
assented ;  thus  manifestly  that  they  themselves  were  urgent. 
Again,  "  Jehovah  said  unto  Moses,  How  far  will  this  people 
anger  me  ?  and  how  far  M  ill  they  not  believe  in  me,  for  all  the 
signs  which  I  have  done  in  the  midst  of  them  ?  I  will  smite 
them  with  the  pestilence,  and  will  extinguish  them,  and  will 
make  thee  into  a  nation  greater  and  mightier  than  they."  But 
Moses  supplicated,  and  Jehovah  being  entreated,  said,  "I  will 
be  propitious  according  to  thy  word ;  nevertheless  I  live,  and 
the  whole  earth  shall  be  tilled  with  the  glory  of  Jehovah.  For 
as  to  all  the  men  who  have  seen  my  glory,  and  my  signs  which 
I  have  done  in  Egypt  and  in  the  wilderness,  yet  have  tempted 
me  these  ten  times,  neither  have  obeyed  my  voice,  they  shall 
not  see  the  land  which  I  have  sworn  unto  their  fathers  ;  all  that 
have  angered  me  shall  not  see  it.  ...  In  this  wilderness  shall 
your  carcases  fall  together ;  but  your  children  I  will  bring  in," 
Numb.  xiv.  From  this  passage  also  it  is  evident,  that  Jehovah 
was  willing  to  extinguish  them,  consequently  not  to  establish  a 
church  amongst  them,  but  that  they  were  urgent,  and  therefore 
it  was  done.  The  same  also  appears  from  several  other  pas- 
sages, where  it  is  said  that  Jehovah  was  willing  to  have  totally 
destroyed  that  nation  so  often  rebellious,  but  as  often  suffered 
Himself  to  be  wrought  upon  by  their  supplications.  The  like 
also  is  involved  in  the  circumstance  of  Balaam  not  being  per- 
mitted to  curse  that  people,  Numb.  xxii.  xxiii.  xxiv. ;  and  like- 
wise in  other  passages,  where  it  is  said,  that  Jehovah  repented 
that  He  had  brought  in  that  people;  also  that  Jehovah  was 
entreated.;  aud  further  that  He  so  often  entered  into  a  new 


4291,  4292.] 


GENESIS. 


51 


covenant  with  them.  Such  things  are  signified  in  the  internal 
historical  sense  by  these  words,  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  unless 
thou  bless  me  :  the  same  also  is  signified  by  Jacob  fraudulently 
depriving  Esau  of  his  birthright,  and  likewise  of  his  blessing, 
Gen.  xxv.  and  xxvii. 

4291.  In  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  he  said  unto  him, 
What  is  thy  name?  and  he  said,  Jacob,  is  signified  that  they 
were  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  with  their  quality.  This  may  ap- 
pear from  the  signification  of  name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  n. 
144,  145, 1754, 1896,  2009,  2724,  3006 ;  and  from  the  significa- 
tion of  Jacob,  as  denoting  his  posterity,  see  n.  4281. 

4292.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  he  said,  Thy 
name  shall  no  longer  be  called  Jacob,  but  Israel,  is  signified,  that 
they  could  not  represent  as  Jacob,  but  from  anew  given  quality, 
may  appear  from  the  signification  of  Jacob  in  the  Word,  as  de- 
noting his  posterity,  see  above,  n.  4281 ;  and  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  just,  above,  n.  4291. 
The  new  quality  itself  is  Israel  in  the  internal  sense ;  for  Israel 
is  a  celestial  spiritual  man,  consequently  the  internal,  see  n. 
42S6  ;  and  inasmuch  as  Israel  is  the  celesiial  spiritual  man,  thus 
the  internal,  Israel  also  is  the  internal  spiritual  church ;  for  it 
is  the  same  thing  whether  we  say  the  spiritual  man,  or  the 
spiritual  church,  because  the  spiritual  man  individually  is  a 
church,  and  several  constitute  the  church  in  general.  If  man 
individually  was  not  a  church,  there  would  not  be  any  church 
in  general ;  a  congregation  in  general  is  what  is  commonly 
called  a  church,  but  to  constitute  it  a  church  it  is  necessary  that 
every  individual  in  the  congregation  be  a  church  ;  for  every 
general  [thing  or  principle]  implies  parts  similar  to  itself.  As 
to  the  point  in  question,  viz.,  that  they  could  not  represent  as 
Jacob,  but  as  from  a  new  given  quality,  which  is  Israel,  the 
case  is  this !  they  who  represented  the  church  were  the  posterity 
of  Jacob  specifically,  but  not  of  Isaac  specifically,  for  the  pos- 
terity of  Isaac  were  descended  not  only  from  Jacob,  but  also 
from  Esau  ;  still  less  were  they  the  posterity  of  Abraham  spe- 
cifically, for  his  posterity  comprised  not  only  the  descendants 
of  Jacob,  but  also  those  of  Esau,  and  likewise  of  Ishmael ; 
moreover  those  of  his  sons  by  his  other  wife  Keturah,  as  of 
Ziniram,  Jokshan,  Medan,  Midian,  Ishbak,  Shuah,  and  of  their 
sons,  Gen.  xxv.  1,  2,  3, 4.  Now  whereas  the  posterity  of  Jacob 
were  urgent  to  be  representative,  as  was  shown  just  above,  n. 
4290,  they  could  not  represent  as  Jacob,  nor  as  Isaac,  nor  as 
Abraham  ;  the  reason  why  they  could  not  represent  as  Jacob, 
was,  because  Jacob  represented  the  external  of  the  church,  but 
not  the  internal ;  and  they  could  not  represent  as  Isaac  together, 
nor  as  Abraham  together,  owing  to  the  reason  just  now  adduced 
above.  Therefore,  that  they  might  represent  a  church,  it  was 
necessary  that  a  new  name  should  be  given  to  Jacob,  and  by 


52 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


that  a  new  quality,  which  should  signify  the  internal  spiritual 
man,  or  what  is  the  same  thing,  the  internal  spiritual  church ; 
this  new  quality  is  Israel.  Every  church  of  the  Lord  is  internal 
and  external,  as  has  been  frequently  shown  above  ;  the  internal 
is  that  which  is  represented,  and  the  external  that  which  repre- 
sents :  the  internal  church  also  is  either  spiritual  or  celestial ; 
the  internal  spiritual  church  was  represented  by  Israel,  whereas 
the  internal  celestial  church  was  represented  afterwards  by 
Judah  : — on  this  account  also  a  division  was  made,  and  the 
Israelites  by  themselves  were  a  kingdom,  and  the  Jews  (Judosi) 
by  themselves  ;  but  on  this  subject,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the 
Lord,  more  will  be  said  in  the  following  pages.  Hence  it  is 
evident  that  Jacob,  that  is,  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  could  not 
represent  a  church  as  Jacob,  for  this  would  be  only  to  represent 
the  external  of  a  church  ;  but  as  Israel,  because  Israel  is  the 
internal.  That  the  internal  is  that  which  is  represented,  and 
the  external  that  which  represents,  has  been  shown  above 
throughout  this  work,  and  may  also  appear  from  man  himself: 
the  speech  of  man  represents  his  thought,  and  the  action  of 
man  represents  his  will ;  speech  and  action  are  the  externals, 
but  thought  and  will  are  the  internals  of  man.  Moreover,  the 
very  face  of  man,  by  its  various  states  of  countenance,  repre- 
sents both  his  thought  and  will,  as  is  known  to  every  one :  for 
with  the  sincere,  their  interior  states  may  be  seen  from  their 
looks;  in  a  word,  all  things  appertaining  to  the  body  represent 
the  things  appertaining  to  the  spirit  and  to  the  mind.  The  case 
is  similar  with  the  externals  of  the  church,  for  these  resemble 
the  body  ;  whereas  the  internals  resemble  the  soul,  as  the  altars 
and  the  sacrifices  offered  on  them,  which,  it  is  well  known,  were 
external  things,  in  like  manner  the  show-bread,  also  the  candle- 
stick with  its  lights,  and  the  perpetual  fire,  which,  as  may  be 
known  to  every  one,  represented  internal  things ;  and  the  case 
was  the  same  in  regard  to  other  rituals.  That  these  external 
things  could  not  represent  external  things,  but  internal,  may 
appear  from  what  has  been  adduced  above ;  thus  that  Jacob 
could  not  represent  as  Jacob,  because  Jacob  is  the  external  of 
the  church,  but  as  Israel,  because  Israel  is  the  internal  thereof. 
This  is  what  is  meant  by  the  new  given  quality,  which  the  pos- 
terity of  Jacob  should  represent. 

4293.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  because  as  a 
prince  thou  hast  contended  with  God  and  witJt,  men,  and  hast 
prevailed,  is  signified  by  reason  of  the  contumacy  which  was  in 
their  phantasies  and  lusts,  may  appear  from  the  signification  of 
God,  and  from  the  signification  of  men,  as  denoting  truths  and 
goods,  see  n.  4287.  These  same  words  have  here  an  opposite 
sense,  because  in  this  sense  they  are  spoken  of  the  posterity  of 
Jacob,  with  whom  interiorly  were  no  truths  and  goods  (as  was 
shown  above),  but  falses  and  evils;  falses  are  phantasies,  because 


4293,  4294.] 


GENESIS. 


53 


they  are  of  phantasies,  and  evils  are  lusts,  because  they  ary  of 
lusts.  That  this  nation  was  urgent  to  be  representative,  that 
is,  to  be  a  church  in  preference  to  all  nations  throughout,  the 
globe,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  4290  ;  that  this  was  also  permitted, 
owing  to  the  contumacy  which  was  in  their  phantasies  and  lusts, 
is  here  meant.  What  was  the  nature  and  quality  of  their  phan- 
tasies and  lusts,  no  one  can  know,  unless  he  has  had  some  con- 
versation with  them  in  another  life ;  and  this  was  granted  me 
in  order  that  I  might  know,  for  occasionally  I  have  there  dis- 
coursed with  them :  they  love  themselves  and  worldly  wealth 
above  all  others ;  and  moreover  above  all  others  they  fear  the 
loss  of  self-honour,  and  also  the  loss  of  gain.  Accordingly, 
even  at  this  day,  as  formerly,  they  despise  others  in  comparison 
with  themselves,  and  by  the  most  intense  application  accpiire  to 
themselves  wealth,  moreover  they  are  timid ;  and  as  such  has 
been  from  ancient  times  the  quality  of  this  nation,  therefore 
they  were  capable  above  all  other  nations  of  being  held  in  a 
holy  external  principle  without  any  holy  internal,  and  thereby  of 
representing  in  an  external  form  the  things  appertaining  to  the 
church ;  these  phantasies  and  lusts  are  what  caused  such  con- 
tumacy. This  also  appears  from  several  things  which  are  re- 
corded of  them  in  the  historicals  of  the  Word  :  after  they  had 
been  punished,  they  could  be  in  such  external  humiliation  as 
no  other  nation  could  be  in  ;  for  they  could  lie  prostrate  on  the 
ground  for  whole  days,  and  roll  themselves  in  the  dust,  not 
raising  themselves  up  till  the  third  clay ;  they  could  also  mourn 
for  several  days  together,  going  in  sackcloth,  and  in  tattered 
garments,  with  ashes  or  dust  sprinkled  on  their  heads ;  they 
could  fast  without  intermission  for  several  days,  and  in  the 
mean  time  burst  forth  into  bitter  weeping.  But  this  wTas  merely 
the  effect  of  bodily  and  earthly  love,  and  of  the  fear  of  losing 
pre-eminence  and  worldly  wealth:  for  it  was  not  any  thing 
internal  which  affected  them,  because  they  knew  not,  neither 
indeed  were  thoy  willing  to  know,  what  was  internal,  such  as 
that  there  is  a  life  after  death,  and  that  there  is  eternal  salvation. 
Hence  it  may  appear,  that  such  being  their  quality,  they  must 
of  necessity  be  deprived  of  every  holy  internal  principle,  inas- 
much as  this  in  no  wise  agrees  with  such  a  holy  external  prin- 
ciple, for  they  are  altogether  contrary  to  each  other :  also,  that 
they  could  act  above  all  other  nations  as  the  representative  of 
a  church,  viz.,  in  representing  holy  things  in  an  external  form, 
without  any  internal  holy  principle;  and  thus  that  by  this  nation 
might  be  given  somewhat  of  communication  with  the  heavens, 
see  n.  428S. 

4294.  Verses  29  to  32.  And  Jacob  asked,  and  said,  Tell  me, 
I  pray  thee,  thy  name.  And  he  said,  Wherefore  is  this,  that 
thou  dost  ask  for  my  name?  and  he  blessed  him  there.  And 
Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  jilace  Peniel  y  because  I  have  seen 


54 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


God  faces  to  faces,  and  my  soul  is  delivered.  And  the  sun 
rose  upon  him  as  he  passed  over  Penuel ;  and  he  halted  upon 
his  thigh.  Therefore  the  sons  of  Israel  do  not  eat  the  sinew  of 
what  is  put  out,  which  is  upon  the  hollow  of  the  thigh,  even  to 
this  day  ;  because  he  touched  in  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  the 
sinew  of  what  was  put  out.  And  Jacob  asked  and  said,  Tell 
me,  I  pray  thee,  thy  name,  signifies  the  angelic  heaven  and  its 
quality ;  and  he  said,  Wherefore  is  this,  that  thou  dost  ask  for 
my  name?  signifies  that  heaven  was  not  willing  to  reveal  itself: 
and  lie  blessed  him  there,  signifies  conjunction  with  the  Divine 
celestial-spiritual  principle :  and  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the 
place  Peniel,  signifies  a  state  of  temptations :  because  I  have 
seen  God  faces  to  faces,  and  my  soul  is  delivered,  signifies  that 
he  sustained  the  most  grievous  temptations  as  if  they  were  from 
the  Divine  [principle]:  and  the  sun  rose  upon  him,  signifies 
conjunction  of  goods:  as  he  passed  over  Penuel,  signifies  a 
state  of  truth  in  good :  and  he  halted  on  his  thigh,  signifies 
that  truths  were  not  yet  arranged  into  that  order,  that  all,  to- 
gether with  good,  might  enter  celestial-spiritual  good  :  therefore 
the  sons  of  Israel  eat  not  the  sinew  of  what  is  put  out,  which 
is  upon  the  hollow  of  the  thigh,  signifies  that  those  things  are 
not  appropriated  in  which  are  falses :  even  to  this  day,  signifies 
for  ever,  that  falses  were  not  adjoined:  because  he  touched  in 
the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  the  sinew  of  what  was  put  out, 
signifies  the  cause,  because  there  were  false  principles. 

In  the  internal  historical  sense,  in  which  the  posterity  of 
Jacob  are  treated  of,  by  Jacob  asking  and  saying,  Tell  me,  I 
pray  thee,  thy  name,  are  signified  evil  spirits :  by  his  saying, 
Wherefore  is  this,  that  thou  dost  ask  for  my  name  ?  is  signified 
that  they  did  not  acknowledge  from  evil  spirits :  by  he  blessed 
him  there,  is  signified  that  it  was  so  done  :  by  Jacob  called  the 
name  of  the  place  Peniel,  is  signified  a  state  that  they  put  on 
representations  :  by  because  I  have  seen  God  faces  to  faces,  and 
my  soul  is  delivered,  is  signified  that  he  was  representatively 
present:  by  the  sun  rose  upon  him,  is  signified  when  they  came 
into  representations :  by  as  he  passed  over  Penuel,  is  signified 
when  they  came  into  the  land  of  Canaan :  by  he  halted  upon 
his  thigh,  is  signified  that  goods  and  truths  were  altogether  de- 
stroyed in  that  posterity :  by  therefore  the  sons  of  Israel  eat 
not  the  sinew  of  what  is  put  out,  which  is  upon  the  hollow  of 
the  thigh,  is  signified  that  posterity  ought  to  know  this:  by 
even  to  this  day,  is  signified  for  ever  that  they  were  such :  by 
because  he  touched  in  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  the  sinew  of 
what  was  put  out,  is  signified  because  they  had  an  hereditary 
principle,  which  could  not  be  eradicated  by  regeneration,  be- 
cause thev  did  not  admit  it. 

4295.  Ver.  29.  "And  Jacob  asked  and  said,  Tell  me,  I 
pray  thee,  thy  name." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  angelic 


4295.] 


GENESIS. 


55 


heaven  and  its  quality,  may  appear  (1.)  from  the  representation 
of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  Lord  in  respect  to  the  Divine  Natural 
principle  (concerning  which,  see  above) ;  (2.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  God,  whose  name  he  asked,  and  also  of  men,  with 
whom  as  a  prince  he  contended  and  prevailed,  as  denoting 
truths  and  goods,  thus  those  who  are  principled  in  truths  ana 
goods,  see  above,  n.  4287 ;  and  whereas  the  angelic  heaven  is 
heaven  by  virtue  of  truths  and  goods,  this  is  what  is  specifically 
signified  by  God  and  men,  with  whom  the  Lord  contended  and 
prevailed.  Also  throughout  the  Word  angels  are  called  gods, 
and  this  by  virtue  of  truths  and  goods;  as  in  David,  "God 
stood  in  the  assembly  of  God,  in  the  midst  of  gods  he  hath 
judged.  ...  I  said,  Ye  are  gods  ;  and  ye  are  all  the  sons  of  the 
Most  High,"  Psalm  lxxxii.  1,  6 ;  where  it  evidently  appears, 
that  the  assembly  of  God,  and  gods,  denote  the  angeiic  heaven. 
Again,  "  Who  in  the  heaven  shall  be  compared  with  Jehovah? 
who  among  the  sons  of  God  shall  be  likened  to  Jehovah?" 
lxxxix.  6  ;  again,  "  Confess  ye  to  the  God  of  gods  ;  .  .  .  confess 
ye  to  the  Lord  of  lords,"  exxxvi.  2,  3.  Hence,  and  also  from 
these  considerations,  that  no  one  can  contend  as  a  prince  with 
God  and  prevail,  and  that  he  who  is  called  god  was  not  willing 
to  reveal  his  name,  it  is  manifest  that  it  was  the  angelic  heaven 
with  which  the  Lord  fought.  That  an  arcanum  lies  concealed 
in  this  passage,  is  very  manifest  from  the  words  themselves, 
"  Wherefore  is  this,  that  thou  dost  ask  for  my  name  ?"  for  if  he 
had  been  Jehovah  God,  he  would  not  have  concealed  his  name, 
nor  would  Jacob  have  asked,  "  What  is  thy  name  ?"  for  to  ask 
a  name,  implies  another,  or  others,  than  God  himself.  That 
the  Lord  in  temptations  fought  at  length  with  the  angels  them- 
selves, yea,  with  the  whole  angelic  heaven,  is  an  arcanum  which 
has  not  heretofore  been  discovered.  But  the  case  is  this  :  the 
angels  indeed  are  in  the  utmost  wisdom  and  intelligence,  but 
they  have  all  their  wisdom  and  intelligence  from  the  Lord's 
Divine  [principle],  and  from  themselves  or  their  own  proprium 
they  have  nothing  of  either ;  so  far  therefore  as  they  are  prin- 
cipled in  truths  and  goods  from  the  Lord's  Divine  [principle], 
so  far  they  are  wise  and  intelligent.  The  angels  themselves 
openly  confess,  that  they  have  no  wisdom  and  intelligence  from 
themselves,  and  they  are  even  indignant  if  any  one  attributes 
to  them  any  thing  of  wisdom  and  intelligence  ;  for  they  know 
and  perceive  that  this  Avould  be  to  derogate  from  the  Divine 
[principle]  that  which  is  divine,  and  to  claim  to  themselves  that 
which  is  not  their  own,  thus  to  incur  the  crime  of  spiritual  theft. 
The  angels  also  say,  that  all  their  own  proprium  is  evil  and 
false,  both  their  hereditary  proprium,  and  that  which  they  have 
contracted  by  actual  life  in  the  world  when  they  were  men  (see 
n.  4085),  and  that  what  is  evil  and  false  is  not  separated  or 


56 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


wipv  I  away  from  them,  and  that  thereby  they  are  justified; 
but  t^at  it  all  remains  with  them,  yet  that  they  are  withheld  by 
the  lord  from  the  evil  and  false,  and  are  kept  in  good  and 
truth,  see  n.  1581.  These  things  all  the  angels  confess,  nor  is 
any  o\  e  admitted  into  heaven,  unless  he  knows  and  believes 
them  ;  for  otherwise  they  cannot  be  in  the  light  of  wisdom  and 
intelligence  which  is  from  the  Lord,  and  consequently  not  in 
good  aud  truth.  Hence  also  it  may  be  known  in  what  manner 
it  is  to  be  understood,  that  heaven  is  not  pure  in  the  eyes  of 
God,  Job  xv.  15.  This  being  the  case,  to  the  intent  that  the 
Lord  might  restore  the  universal  heaven  to  celestial  order,  He 
even  admitted  into  Himself  temptations  from  the  angels,  who, 
as  far  as  they  were  in  their  own  proprium,  were  so  far  not  in 
good  aud  truth ;  these  temptations  are  the  inmost  of  all,  for 
they  act  only  upon  ends,  and  with  such  subtlety  as  to  escape  all 
observation ;  but  as  far  as  they  are  not  in  their  own  proprium, 
so  far  they  are  in  good  and  truth,  and  incapable  of  tempting. 
Moreover,  the  angels  are  continually  being  perfected  by  the 
Lord,  and  yet  cannot  by  any  means  be  perfected  to  eternity  to 
such  a  degree,  that  their  wisdom  and  intelligence  may  admit 
of  comparison  with  the  Divine  wisdom  and  intelligence  of  the 
Lord ;  for  they  are  finite,  and  the  Lord  Infinite,  and  finite  ad- 
mits of  no  comparison  with  infinite.  From  these  considerations 
then  it  may  appear,  what  is  meant  by  god,  with  whom  Jacob 
as  a  prince  contended,  and  also  why  he  was  not  willing  to  re- 
veal nis  name. 

4296.  "  Wherefore  is  this,  that  thou  dost  ask  for  my  name?" 
— That  hereby  is  signified  that  heaven  was  not  willing  to  reveal 
itself,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  just  now  said  and  shown 
above,  n.  4295. 

4297.  "  And  he  blessed  him  there." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied conjunction  with  the  Divine  celestial-spiritual  principle, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  blessing,  as  denoting  conjunc- 
tion, see  n.  3504,  3514,  3565,  3584.  That  the  conjunction  was 
with  the  Divine  celestial-spiritual  principle,  is  manifest  from 
what  precedes  concerning  Jacob,  in  that  he  was  named  Israel, 
for  by  Israel  is  represented  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  celestial- 
spiritual  principle,  see  n.  4286  ;  where  also  may  be  seen  what 
is  meant  by  the  celestial-spiritual  principle. 

4298.  Ver.  30.  "  And  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place 
Peniel." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  state  of  temptations,  ap- 
pears from  the  series  of  the  things  treated  of ;  for  in  old  times 
names  were  given  to  places  where  any  tiling  peculiar  happened, 
which  names  were  significative  of  the  event  which  happened 
there,  and  of  its  state,  see  n.  340,  2643,  3422.  To  this  place  a 
name  was  given  which  sig  lifted  a  state  of  temptations,  for  such 
a  state  is  here  described  by  Jacob's  wrestling  and  contending. 


429(5- -4299.] 


GENESIS. 


57 


Peniel,  in  the  original  tongue,  signifies  the  faces  of  God  ;  that 
to  see  the  faces  of  God  is  to  sustain  the  most  grievous  tempta- 
tions, will  be  explained  in  what  follows  immediately. 

4299.  "Because  I  have  seen  God  faces  to  faces,  and  my 
soul  is  delivered." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  he  sustained 
the  most  grievous  temptations,  as  if  they  were  from  the  Divine 
[principle],  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  seeing  God, 
as  denoting  approaching  near  to  Him  by  interior  things,  that 
is,  by  goods  and  truths,  hence  denoting  presence,  see  n.  4198 ; 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  faces,  as  denoting  interior  things, 
see  n.  1999?  2434,  3527,  3573,  4066,  consequently  thoughts  and 
affections,  for  both  the  latter  and  the  former  are  interior  things, 
because  they  appertain  to  the  mind  [animus],  and  to  the  mind 
[mens],  and  manifest  themselves  in  the  face  ;  and  (3.)  from  the 
signification  of  my  soul  is  delivered,  as  denoting  to  sustain,  viz., 
the  Divine  presence.  That  by  all  these  expressions  is  signified, 
that  he  sustained  the  most  grievous  temptations,  as  if  they  were 
from  the  Divine  [principle],  can  only  appear  from  a  consideration 
of  both  the  proximate  and  remote  causes  of  temptations  ;  the 
proximate  causes  are  the  evils  and  falses  appertaining  to  man, 
which  lead  him  into  temptations,  consequently  evil  spirits  and 
genii  who  infuse  them,  see  n.  4249 ;  but  still  no  one  can  be 
tempted,  that  is,  undergo  any  spiritual  temptation,  unless  he. 
has  conscience,  for  spiritual  temptation  is  nothing  else  than  the 
torment  of  conscience  ;  consequently  none  can  be  tempted  but 
they  who  are  principled  in  celestial  and  spiritual  good,  for 
these  have  conscience,  whereas  others  have  it  not,  and  do  not 
even  know  what  conscience  is.  Conscience  is  a  new  will  and  a 
new  understanding  from  the  Lord ;  thus  it  is  the  Lord's  pres- 
ence with  man,  and  is  the  nearer,  in  proportion  as  man  is  in 
the  affection  of  good  or  truth ;  if  the  presence  of  the  Lord  is 
nearer  than  is  suitable  to  the  degree  of  the  affection  of  good 
or  truth  in  which  man  is  principled,  man  comes  into  temptation. 
The  reason  is,  because  the  evils  and  falses  which  are  with  man, 
tempered  with  the  goods  and  truths  which  are  with  him,  can- 
not endure  a  nearer  presence ;  this  may  appear  from  circum- 
stances existing  in  another  life,  viz.,  that  evil  spirits  cannot  in 
any  wise  approach  to  any  heavenly  society  without  beginning 
to  feel  anguish  and  torment ;  also  that  evil  spirits  cannot  endure 
that  angels  shoiild  look  at  them,  for  they  are  instantly  tortured 
and  fall  into  a  swoon  ;  and  also  from  this  consideration,  that 
hell  is  removed  from  heaven,  because  it  cannot  endure  heaven, 
that  is,  the  Lord's  presence  which  is  in  heaven.  Hence  it  is 
said  of  them  in  the  Word,  "  Then  shall  they  begin  to  say  to  the 
mountains,  Fall  upon  us ;  and  to  the  hills,  Conceal  us,"  Luke 
xxiii.  30  ;  and  in  another  place,  "  They  shall  say  to  the  moun- 
tains and  to  the  rocks,  Fall  upon  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face 
of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,"  Rev.  vi.  16 ;  the  misty  and 


58 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


dark  sphere  also,  which  exhales  from  the  evils  and  falses  of 
those  who  are  in  hell,  appears  like  a  mountain  or  rock,  under 
which  they  are  hidden,  see  n.  1266,  1267,  1270.  From  these 
considerations  then  it  may  he  known,  that  by  these  words,  I 
have  seen  God  faces  to  faces,  are  signified  the  most  grievous 
temptations,  as  if  they  were  from  the  Divine  [principle].  Tempt- 
ations and  torments  appear  as  if  they  were  from  the  Divine 

i principle],  because  they  exist  by  the  Divine  presence  of  the 
jord,  as  stated  above,  but  still  they  are  not  from  the  Divine 
[principle]  or  from  the  Lord,  but  from  the  evil  and  false  princi- 
ples appertaining  to  him  who  is  tempted  or  tormented.  For 
from  the  Lord  there  proceed  none  but  holy,  good,  true,  and 
merciful  principles,  which  cannot  be  endured  by  those  who  are 
in  evil  and  false  principles,  because  they  are  opposite  or  con- 
trary. Evil,  false,  and  merciless  principles  are  continually 
intending  to  violate  the  above  holy  principles,  and  so  far  as  they 
assault  them,  so  far  they  are  tormented  ;  aad  when  they  assault 
and  are  thence  tormented,  they  suppose  that  it  is  the  Divine 
[principle]  which  torments ;  this  is  what  is  meant  by  these  words, 
"  as  if  they  were  from  the  Divine  [principle]."  That  no  one  can 
see  Jehovah  face  to  face,  and  live,  was  known  to  the  ancients, 
and  hence  this  knowledge  came  down  to  the  posterity  of  Jacob  ; 
and  it  was  on  this  account  they  so  much  rejoiced  when  they  saw 
any  angel,  and  yet  lived,  as  in  the  book  of  Judges,  "  Gideon 
saw  that  it  was  the  angel  of  Jehovah,  wherefore  Gideon  said, 
Lord  Jehovih,  since  I  have  seen  the  angel  of  Jehovah  face  to 
face.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  him,  Peace  be  unto  thee  ;  be  not 
afraid,  far  thou  shalt  not  die"  vi.  22,  23.  Again  in  the  same 
book,  "  Manoah  said  unto  his  wife,  Dying  we  shall  die,  because 
we  have  seen  God,"  xiii.  22  :  and  in  Moses,  "  Jehovah  said 
unto  Moses,  Thou  canst  not  see  my  faces  y  because  a  man  shall 
not  see  me  and  live"  Exod.  xxxiii.  20.  The  reason  why  it  is 
said  of  Moses  "  that  Jehovah  spake  with  him  face  to  face" 
Exod.  xxxiii.  11  ;  and  that  "Jehovah  knew  him  face  to  face," 
Deut.  xxxiv.  10,  is,  because  He  appeared  to  him  in  a  human 
form  adapted  to  his  reception,  which  was  external,  as  an  aged 
and  bearded  man  sitting  with  him ;  as  I  have  been  instructed 
by  the  angels.  Hence  also  the  Jews  had  no  other  idea  of 
Jehovah  than  as  of  a  very  old  man  with  a  long  beard  as  white  as 
snow,  who  could  do  miracles  above  other  gods ;  but  not  that 
lie  was  most  holy,  because  they  knew  not  what  holy  was,  still 
less  could  they  in  any  wise  see  the  holy  principle  proceeding 
from  Him,  because  they  were  in  corporeal  and  terrestrial  love, 
without  a  holy  internal  principle,  see  n.  4289,  4293. 

4300.  Ver.  31.  "And  the  sun  rose  upon  him." — That 
hereby  is  signified  conjunction  of  goods,  appears  from  the  sig- 
nification of  the  sun  rising,  as  denoting  conjunction  of  goods; 
that  by  the  day-dawn  ascending  is  signified  when  conjunction 


4300,  4301.] 


GENESIS. 


59 


is  at  hand  and  begins,  may  be  seen,  n.  4283.  Hence  it  follows, 
that  the  sun  rising  denotes  conjunction  itself;  for  in  the  internal 
sense,  sun  signifies  celestial  love,  n.  1529,  1530,  2441,  2405, 
3636,  3643,  4060,  and  consequently  goods,  for  these  are  of  that 
love.  When  celestial  love  manifests  itself  with  man,  that  is, 
when  it  is  perceived,  the  sun  is  said  to  rise  upon  him  ;  for  in 
such  case  the  goods  of  that  love  are  conjoined  to  him. 

4301.  "  As  he  passed  over  Penuel." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied a  state  of  truth  in  good,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
P<  it  ml,  as  denoting  a  state  of  truth  in  good  ;  for  it  was  Jabbol 
over  which  Jacob  first  passed  when  he  entered  into  the  land  of 
Canaan,  by  which  is  signified  the  first  insinuation  of  the  affec- 
tions of  truth,  as  may  be  seen,  n.  4270,  4271.  He  now  passes 
over  Penuel,  and  hence  by  it  is  signified  a  state  of  truth  insinu- 
ated in  good.  The  conjunction  of  good  is  also  treated  of,  and 
good  is  not  good  unless  there  be  truth  in  it,  for  good  has  its 
quality  and  form  from  truth,  insomuch  that  it  cannot  be  called 
good  in  any  man  miless  truth  be  in  it ;  but  truth  receives  its 
essence  and  consequently  its  life  from  good  ;  and  this  being 
the  case,  and  the  subject  treated  of  being  the  conjunction  of 
goods,  the  state  of  truth  in  good  is  also  treated  of.  The  state 
of  truth  in  good  may  indeed  be  described,  but  still  not  appre- 
hended, except  by  those  who  have  celestial  perception  ;  others 
cannot  even  have  an  idea  of  the  conjunction  of  truth  with  good, 
because  to  them  truth  is  in  an  obscure  principle,  for  they  call 
truth  that  which  they  have  learnt  from  doctrinals,  and  good, 
that  which  is  done  according  to  such  truth.  But  they  who  have 
perception,  are  in  celestial  light  as  to  understanding,  or  intel- 
lectual sight,  and  are  affected  with  the  truths  which  are  con- 
joined to  good,  as  the  eye  or  bodily  sight  is  affected  with  the 
flowers  in  gardens  and  meadows  in  spring  time ;  and  they  who 
are  in  interior  perception,  are  affected  with  them  as  with  fra- 
grance exhaling  from  them.  Such  is  the  angelic  state  ;  where- 
fore those  angels  perceive  all  the  distinctions  and  varieties  of 
the  insinuation  and  conjunction  of  truth  in  good,  thus  indefi- 
nite things  in  comparison  with  man ;  for  man  does  not  even 
know  that  there  is  any  insinuation  and  conjunction,  and  that 
hence  he  becomes  spiritual.  '  In  order  to  give  some  notion  on 
the  subject,  it  may  be  expedient  briefly  to  say,  that  there  are  two 
principles  which  constitute  the  internal  man,  viz.,  understand- 
ing and  will ;  truths  appertain  to  the  understanding,  and  goods 
to  the  will ;  for  what  a  man  knows  and  understands  to  be  so,  he 
calls  truth,  and  what  he  performs  by  virtue  of  willing  it,  thus 
what  he  wills,  he  calls  good ;  these  two  faculties  ought  to  con- 
stitute one.  This  may  be  illustrated  by  comparison  with  the 
sight  of  the  eye,  and  with  the  pleasantness  and  delight  per- 
ceived by  it ;  when  the  eye  sees  objects,  it  perceives  a  pleasure 
and  delight  thence  according  to  the  forms,  colours,  and  conse- 


60 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


quent  beauties  in  the  whole  and  in  the  parts,  in  a  word,  accord- 
ing to  the  order  or  arrangements  into  series ;  this  pleasure  and 
delight  does  not  belong  to  the  eye,  but  to  the  mind  and  its  af- 
fection :  and  so  far  as  man  is  affected  with  those  things,  so  far 
he  sees  them,  and  retains  them  in  the  memory ;  whereas  those 
things  which  the  eye  sees  from  no  affection,  pass  away,  neither 
are  they  inserted  in  the  memory,  and  thus  are  not  conjoined  to 
it.  Hence  it  is  manifest,  both  that  objects  of  external  sight  are 
implanted  according  to  the  pleasant  and  delightful  principle  of 
the  affections,  and  that  they  are  in  that  principle ;  for  when  it 
recurs,  such  objects  will  also  recur,  in  like  manner  when  these 
objects  recur,  the  principle  also  recurs,  with  variety  according 
to  states.  The  case  is  exactly  similar  with  the  understanding, 
which  is  internal  sight ;  its  objects  are  spiritual,  and  are  called 
truths,  the  field  of  these  objects  is  the  memory,  and  the  pleas- 
antness and  delight  of  this  sight  is  good  ;  thus  it  is  in  good  that 
truths  are  inseminated  and  implanted.  Hence  it  may  in  some 
sort  appear  what  is  meant  by  the  insinuation  of  truth  into  good, 
and  by  the  conjunction  of  truth  in  good  ;  also  what  is  meant  by 
good,  which  is  here  treated  of;  on  which  subjects  the  angels 
perceive  innumerable  things  when  man  perceives  scarcely  any 
thing. 

4302.  "And  he  halted  upon  his  thigh."— That  hereby  is 
signified  that  truths  were  not  as  yet  arranged  into  that  order, 
that  all,  together  with  good,  might  enter  into  celestial  spiritual 
good,  appears  from  the  signification  of  halting,  as  denoting  to 
be  in  good,  wherein  as  yet  are  no  genuine  truths,  but  common 
truths  into  which  genuine  truths  may  be  insinuated,  and  such 
as  do  not  disagree  with  genuine  truths;  on  which  subject  we 
shall  speak  presently.  In  the  supreme  sense,  in  which  the 
Lord  is  treated  of,  by  halting  upon  the  thigh  is  signified  that 
truths  as  yet  were  not  arranged  into  that  order,  that  all,  to- 
gether with  good,  might  enter  into  celestial  spiritual  good  ; 
that  thigh  denotes  celestial  spiritual  good,  see  n.  4277,  4278. 
The  order  in  which  truths  must  be,  when  they  enter  good 
(which  here  is  celestial  spiritual  good),  cannot  be  explained  to 
the  apprehension,  for  it  must  first  be  known  what  order  is,  and 
the  nature  and  quality  of  the  order  which  truths  have  ;  then, 
what  celestial  spiritual  good  is,  and  next  how  truths  by  good 
enter  into  celestial  spiritual  good;  although  these  particulars 
should  be  described,  still  they  would  not  appear  manifest  ex- 
cept to  those  who  are  in  celestial  perception,  and  not  at  all  to 
those  who  are  in  natural  perception  alone.  For  they  who  are 
in  celestial  perception,  are  in  the  light  of  heaven  which  is  from 
the  Lord,  in  which  light  is  intelligence  and  wisdom  ;  whereas 
they  who  are  in  natural  light,  are  not  in  any  intelligence  and 
wisdom,  except  so  far  as  the  light  of  heaven  flows  into  this 
light,  and  disposes  it  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  things  of 


4302.] 


GENESIS. 


61 


heaven  may  appear  in  those  things  which  are  of  natural  light, 
as  in  a  mirror,  or  representative  image  ;  for  natural  light  pre- 
sents nothing  of  spiritual  truth  to  he  seen  without  influx  of  the 
light  of  heaven.  This  only  can  be  said  concerning  the  order  in 
which  truths  must  be  to  enter  good ;  all  truths,  like  goods, 
both  as  to  generals  and  particulars,  yea,  as  to  singulars,  are  ar 
ranged  in  heaven  in  such  order,  that  one  has  respect  to  anothei 
in  such  a  form  as  the  members,  organs,  and  viscera  of  th< 
human  body,  or  their  uses,  both  in  general  and  in  particular 
and  likewise  in  things  most  singular,  have  mutual  respect  tr 
each  other,  and  constitute  a  one.  Hence,  i.e.,  from  the  order 
in  which  truths  and  goods  are  arranged,  heaven  itself  is  called 
the  Grand  Man ;  its  very  life  is  from  the  Lord,  who  from  Him- 
self arranges  all  things  in  such  an  order  ;  and  hence  heaven  i? 
a  likeness  and  image  of  the  Lord.  When,  therefore,  truths  are 
arranged  in  an  order  like  that  which  exists  in  heaven,  they 
are  in  celestial  order,  and  can  enter  into  good ;  the  truths  and 
goods  in  every  angel  are  in  this  order,  and  also  in  every  man 
who  is  regenerated.  In  a  word,  the  order  of  heaven  is  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  truths  of  faith  in  the  goods  of  charity  towards 
our  neighbour,  and  the  arrangement  of  these  goods  in  the  good 
of  love  to  the  Lord.  To  halt  is  to  be  in  good,  in  which  as  yet 
are  no  genuine  truths,  but  still  common  (or  general)  truths  into 
which  the  former  may  be  insinuated,  and  such  as  do  not  disa- 
gree with  genuine  truths  thus  the  halt  are  they  who  are  in 
good,  but  not  in  genuine  good,  owing  to  their  ignorance  of 
truth,  as  is  the  case  with  the  Gentiles  who  live  in  imitual  char- 
ity ;  this  is  evident  from  those  passages  of  the  Word  where 
mention  is  made  in  a  good  sense  of  the  halt  and  halting,  as  in 
Isaiah,  "  The  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened,  and  the  ears  of 
the  deaf  shall  be  unstopped ;  then  the  halt  shall  leap  as  the 
hind,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  shall  sing,"  xxxv.  5,  6.  And 
in  Jeremiah,  "  Behold,  I  will  bring  them  from  the  land  of  the 
north,  and  I  will  gather  them  from  the  sides  of  the  earth, 
amongst  them  the  blind  and  the  halt,  she  that  is  with  child 
and  she  that  bringeth  forth  together,"  xxxi.  8.  And  in  Micah, 
"  In  that  day,  saith  Jehovah,  I  will  assemble  her  that  halteth, 
and  I  will  gather  her  that  is  driven  out ;  .  .  .  and  I  will  make 
her  that  halteth  a  remnant,  and  her  that  was  cast  far  off  a  strong 
nation :  and  Jehovah  shall  reign  over  them  in  Mount  Zion, 
from  henceforth,  even  for  ever,"  iv.  6,  7.  And  in  Zephaniah, 
"  In  that  time  I  will  save  her  that  halteth,  and  will  gather  to- 
gether her  that  was  driven  out,  and  will  place  them  in  praise 
and  fame,"  iii.  19.  Every  one  may  see  that  in  these  passages 
the  halt  and  he  that  halteth  do  not  denote  the  halt  and  halting, 
for  it  is  said  of  them  that  they  shall  leap,  that  they  shall  be 
gathered  together,  that  they  shall  be  placed  for  a  remnant,  and 
that  they  shall  be  saved ;  but  it  is  evident,  that  by  them  are 


62 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


signified  those  who  are  principled  in  good,  and  not  so  much  in 
truths,  as  is  the  case  with  the  well-disposed  Gentiles,  and  also 
with  like  persons  within  the  church.  Such  also  are  meant  by 
the  halt,  of  whom  the  Lord  spake  in  Luke,  "  When  thou  makest 
a  feast,  call  the  poor,  the  maimed,  the  halt,  and  the  blind;  then 
thou  shalt  be  blessed,"  xiv.  13, 14.  And  again,  "The  master  of 
the  house  .  .  .  said  to  his  servant,  Go  forth  quickly  into  the 
streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,  and  bring  in  hither  the  poor,  and 
the  maimed,  and  the  halt,  and  the  blind,"  xiv.  21.  The  ancient 
church  distinguished  its  neighbour  or  neighbours,  towards 
whom  it  was  to  exercise  works  of  charity,  into  classes,  and 
some  they  called  maimed,  some  halt,  some  blind,  and  some 
deaf,  by  which  they  understood  those  who  were  spiritually 
such  ;  as  also  they  called  some  hungry,  thirsty,  sojourners, 
naked,  sick,  prisoners  (Matt.  xxv.  33  to  36) ;  in  like  manner 
widows,  orphans,  needy,  poor,  miserable,  by  whom  they  meant 
no  others  than  those  who  were  such  as  to  truth  and  good,  and 
who  were  to  be  suitably  instructed,  led  into  the  way,  and 
thereby  provided  for  as  to  their  souls.  But  as  at  this  day  it  is 
not  charity,  but  faith,  which  constitutes  the  church,  therefore  it 
is  altogether  unknown  what  is  meant  in  the  Word  by  the  per- 
sons above  described ;  when  yet  it  must  be  obvious  to  every 
one,  that  it  is  not  meant  that  the  maimed,  the  halt,  and  the 
blind  are  to  be  invited  to  a  feast,  neither  was  it  commanded  by 
the  master  of  the  house  that  such  are  to  be  brought  in,  but  that 
they  are  understood  who  are  spiritually  such ;  also  that  in 
every  thing  which  the  Lord  spake,  there  is  a  Divine  [principle], 
and  consequently  a  celestial  and  spiritual  sense.  In  like  man- 
ner by  the  Lord's  words  in  Mark,  "  If  thy  foot  offend  thee,  cut 
it  off:  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  halt,  than  having 
two  feet  to  be  cast  into  hell-fire,  into  the  fire  unquenchable, 
ix.  45  ;  Matt,  xviii.  8 :  by  foot,  which  was  to  be  cut  off  if  it 
offended,  is  meant  the  natural  principle,  which  continually 
opposes  itself  to  the  spiritual,  and  which  was  to  be  destroyed, 
if  it  attempted  to  infringe  truths ;  and  thus,  that  by  reason  of 
the  disagreement  and  dissuasion  of  the  natural  man,  it  is  better 
to  be  in  simple  good,  although  in  negation  of  truth  ;  this  is  sig- 
nified bv  entering  halt  into  life;  that  foot  denotes  the  natural 
principle,  may  be  seen,  n.  2162,  3147,  3T61,  3986,  4280.  In  the 
Word,  by  the  halt,  are  also  signified  such  as  are  principled  in 
no  good,  and  consequently  in  no  truth,  as  in  Isaiah,  "Then  the 
spoil  shall  be  divided;  they  that  halt  shall  plunder  the  spoil," 
xxxiii.  23  :  and  in  David,  "When  I  halt,  they  are  glad,  and 
gather  together ;  the  halt  gather  together  against  me,  whom  I 
have  not  known,"  Psalm  xxxv.  15.  And  as  by  halt  such  were 
signified,  therefore  also  it  was  forbidden  to  sacrifice  any  thing 
halt,  Deut.  xv.  21,  22;  Malachi  i.  8,  13;  and  also  for  any  one 
that  was  halt  of  the  seed  of  Aaron  "  to  perform  the  office  of 


4303,  4304.] 


GENESIS. 


63 


priest,"  Levit.  xxi.  IS.  The  case  is  similar  with  the  halt  and 
with  the  blind  ;  for  in  a  good  sense  the  blind  signify  those  who 
are  in  ignorance  of  truth,  and  in  an  opposite  sense  those  who  are 
in  false  principles,  see  n.  2383.  In  the  original  tongue,  the  halt 
is  expressed  by  one  term,  and  he  that  halteth  by  another;  and 
by  halt,  in  a  proper  sense,  are  signified  they  who  are  in  natural 
good,  into  which  spiritual  truths  cannot  flow,  owing  to  natural 
appearances  and  the  fallacies  of  the  senses;  and  in  an  opposite 
sense  they  who  are  in  no  natural  good,  but  in  evil,  which  alto- 
gether hinders  the  influx  of  spiritual  truth  ;  whereas  by  one 
that  halteth,  in  a  proper  sense,  are  signified  they  who  are  in 
natural  good,  into  which  common  (or  general)  truths  are  ad- 
mitted, but  not  particular  and  singular  truths,  owing  to  their 
ignorance ;  but  in  an  opposite  sense,  they  who  are  in  evil,  and 
thus  who  do  not  even  admit  common  (or  general)  truths. 

4303.  Ver.  32.  "Therefore  the  sons  of  Israel  eat  not  the 
sinew  of  what  is  put  out,  which  is  upon  the  hollow  of  the  thigh." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  that  those  things  are  not  appropriated 
in  which  are  falses,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  eating, 
as  denoting  to  be  conjo.ined  and  appropriated,  see  n.  2187,  2343, 
3168,  3513,  3595,  3S32  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  sinew, 
as  denoting  truth,  for  truths  in  good  are  like  sinews  in  flesh, 
and  also  truths  in  a  spiritual  sense  are  sinews,  and  g^ood  is 
flesh,  see  n.  3813,  3579.  Similar  things  also  are  signified  -by 
sinews  and  flesh  in  Ezekiel,  "Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah  to 
these  bojies,  I  will  give  sinews  upon  you,  and  will  bring  flesh 
upon  you,  and  will  give  spirits  in  you.  . .  .  And  when  I  beheld, 
lo,  the  sinews  came  upon  them,  and  flesh  came  up,"  xxxvii.  5, 
6,  8.  The  new  creation  of  man,  that  is,  his  regeneration,  is 
here  spoken  of ;  but  when  truths  are  distorted,  they  no  longer 
become  truths,  but  as  they  are  distorted  to  an  opposite  prin- 
ciple, they  accede  to  falses  ;  hence  it  is,  that  by  the  sinew  of 
what  is  put  out,  is  signified  what  is  false.  That  the  hollow  of 
the  thigh  is  where  there  is  conjunction,  of  conjugial  love  with 
natural  good,  consequently  where  there  is  influx  of  spiritual 
truth  into  natural  good,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4277,  4280;  hence  it 
is  evident,  that  by  these  words,  "  Therefore  the  sons  of  Israel 
eat  not  the  sinew  of  what  is  put  out,  which  is  upon  the  hollow 
of  the  thigh,"  is  signified  that  those  things  were  not  appropri- 
ated in  which  were  falses.  The  reason  why  these  things  are 
said  of  the  sons  of  Israel,  is,  because  by  Israel  is  signified  the 
Divine  celestial  spiritual  principle,  see  n.  4286 ;  and  by  sons, 
truths,  n.  4S9,  491,  2623  ;  thus  that  truths  of  the  Divine  celestial 
spiritual  principle  did  not  appropriate  to  themselves  any  falses. 

4304.  "  Even  to  this  day." — That  hereby  is  signified  for  ever, 
that  falses  were  not  adjoined,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
the  expression,  even  to  this  day,  as  denoting,  wheresoever  it 
occurs  in  the  Word,  wlat  is  perpetual  and  eternal,  see  n.  2838. 


64 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


4305.  "Because  he  touched  in  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh 
the  sinew  of  what  was  put  out." — That  hereby  is  signified  the 
cause,  because  there  were  false  principles,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  touching  in  the  hollow  of  JacoVs  thigh,  as  here 
denoting  the  cause,  because  there  were  false  principles ;  that 
this  is  signified  by  touching  in  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh, 
appears  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4277,  4278,  4303. 

4306.  The  same  words,  which  have  been  thus  far  explained, 
treat  also  of  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  and  this  sense  is  called  the 
inferior  sense,  and  also  the  internal  historical  sense  ;  see  n.  4279, 
4288.  How  the  words  are  to  be  understood  in  this  sense,  shall 
be  now  explained. 

4307.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  Jacob  ashed 
and  said,  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  thy  name,  are  signified  evil 
spirits,  may  appear  from  several  things  in  this  sense,  in  which 
these  words,  and  what  follow  concerning  the  posterity  of  Jacob, 
are  predicated ;  for  the  internal  sense  is  always  in  application 
to  the  subject  treated  of.  That  evil  spirits,  and  not  good  ones, 
are  signified  by  him  who  wrestled  with  Jacob,  may  appear  from 
this  consideration,  that  by  wrestling  is  signified  temptation,  see 
n.  3927,  3928,  4274,  and  temptation  is  never  wrought  by  good 
spirits,  but  by  evil ;  for  temptation  is  an  excitement  of  the  evil 
and  false  appertaining  to  man,  see  n.  741,  751,  761, 1820,  4249, 
4299.  Good  spirits  and  angels  never  excite  evils  and  falses, 
but  defend  man  against  them,  and  bend  them  to  good  ;  for  good 
spirits  are  led  by  the  Lord,  and  nothing  ever  proceeds  from  the 
Lord  but  holy  good  and  holy  truth.  That  the  Lord  tempts  no 
one,  is  known  from  a  received  doctrinal  in  the  church,  see  also 
n.  1875,  2768  ;  hence,  and  also  from  this  consideration,  that  tho 
posterity  of  Jacob  }-ielded  in  every  temptation,  both  in  the 
wilderness  and  afterwards,  it  is  evident  that  evil  spirits,  and  not 
good  ones,  are  signified  by  him  who  wrestled  with  Jacob. 
Moreover,  that  nation,  which  is  here  signified  by  Jacob,  was 
not  principled  in  any  spiritual  and  celestial  love,  but  in  corpo- 
real and  worldly  love,  see  n.  4281,  4288,  4289,  4290,  4293  : 
and  the  presence  of  spirits  with  men  is  according  to  their  loves, 
good  spirits  and  angels  are  present  with  those  who  are  princi- 
pled in  spiritual  and  celestial  love,  and  evil  spirits  with  those 
who  are  principled  only  in  corporeal  and  worldly  love  ;  and 
this  in  such  a  sort,  that  every  one  may  know  the  quality  of  the 
spirits  present  with  him,  by  only  attending  to  the  quality  of  his 
loves,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  the  quality  of  the  ends  he 
regards,  for  every  one  regards  as  an  end  the  object  of  his  love. 
The  reason  why  he  called  himself  God,  was,  because  Jacob 
believed  it ;  like  his  posterity,  who  constantly  believed  that 
Jehovah  was  in  their  external  sanctity,  when  yet  Jehovah  was 
only  representatively  present,  as  will  appear  from  what  follows. 
They  believed  also  that  Jehovah  led  into  temptations,  that  all 


4305—4311.] 


GENESIS. 


65 


evil  was  from  Him,  and  that  He  was  in  anger  and  fury  when 
they  were  punished  ;  wherefore  according  to  their  belief  it  was 
so  said  in  the  Word,  when  yet  Jehovah  never  leads  into  tempta- 
tions, neither  is  any  evil  in  any  case  from  Him,  neither  is  He 
ever  in  anger,  still  less  in  fury,  see  n.  223,  245,  592,  096,  1093, 
1683,  1874,  1875,  2395,  3605,  3607,  3614;  hence  also  it  is,  that 
he  who  wrestled  with  Jacob,  was  not  willing  to  reveal  his 
name.  The  reason  why  in  the  internal  spiritual  sense,  by  him 
who  wrestled  with  Jacob,  is  meant  the  angelic  heaven,  n.  4295, 
is  because  the  Lord,  who  is  there  represented  by  Jacob  in  a 
supreme  sense,  admitted  even  the  angels  to  tempt  Him,  and 
that  the  angels  on  this  occasion  were  left  to  their  own  proprium, 
as  was  shown  in  the  above  passage. 

4308.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  he  said, 
Wherefore  is  this,  that  thou  dost  ask  for  my  name  f  is  signified 
that  they  did  not  acknowledge  it  to  be  from  evil  spirits,  appears 
from  what  was  just  now  said  above,  n.  4307. 

4309.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  he  Messed 
him  there,  is  signified  that  it  was  so  done,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  blessing  in  this  case,  as  denoting  that  they  acted 
what  was  representative*  of  the  church,  see  n.  4290,  therefore  in 
the  present  case  by  he  blessed  him  there,  is  signified  that  it  was 
so  done. 

4310.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  Jacob  called 
the  name  of  the  place  Peniel,  is  signified  a  state  that  they 
should  put  on  representations,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  calling  a  name,  as  denoting  quality,  of  Avhich  frequent  men- 
tion has  been  made  above  ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  place, 
as  denoting  state,  see  n.  2625,  2837,  3356,  3387 ;  and  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  Peniel,  as  denoting  in  this  sense  to  put 
on  representations,  for  these  are  treated  of  in  the  preceding 
pages  and  in  the  sequel.  vVhat  Peniel  signifies,  is  explained 
in  these  words,  "  Because  I  have  seen  God  faces  to  faces,  and 
my  soul  is  delivered,"  by  which  is  signified,  that  the  Lord  was 
representatively  present,  which  subject  is  presently  treated  of  in 
the  sequel ;  thus  in  the  present  case  that  they  put  on  repre- 
sentations. The  names  of  places,  as  the  names  of  persons,  and 
also  the  things  themselves,  have  not  a  like  signification  in  one 
sense  as  in  another ;  thus  in  the  case  of  Jacob  himself,  in  the 
sense  of  the  letter,  he  signifies  Jacob  himself ;  in  the  internal 
historical  sense,  he  signifies  his  posterity,  see  n.  4281 ;  in  the 
internal  spiritual  sense,  he  signifies  the  natural  man  in  the  regen- 
erate ;  but  in  the  supreme  sense,  he  signifies  the  Lord  as  to 
the  Divine  Natural  principle,  as  has  been  frequently  shown 
above.  Such  also  is  the  case  with  other  names,  and  thus  with 
Peniel. 

4311.  That  in  tne  internal  historical  sense,  by  because  I 
home  seen  God  faces  to  faces,  and  my  soul  is  delivered,  is  sig- 

v>l.  v.  5 


66 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


nified  that  He  was  representatively  present,  appeal's  from  the 
signification  of  seeing  God  faces  to  faces,  when  predicated  of 
the  state  in  which  the  posterity  of  Jacob  were,  as  denoting 
that  the  Lord  was  representatively  present ;  for  to  see  God 
faces  to  faces  in  an  external  form  and  corporeal  sight,  is  not 
to  see  Him  present,  n.  4299.  That  He  was  not  present,  as 
with  those  who  are  regenerated,  and  thence  principled  in  spir- 
itual love  and  faith,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  concerning 
that  nation,  n.  4281,  4288,  4290,  4293,  viz.,  that  they  were 
principled  in  external  worship,  and  not  at  the  same  time  in 
internal,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  that  they  were  principled 
in  corporeal  and  worldly  love,  and  not  in  spiritual  and  celestial; 
with  such  the  Lord  cannot  be  present  in  any  other  manner  than 
representatively.  It  may  be  expedient  briefly  to  show  what  is 
meant  by  being  present  representatively.  A  man  who  is  prin- 
cipled in  corporeal  and  worldly  love,  and  not  at  the  same  time 
in  spiritual  or  celestial  love,  has  none  but  evil  spirits  present 
witli  him,  even  when  he  is  in  external  sanctity;  for  good  spirits 
cannot  possibly  be  present  with  such  a  person,  because  they  in- 
stantly perceive  the  quality  of  the  man's  love,  since  there  is  a 
sphere  exhaled  from  his  interiors,  which  spirits  perceive  as  man- 
ifestly as  man  perceives  the  fetid  and  filthy  substances  which 
float  around  him  in  the  air.  That  nation,  which  is  here  treated 
of,  was  in  such  a  state  as  to  good  and  truth,  or  as  to  love  and 
faitli ;  nevertheless,  to  the  intent  that  they  might  act  as  repre- 
sentative of  a  church,  it  was  miraculously  provided  by  the  Lord, 
that  when  they  were  in  external  sanctity,  and  were  also  at  such 
times  encompassed  about  with  evil  spirits,  still  the  principle  of 
sanctity  in  which  they  were  might  be  elevated  into  heaven;  but 
this  by  good  spirits  and  angels,  not  within  them  but  without 
them,  for  within  them  there  was  nothing  but  an  empty  or  de- 
filed principle :  wherefore  communication  was  not  given  with 
the  man  himself,  but  with  the  principle  of  sanctity,  in  which 
they  were  whilst  putting  into  act  the  statutes  and  precepts, 
which  were  all  representative  of  the  spiritual  and  celestial  things 
of  the  Lord's  kingdom  ;  this  is  what  is  signified  by  the  Lord's 
being  representatively  present  with  that  nation.  But  the  Lord 
is  present  in  a  different  manner  with  those  within  the  church, 
who  are  principled  in  spiritual  love  and  thence  in  faith  ;  with 
such,  good  spirits  and  angels  are  present,  not  only  in  external 
worship,  but  at  the  same  time  in  internal  also;  wherefore  in 
their  case,  communication  of  heaven  is  granted  with  themselves, 
for  the  Lord  flows-in  through  heaven  through  their  internals  into 
their  externals;  to  these  latter  the  sanctity  of  worship  is  profit- 
able in  another  life,  but  not  to  the  former.  The  case  is  the 
same  with  priests  and  presbyters  who  preach  what  is  holy,  and 
yet  live  wickedly  and  believe  wickedly ;  with  such  also  there 
are  no  good  spirits,  but  evil,  even  whilst  they  are  engaged  in 


4311.] 


GENESIS. 


67 


worship  which  appeal's  holy  in  its  external  form;  for  it  is  self- 
iove  and  the  love  of  the  world,  or  a  love  to  secure  honours  and 
to  promote  gain,  and  thereby  reputation,  which  inflames  them, 
and  presents  an  affection  of  what  is  holy ;  sometimes  to  such  a 
degree,  that  nothing  of  pretence  is  perceptible,  and  in  such  case 
neither  is  it  credited  by  themselves,  when  yet  they  are  in  the 
midst  of  evil  spirits,  who  are  on  such  occasions  in  a  similar 
State,  and  aspire  and  inspire.  That  evil  spirits  can  be  in  such 
a  state,  and  that  they  are  so  whilst  they  are  in  externals,  and 
inflated  by  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world,  it  has  been  given 
me  to  know  from  manifold  experience,  of  which  I  shall  speak, 
by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  in  the  relations  annexed  to 
the  chapters.  Such  have  no  communication  with  heaven  in 
themselves  ;  but  they  who  hear  and  apprehend  the  words  which 
they  speak,  provided  they  are  in  a  pious  and  holy  internal  prin- 
ciple, have  communication ;  for  it  is  of  no  consequence  from 
whom  the  voice  of  good  and  truth  flows  forth,  provided  then- 
lives  be  not  manifestly  wicked,  since  this  causes  scandal.  That 
the  nation  descended  from  Jacob  was  such,  viz.,  that  it  was 
encompassed  with  evil  spirits,  and  yet  that  the  Lord  was  repre- 
sentatively present  with  them,  may  appear  from  several  pas- 
sages in  the  Word;  for  they  were  very  far  from  worshipping 
Jehovah  in  heart,  inasmuch  as  they  turned  themselves  to  other 
gods,  and  became  idolatrous,  as  soon  as  ever  miracles  ceased; 
which  was  a  manifest  proof  that  in  heart  they  worshipped  other 
gnds  and  confessed  Jehovah  with  the  mouth  alone,  and  indeed 
only  with  this  view,  that  they  might  be  the  greatest,  and  have 
pre-eminence  over  all  the  surrounding  nations.  That  this  people 
in  heart  worshipped  an  Egyptian  idol,  and  in  mouth  confessed 
Jehovah  merely  on  account  of  the  miracles,  and  that  Aaron 
himself  was  amongst  them,  is  very  evident  from  the  golden 
calf  which  Aaron  made  for  them,  and  this  within  a  month  of 
days  after  they  had  seen  such  great  miracles  on  mount  Sinai, 
besides  those  which  they  saw  in  Egypt,  concerning  which,  see 
Exod.  xxxii. ;  that  Aaron  was  also  such,  is  said  manifestly  in 
the  same  chapter,  verses  2  to  5,  and  especially  verse  35 ;  the 
same  appears  also  from  many  other  passages,  as  related  in  the 
books  of  Moses,  of  Judges,  of  Samuel,  and  of  the  Kings.  That 
they  were  principled  only  in  external  worship,  but  not  in  any 
internal,  is  evident  also  from  this  consideration,  that  they  were 
prohibited  from  coming  near  mount  Sinai,  when  the  law  was 
promulgated,  and  if  they  touched  the  mount,  that  dying  they 
were  to  die,  Exod.  xix.  11 — 13 ;  xx.  19 ;  the  reason  was,  be- 
cause their  internal  principle  was  unclean  :  again,  that  Jehovah 
"  dwelt  with  them  in  the  midst  of  their  uncleannesses,"  Levit. 
xvi.  16.  The  quality  of  that  nation  is  evident  also  from  the 
song  of  Moses,  Deut.  xxxii.  15  to  43,  and  from  several  passages 
in  the  prophets.   Hence  it  may  be  known,  that  with  that  nation 


68 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


there  was  not  any  church,  but  only  the  representative  of  a 
church  ;  and  that  the  Lord  was  present  with  it  only  representa- 
tively. See  also  what  was  adduced  above  on  this  subject,  viz., 
that  with  the  posterity  of  Jacob  there  was  the  representative 
of  a  church,  but  not  a  church,  n.  4281,  4288.  The  representa- 
tive of  a  church  was  not  amongst  them,  until  they  were  alto- 
gether vastated  as  to  a  holy  internal  principle,  and  otherwise 
they  would  have  profaned  holy  things  ;  n.  3398,  4289.  Whilst 
they  continued  in  the  observance  of  their  statutes,  they  were 
capable  of  representing,  but  not  when  they  turned  away  from 
them  ;  n.  3881.  On  this  account  they  were  held  strictly  in 
rituals,  and  were  driven  thereto  by  external  means ;  n.  3147, 
4281.  Their  worship  Avas  made  external,  without  internal,  to 
the  intent  that  they  might  act  as  the  representative  of  a  church; 
n.  4281.  On  this  account  also  the  interiors  of  a  church  were 
not  discovered  to  them ;  n.  301,  302,  303,  2520,  3398,  3479, 
3769.  They  were  such,  to  the  intent  that  they  might,  above 
all  other  nations,  be  in  an  external  holy  principle  without  an 
internal ;  n.  4293.  And  on  this  account  they  have  been  pre- 
served to  this  day  ;  n.  3479.  Their  external  holy  principle  does 
not  at  all  aflect  them  as  to  their  souls  ;  n.  3479. 

4312.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  the  sun  rose 
upon  him,  is  signified  when  they  came  into  representations,  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  the  sun  rising,  in  this  sense  in 
which  the  posterity  of  Jacob  are  treated  of,  as  denoting  when 
they  came  into  representations ;  by  the  arising  of  day-dawn 
was  signified  the  state  before  they  came  into  representatives,  see 
n.  42S9.  The  sun  is  also  said  to  rise,  with  every  one  who  be- 
comes a  church,  thus  also  who  becomes  representative  of  a  church. 

4313.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  as  he  passed 
over  Penuel,  is  signified  when  they  came  into  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan, appears  from  this  consideration,  that  Penuel  was  the  first 
station  after  Jacob  passed  the  river  Jabbok,  and  that  all  bound- 
aries were  significative  according  to  distance  and  situation,  see 
n.  1585, 1866,  4116,  4240  ;  thus  Penuel,  as  being  the  first  bound- 
ary, signifies  when  he  came  into  the  land  of  Canaan. 

4314.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  he  halted  upon 
his  thigh,  is  signified  that  goods  and  truths  were  altogether  de- 
stroyed among  that  posterity,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representa- 
tion of  Jacob,  who  in  this  case'  is  he,  as  denoting  his  posterity, 
see  n.  4281  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  halting  upon  the 
thigh,  as  denoting  tnose  who  are  principled  in  no  good,  and 
thence  in  no  truth,  see  n.  4302  ;  in  the  present  case  therefore  by 
"he  halted  upon  his  thigh,"  is  signified  that  goods  and  truths 
were  altogether  destroyed  among  that  posterity.  The  quality 
of  that  nation  appears  very  manifest  from  several  things  which 

•  the  Lord  Himself  spake  in  parables,  which  in  the  internal  his- 
torical sense  were  spoken  of  that  nation  ;  as  from  what  He  spake 


#312—4314.] 


GENESIS. 


69 


in  the  parable  concerning  a  man  a  king  who  reckoned  with  a 
servant,  who  had  no  mercy  towards  another,  Matt,  xviii.  23  to 
the  end :  in  the  parable  concerning  the  father  of  the  family, 
who  let  out  a  vineyard  to  husbandmen,  and  went  abroad,  and 
the  husbandmen  caught  the  servants  whom  he  sent,  beat  them 
with  rods,  killed,  and  stoned  them  ;  lastly  he  sent  his  son,  whom 
they  cast  out  of  the  vineyard  and  killed  ;  on  hearing  which  par- 
able, "  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  knew  that  he  spake  of  them," 
Matt.  xxi.  33  to  45  ;  Mark  xii.  1  to  9  ;  Luke  xx.  9  :  in  the  para- 
ble concerning  the  man  who  gave  talents  to  his  servants  ;  "  and 
he  who  received  one  talent  went  and  hid  it  in  the  earth,"  Matt, 
xxv.  14  to  30;  Luke  xix.  13  to  16  :  in  the  parable  concerning 
those  who  came  to  him  "  who  was  wounded  by  thieves,"  Luke 
x.  30  to  37 :  in  the  parable  concerning  those  who  were  called 
to  a  great  supper,  and  they  all  excused  themselves,  of  whom  the 
Lord  said,  "  I  say  unto  you,  That  none  of  those  men  who  were 
called  shall  taste  of  my  supper,"  Luke  xiv.  16  to  24 :  in  the 
parable  concerning  "the  rich  man  and  Lazarus,"  Luke  xvi.  19 
to  the  end ;  in  the  parable  concerning  those  who  despise  others 
in  "  comparison  with  the'mselves,"  Luke  xviii.  10  to  14  :  and  in 
the  parable  concerning  the  two  sons,  one  of  whom  said,  I  will 
go  into  the  vineyard,  but  he  went  not ;  and  Jesus  said,  "  Ver- 
ily I  say  unto  you,  That  the  publicans  and  harlots  shall  enter 
into  the  kingdom  ftf  the  heavens  before  you,"  Matt.  xxi.  28  to 
32.  The  quality  of  that  nation  is  openly  declared  by  the  Lord, 
in  Matthew,  chap,  xxiii.  13  and  following  verses,  where  at  the 
end  He  says,  "  Ye  testify  against  yourselves,  that  ye  are  the  sons 
of  those  who  killed  the  prophets,  and  ye  fill  up  the  measure  of 
your  fathers,"  verse  31  to  33  ;  and  in  Mark,  "  Jesus  said  unto 
them,  Rightly  hath  Esaias  prophesied  concerning  you, .  .  .  This 
people  honoureth  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is  altogether 
far  from  me ;  in  vain  do  they  worship  me,  teaching  doctrines 
the  commandments  of  men,  forsaking  the  commandment  of  God," 

vii.  6  to  11 ;  and  in  John,  "  The  Jews  answered  Jesus,  We  be 
Abraham's  seed,  .  .  .  but  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Ye  are  of  your 
father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  ye  will  do  :  he  was 
a  murderer  from  the  beginning,  and  abode  not  in  the  truth,  be- 
cause the  truth  is  not  in  him.  When  he  speaketh  a  lie,  he  speak- 
eth  from  his  own ;  because  he  is  a  liar,  and  the  father  of  it," 

viii.  33,  44.  Such  being  their  quality,  they  are  also  called  a 
wicked  and  adulterous  generation,  Matt.  xii.  39  ;  also  an  offspring 
of  vipers,  Matt.  iii.  7  ;  xxiii.  33  ;  Luke  iii.  7  ;  and  in  Matthew, 
"  0  generation  of  vipers,  how  can  ye  speak  good  things,  when 
ye  are  evil  ?"  xii.  34.  That  with  that  nation  there  was  not  even 
any  natural  good  remaining,  is  signified  by  the  fig-tree  of  which 
it  is  thus  written  in  Matthew,  "  Jesus  seeing  one  fig-tree  in  the 
way,  came  to  it,  but  found  nothing  on  it  but  leaves  only,  there- 
fore he  said  unto  it,  Henceforth  let  no  fruit  grow  on  thee  for  ever. 


TO 


GENESIS. 


[Chap  xxxii, 


And  presently  the  fig-tree  withered  away,"  xxi.  19  ;  that  the  fig- 
tree  denotes  natural  good,  may  he  seen  in  n.  217.  From  these 
considerations  it  may  appear,  that  goods  and  truths  were  alto- 
gether destroyed  in  that  nation.  Goods  and  truths  are  said  to  be 
destroyed,  when  there  are  none  interiorly  ;  the  goods  and  truths 
which  appear  outwardly,  derive  their  esse  and  their  principle 
of  life  from  those  which  are  internal ;  such  therefore  as  the  in- 
ternal are,  such  are  the  external,  howsoever  these  latter  appear 
before  the  eyes  of  man.  There  are  some  whom  I  knew  whilst 
they  lived  in  the  body,  and  who  then  appeared  as  though  in 
zeal  for  the  Lord,  the  church,  their  country  and  the  common  good, 
and  for  what  is  just  and  equitable,  and  yet  the  same  in  another 
life  are  amongst  internals,  and  (what  I  wondered  at)  amongst 
the  worst  of  them.  The  reason  was,  because  their  interiors  had 
been  filthy  and  profane,  and  they  had  feigned  that  zeal  with  a 
view  to  reputation,  in  order  to  acquire  honours  and  wealth,  thus 
with  a  view  to  themselves,  but  not  with  a  view  to  what  they 
professed  with  their  mouths.  Wherefore,  when  those  externals 
are  put  off,  as  is  the  case  at  death,  the  internals  are  manifested, 
and  appear  as  they  were  within,  which,  during  the  life  in  the 
body,  had  been  concealed  from  the  world.  This  is  what  is 
meant  by  goods  and  truths  being  altogether  destroyed. 

4315.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  therefore  the 
sons  of  Israel  eat  not  the  sinew  of  what  is  put  out,  which  is  tipon 
the  hollow  of  the  thigh,  is  signified  that  posterity  ought  to  know 
this,  may  appear  from  this  consideration,  that  it  was  a  memorial 
whereby  they  were  to  remember  that  such  was  their  quality ; 
thus  that  hence  they  ought  to  know  this. 

4316.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  even  to  this 
day,  is  signified  for  ever,  that  they  were  such,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  even  to  this  day,  as  denoting  for  ever,  when  the 
expression  occurs  in  the  Word,  see  n.  2838.  That  that  posterity 
was  such  from  the  earliest  times,  may  appear  from  the  sons  of 
Jacob  themselves  ;  from  Reuben,  in  that  he  lay  with  Bilhah  his 
father's  concubine,  Gen.  xxxv.  22  ;  from  Simeon  and  Levi,  in  that 

'  they  slew  Hamor  and  Shecheni,  and  all  the  men  of  their  city, 
and  the  rest  of  the  sons  came  upon  those  who  were  thrust  through, 
and  spoiled  the  city,  xxxiv.  1,  27  to  29  ;  therefore  Jacob,  at  that 
time  Israel,  before  he  died,  thus  spake  concerning  them:  con- 
cerning Reuben,  "Thou  shalt  not  excel,  because  thou  wentest 
up  to  thy  father's  bed  ;  then  thou  mad  est  thyself  unworthy  :  he 
went  up  to  my  couch,"  xlix.  3,  4;  and  concerning  Simeon  and 
Levi,  "  Let  not  my  soul  come  into  their  secret ;  in  their  assem- 
bly let  not  my  glory  be  united :  because  in  their  anger  they 
slew  a  man,  and  in  their  good  pleasure  they  unstrung  an  ox. 
Cursed  be  their  anger,  for  it  was  vehement ;  and  their  wrath, 
for  it  was  hard:  I  will  divide  them  in  Jacob,  and  scatter  them 
in  Israel,"  xlix.  5  to  7.  The  quality  of  Judah  appears  also  from 


4315—4317.] 


GENESIS. 


71 


this  consideration,  that  he  married  a  Canaanite,  Gen.  xxxviii. 
1,  2,  which  yet  was  contrary  to  the  commandment,  as  may  ap- 
pear from  the  words  of  Abraham  to  the  servant  who  was  sent 
to  engage  Rebekah  as  a  wife  for  his  son  Isaac,  Gen.  xxiv.  3,  6, 
and  from  several  passages  in  the  Word ;  that  a  third  part  of 
that  nation  was  from  this  stock,  viz.,  from  the  son  Shelah  who 
was  of  the  Canaanitish  mother,  Gen.  xxxviii.  11 ;  chap.  xlvi. 
12,  may  be  seen,  Numb.  xxvi.  20 ;  1  Cliron.  iv.  21,  22.  The 
same  is  likewise  evident  from  the  unjustifiable  deed  which  they 
and  the  rest  of  the  sons  of  Jacob  effected  against  Joseph,  Gen. 
xxxvii.  18  to  the  end.  The  quality  of  their  posterity  who  were 
in  Egypt,  is  manifest  from  the  circumstances  related  of  them 
when  they  were  in  the  wilderness,  where  they  were  so  often  re- 
bellious, and  afterwards  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  where  they  so 
often  became  idolaters.  Lastly,  their  quality  at  the  time  of  the 
Lord's  coming  has  been  shown  just  above,  n.  4314.  AVhat 
their  quality  is  at  this  day,  viz.,  in  regard  to  their  opposition  to 
the  Lord,  to  the  things  of  the  church,  and  to  charity  towards 
their  neighbour,  is  well  known.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that 
such  has  perpetually  been  the  quality  of  that  nation.  Let  not 
any  one  therefore  henceforth  suppose  that  there  was  any  church 
amongst  them,  but  only  the  representative  of  a  church ;  stih 
less  that  they  were  chosen  in  preference  to  others. 

4317.  That  in  the  internal  historical  sense,  by  because  he 
touched  in  the  hollow  of  JacoVs  thigh  the  sinew  of  what  was 
put  out,  is  signified  because  they  had  an  hereditary  principle 
which  could  not  be  eradicated  by  regeneration,  because  they 
did  not  admit  it,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  thigh,  a? 
denoting  conjugial  love,  and  hence  all  love  celestial  and  spir- 
itual, see  n.  4280;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  hollow  of 
the  thigh,  as  denoting  where  there  is  conjunction  of  conjugial 
love,  also  of  every  celestial  and  spiritual  love,  with  natural 
good,  see  n.  4277,  4280.  Hence,  to  touch  it,  or  'to  hurt  so  as  to 
occasion  halting,  is  to  destroy  the  good  which  is  of  those  loves; 
and  whereas  this  was  done  in  Jacob,  hereby  is  signified  that 
from  him  it  was  done  with  his  posterity,  thus  that  it  was  hered- 
itary. That  the  sinew  of  what  is  put  out  denotes  what  is  false, 
may  be  seen,  n.  4303,  in  the  present  case  it  denotes  the  false 
originating  in  hereditary  evil;  hence,  and  from  the  series  of  the 
things  treated  of,  it  follows  that  this  hereditary  principle  apper- 
taining to  them  could  not  be  eradicated  by  regeneration,  becauso 
they  did  not  admit  it.  That  they  had  such  an  hereditary  prin- 
ciple, and  that  they  could  not  be  regenerated,  is  very  evident 
from  all  those  things  which  are  related  of  them  in  the  Word, 
and  still  further  from  the  following  passages  in  Moses :  "  Moses 
called  all  Israel,  and  said  unto  them,  \e  have  seen  all  that 
Jehovah  hath  done  before  your  eyes  in  the  land  of  Egypt  unto 
Pharaoh,  and  unto  all  his  s-erv  mts,  and  unto  all  his  land  ;  .  .  . 


72 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


and  Jehovah  hath  not  given  you  a  heart  to  know,  and  eyes  to 
see,  and  ears  to  hear  even  unto  this  day,''''  Deut.  xxix.  2,  4. 
Again,  "  1 know  the  device  of  the  people,  which  they  do  at  this 
day,  before  I  bring  them  into  the  land  which  I  have  sworn," 
xxxi.  21.  And  again,  "  I  will  hide  my  faces  from  them,  I  will 
see  what  their  ends  shall  be;  for  they  are  a  generation  of  per- 
versities, sons  in  whom  is  no  truth.  ...  I  would  exterminate 
them,  I  would  cause  their  memory  to  cease  from  man,  unless  I 
feared  the  indignation  of  the  enemy.  .  .  .  Because  they  are  a 
nation  perishing  in  counsels,  and  there  is  no  intelligence  in 
them  ;  .  .  .  because  their  vine  is  of  the  vine  of  Sodom,  and  their 
grapes  of  the  fields  of  Gomorrah;  their  grapes  are  hemlock,  the 
clusters  are  bitter  to  them.  Their  wine  is  the  poison  of  dragons, 
and  the  cruel  head  of  asps.  Is  not  this  laid  up  in  store  with 
me,  sealed  in  my  treasures?"  xxxii.  20,  26  to  34;  and  in  other 
places  very  frequently,  especially  in  Jeremiah.  That  this  was 
signified  by  touching  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh,  and  his  halt- 
ing in  consequence  thereof,  is  plain  from  Hosea,  "  The  contro- 
versy of  Jehovah  with  Judah,  to  visit  upon  Jacob ;  according 
to  his  ways,  and  according  to  his  works  he  will  render  to  him. 
In  the  womb  he  supplanted  his  brother  ;  in  his  grief  he  con- 
tended with  God  ;  and  contended  to  the  angel,  and  prevailed ; 
he  wept  and  entreated  him,"  xii.  2  to  4 ;  where  in  the  internal 
historical  sense,  to  contend  with  God  is  to  be  urgent  that  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  church  might  be  amongst  them,  see  n.  4290, 
4293.  That  they  had  such  an  hereditary  principle  from  Jacob, 
is  evident  from  the  above  considerations,  and  if  time  permitted, 
might  be  shown  from  several  other  particulars.  In  regard  to 
what  specifically  concerns  the  hereditary  principle,  it  is  believed 
in  the  church  at  this  day,  that  all  hereditary  evil  is  derived  fr§m 
the  first  parent,  and  that  on  this  account  all  are  condemned  as 
to  that  evil :  but  this  is  not  the  case ;  hereditary  evil  derives 
its  origin  from  the  parents  of  each  individual,  and  from  the 
parents'  parents  or  grandfathers  and  great-grandfathers  suc- 
cessively ;  every  evil,  which  they  have  procured  to  themselves 
by  actual  life,  so  as  to  render  it  as  it  were  natural  by  frequent 
use  or  habit,  descends  by  derivation  into  their  children,  and 
becomes  in  them  hereditary,  together  with  that  which  was  im- 
planted in  the  parents  from  their  grandfathers  and  great-grand- 
fathers ;  hereditary  evil  from  the  father  is  interior,  and  heredi- 
tary evil  from  the  mother  is  exterior,  the  former  cannot  easily 
be  eradicated,  but  the  latter  may.  When  man  is  regenerated, 
the  hereditary  evil  which  had  been  rooted  in  by  derivation 
from  the  proximate  parents,  is  extirpated ;  but  it  remains  with 
those  who  are  not  regenerated,  or  in  a  capacity  of  being  regene- 
rated. This  then  is  hereditary  evil ;  see  also  n.  313,  494,  2122, 
2910,  3518,  3701.  This  is  also  evident  to  every  one  who  reflects, 
and  likewise  from  this  consideration,  that  every  family  has 


4317.] 


GENESIS. 


73 


some  peculiar  evil  or  good,  by  which  it  is  distinguished  from 
other  mini  lies ;  and  that  this  is  from  the  parents  and  grand- 
fathers, is  well  known.  The  case  is  similar  in  regard  to  the 
Jewish  nation  which  remains  at  this  day,  and  which,  it  is  very 
manifest,  is  distinct  and  recognizable  from  other  nations,  not 
only  by  their  peculiar  genius,  but  also  by  their  manners,  speech, 
and  countenance.  But  what  hereditary  evil  is,  is  known  to 
few  ;  it  is  believed  to  consist  in  doing  evil,  but  it  consists  in 
willing  and  thence  thinking  evil,  hereditary  evil  being  in  the 
will  itself  and  thence  in  the  thought,  and  being  the  very  ten- 
dency (or  endeavour)  which  is  therein,  and  which  adjoins  itself 
when  man  does  good.  It  is  known  by  the  delight  which  arises 
when  evil  befalls  another;  and  that  root  lies  deeply  hid,  for  the 
very  interior  form  receptive  of  good  and  truth  from  heaven,  or 
through  heaven  from  the  Lord,  is  depraved,  and  if  I  may  use 
the  expression,  distorted,  so  that  when  good  and  truth  flows-in 
from  the  Lord,  it  is  either  reflected,  perverted,  or  suffocated. 
Hence  it  is  that  no  perception  of  good  and  truth  is  at  this  day 
given,  but  instead  thereof  the  regenerate  possess  conscience, 
which  acknowledges  that  which  is  learnt  from  parents  and 
masters,  as  good  and  true.  It  is  a  property  of  hereditary  evil 
to  love  itself  in  preference  to  another,  to  will  evil  to  another 
if  he  does  not  receive  honour  from  him,  to  perceive  delight  in 
revenge,  also  to  love  the  world  more  than  heaven ;  with  all  the 
lusts  or  evil  affections  springing  from  those  causes.  Man  is 
ignorant  that  such  things  are  in  it,  and  still  more  that  such 
things  are  opposite  to  heavenly  affections  ;  nevertheless,  in  an- 
other life  it  is  manifestly  shown  how  much  of  hereditary  evil 
every  one  has  attracted  to  himself  by  actual  life,  also  how 
much  he  has  removed  himself  from  heaven  by  the  evil  affec- 
tions thence  derived.  That  in  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  heredi- 
tary evil  could  not  be  eradicated  by  regeneration,  because  they 
did  not  admit  it,  is  evident  also  from  the  historicals  of  the 
Word,  for  they  fell  in  all  the  temptations  in  the  wilderness,  as 
recorded  in  Moses ;  and  also  afterwards  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
as  often  as  they  did  not  see  any  miracles ;  and  yet  those  tempt- 
ations were  external,  but  not  internal  or  spiritual.  As  to  spir- 
itual things,  they  could  not  be  tempted,  because  they  knew  not 
internal  truths,  neither  had  they  internal  goods,  as  has  been 
shown  above ;  and  no  one  can  be  tempted  except  as  to  those 
things  which  he  knows  and  possesses ;  temptations  are  the  very 
essential  means  of  regeneration.  This  is  what  is  signified  by 
their  not  admitting  regeneration.  Concerning  their  state  and 
lot  in  another  life,  see  n.  939,  940,  941,  3481. 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxii. 


A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  SUBJECT  CONCERNING  .THE  GRAND  MAN, 
AND  CORRESPONDENCE,  ESPECIALLY  CONCERNING  THE  CORRE- 
SPONDENCE WITH  THE  SENSES  IN  GENERAL. 

4318.  OF  intelligence  proper  to  the  angels,  the  chief  is  to 
know  and  perceive  that  all  life  is  from  the  Lord,  also  that  the 
universal  heaven  corresponds  to  His  Divine  Human  \jprinciple\ 
and  consequently  that  all  angels,  spirits,  and  men  correspond  to 
heaven  ;  likewise  to  know  and  perceive  the  quality  of  such  cor- 
respondence. These  are  the  principles  of  intelligence  in  which 
angels  are  superior  to  men  ;  hence  they  know  and  perceive  innu- 
merable things  which  are  in  the  heavens,  and  hence  also  those 
which  are  in  the  world  ;  for  the  tlmigs  which  exist  in  the  ivorld, 
and  its  nature,  are  causes  and  effects  from  the  former  as  princi- 
ples ;  for  universal  nature  is  a  theatre  representative  of  the 
Lord's  kingdom. 

4319.  It  has  been  shown  by  much  experience,  that  both  a  man 
and,  a  spirit,  and  also  an  angel,  does  not  think,  speak,  or  act 
any  thing  from  himself,  but  from  others  ;  nor  these  others  from 
themselves,  but  again  from  others,  and  so  forth  f  and  thus  all 
and  each  from  the  first  [source  or  principle^  of  life,  that  is, 
from  the  Lord,  how  entirely  soever  it  appears  as  from  them- 
selves. This  has  been  frequently  shoivn  to  spirits,  icho  in  the 
life  of  the  body  believed,  and  confirmed  themselves  in  the  belief, 
that  all  tilings  were  in  tltemselves,  or  that  they  think,  speak,  and 
act  from  themselves  and  their  own  soul,  in  which  life  appears 
ingrafted.  It  teas  also  shown  by  living  experiences  (such  as  are 
given  in  the  other  life,  but  cannot  be  given  in  the  world),  that 
the  wicked  think,  will,  and  act  from  hell,  and  the  good  from 
heaven,  that  is,  through  heaven  from  the  Lord  ;  and  that  still 
both  evils  and  goods  appear  to  be  as  from  themselves.  This  is 
known  to  Christians  from  the  doctrinal  tenet  which  they  derive 
from  the  Word,  that  evils  are  from  the  devil,  and  goods  from 
the  Lord,  but  there  are  few  who  believe  it ;  and  because  they  do 
not  believe,  they  appropriate  to  themselves  the  evils  which  they 
think,  will,  and,  act,  but  the  goods  are  not  appropriated  to  them; 

,  for  they  who  believe  goods  to  be  from  themselves,  claim  and  at- 
tribute them  to  themselves,  and  thus  place  merit  in  them.  It  is 
known  also  from  a  doctrinal  tenet  in  the  church,  that  no  one  can 
do  any  thing  good  from  himself,  insomuch  that  lohatsoever  is 
from  self  and  his  own,  proprium,  is  evil,  howsoever  it  may  ap- 
pear as  good;  but  this  also  few  believe,  notwithstanding  it  is 
true*  The  wicked  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  the  opinion 
that  they  live  from  themselves,  consequently  that  whatsoever  they 
think,  will,  and  act,  is  from  themselves,  when  it  was  shown  them 
that  the  case  is  exactly  according  to  their  doctrinal  tenet,  have 
said  that  now  they  believe;  but  it  was  told  them,  that  to  know  is 


4318—4321.] 


GENESIS. 


75 


not  to  believe,  and  that  to  believe  is  ah  internal  thing,  and  that 
this  cannot  be  given  except  in  the  affection  of  good  and  truth, 
consequently  to  none  but  such  as  are  principled  in  the  good  of 
charity  towards  their  neighbour.  As  these  spirits  were  evil, 
they  insisted  that  they  now  believed,  because  they  saw  ;  but  ex- 
amination was  made  by  an  experience  common  in  the  other  life, 
viz.,  their  being  inspected  by  the  angels,  and  when  they  werb 
inspected,  the  upper  part  of  their  head  appeared  withdrawn, 
and  the  brain  rough,  hairy,  and  darkish;  whereby  it  was  mani- 
fest what  is  the  inward  quality  of  those  who  have  only  scientific 
faith,  not  true  faith,  and  that  to  know  is  not  to  believe.  For 
with  such  as  knoio  and  believe,  the  head  appears  like  a  human 
head,  and  the  brain  ordinate,  snow-white,  and  lucid,  for  heav- 
enly light  is  received  by  them;  but  with  such  as  only  know,  and 
suppose  they  thence  believe,  and  yet  do  not  believe,  because  they 
live  in  evil,  heavenly  light  is  not  received,  consequently  neither 
are  the  intelligence  and  wisdom  which  are  in  that  light  received; 
wherefore  when  they  approach  near  angelic  societies,  that  is,  to 
heavenly  light,  it  is  changed  with  them  into  darkness  ;  hence  it 
is  that  their  brain  appeared  darkish. 

4320.  The  reason  why  the  life,  which  is  from  the  Lord  alone, 
appears  with  every  one  as  if  it  was  in  himself,  is  from  the  love 
or  mercy  of  the  Lord  toxoards  the  universal  human  race,  in  that 
LLe  is  willing  to  appropriate  to  every  one  what  is  His  own,  and 
to  give  to  every  one  eternal  happiness.  That  love  appropriates 
to  another  what  is  its  own,  is  a  known  thing,  for  it  presents 
itself  in  another,  and  makes  itself  2>resent  in  him  ;  how  much 
more  the  Divine  love  !  Ln  regard  to  the  wicked  receiving  the 
life  which  is  from  the  Lord,  the  case  is  the  same  as  with  worldly 
objects,  which  all  receive  light  from  the  sun,  and  thence  colours, 
but  according  to  their  forms  ;  objects  which  suffocate  the  light, 
and  pervert  it,  appear  of  a  black  or  filthy  colour,  but  still  they 
have  their  blackness  anal filthiness from  the  sun's  light;  so  it  is 
with  the  light  or  life  from  the  Lord  with  the  wicked  ;  but  such 
life  is  not  life,  but  spiritual  death,  as  it  is  called. 

4321.  Although  these  things  appear  paradoxical  andincvedi- 
ble  to  man,  still  they  are  not  to  be  denied,  because  experience 
itself  dictates  the  same.  Lf  all  things  whose  causes  are  not 
known  %oere  to  be  denied,  inmimerable  things  would  be  denied 
which  exist  in  nature,  the  causes  whereof  are  known  scarcely  as 
to  a  thousandth  part ;  for  so  many  and  so  great  arcana  are  con- 
tained therein,  that  what  a  man  knows  is  scarcely  any  thing  in 
respect  to  what  he  does  not  know:  how  much  more  is  this  the 
case  in  regard  to  the  arcana  existing  in  the  sphere  which  is 
above  nature,  that  is,  in  the  spiritual  world  !  As  for  instance, 
in  regard  to  these  arcana,  that  there  is  only  one  life,  and  that 
all  live  by  virtue  of  it,  each  differently  from  another  ;  that  even 
the  wicked  live  from  the  same  life,  and  also  the  hells  ;  and  that 


76 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


the  life,  which  flows-in,  acts  according  to  reception  ;  that  heaven 
is  arranged  in  such  order  by  the  Lord  that  it  resembles  a  man, 
whence  it  is  called  the  Grand  Man,  and  that  hence  every  single 
thing  appertaining  to  man  corresponds  thereto ;  that  man,  with- 
out influx  thence  into  every  single  thing  appertaining  to  It/'m, 
cannot  subsist  even  for  a  moment;  that  all  in  the  Grand  Man 
keep  their  situation  constant,  according  to  the  quality  and  state 
of  truth  and  good  in  which  they  are  principled  ;  that  situation 
tn  this  case  is  not  situation,  but  state,  and  hence  that  they  con- 
stantly appear  to  the  left  who  are  to  the  left,  to  the  right  who  are 
to  the  right,  in  front  who  are  in  front,  backward  who  are  to  the 
back,  at  the  plane  of  the  head,  of  the  breast,  of  the  back,  of  the 
loins,  of  the  feet,  above  the  head,  and  beneath  the  soles  of  the  feet, 
directly  and  obliquely,  at  a  lesser  or  greater  distance,  who  are 
there,  howsoever  and  to  whatsoever  quarter  the  spirit  turns  him- 
self about  ;  that  the  Lord  as  a  sun  constantly  appears  to  the 
right,  at  a  middle  altitude  there,  a  little  above  the  plane  of  the 
right  eye,  and  that  all  things  have  relation  there  to  the  Lord  as 
a  sun  and  a  centre,  thus  to  their  only  [source  or  principle], 
from  which  they  exist  and  subsist;  and  inasmuch  as  cdl  appear 
before  the  Lord  constantly  in  their  own  situation,  according  to 
their  states  of  good  and  truth,  therefore  they  appear  in  like 
manner  to  each  other,  because  the  LoroVs  life,  consequently  the 
Lord,  is  in  all  who  are  in  heaven;  not  to  mention  innumerable 
other  arcana. 

4322.  Who  does  not  believe  at  this  day,  that  man  exists  nat- 
urally from  the  seed  and  the  egg,  and  that  in  the  seed  there  is  a 
virtue  from  the  first  creation  of 'producing  itself into  such  forms, 
first  loithin  the  egg,  next  in  the  womb,  and  afterwards  of  itself, 
and  that  it  is  not  the  Divine  power  which  causes  further  pro- 
duction? This  belief  is  entertained,  because  no  one  knows  that 
there  is  any  influx  from  heaven,  that  is,  through  heaven  from 
the  Lord,  and  this  because  they  are  not  willing  to  know  that 
there  is  any  heaven  ;  for  the  learned  openly  debate  one  amongst 
another  in  their  closets,  whether  there  be  a  hell,  thus  whether 
there  be  a  heaven  ;  and  since  they  doubt  concerning  heaven, 
therefore  also  they  cannot  receive  it  as  a  principle  that  there  is 
an  influx  through  heaven  from  the  Lord;  which  influx  never- 
theless produces  all  things  in  the  three  kingdoms  of  the  earth, 
especially  in  the  animal  kingdom  ,  and  specifically  in  man,  and 
contains  them  in  forms  according  to  their  uses.  ILence  neither 
can  they  7cnow  that  there  is  any  correspondence  between  heaven 
and  man ;  still  less  that  it  is  such,  that  eve?xy  thing,  yea,  each 
single  particular,  exists  thence  with  man  ;  and  as  they  exist 
thence,  that  also  they  subsist  thence,  for  subsistence  is  perpetual 
existence,  consequently  presei'vation  in  connection  aiid  form  is 
perpetual  creation. 

4323.  That  there  is  a  correspondence  of  every  thing  in  man 


4322—4326.] 


GENESIS. 


77 


with  heaven,  I  have  already  endeavoured  to  show  at  the  close  of 
the  preceding  chapters,  and  this  from  living  experience  from  the 
world  of  spirits  and  from  heaven,  to  the  end  that  man  may 
know  whence  he  exists  and  whence  he  subsists,  and  that  hence 
there  is  a  continual  influx  into  him.  Henceforth  in  like  manner 
it  shall  be  shown  from  experience,  that  man  rejects  the  influx 
from  heaven,  that  is,  through  heaven  from  the  Lord,  and  ac- 
cepts the  influx  from  hell ;  but  that  still  he  is  continually  kept 
in  correspondence  with  heaven  by  the  Lord,  to  the  intent  that  he 
may,  if  he  chooses  it,  be  led  from  hell  to  heaven,  and  through 
heaven  to  the  Lord. 

4324.  At  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapters,  we  have  already 
treated  oft/ie  correspondence  of  the  heart  and  lungs,  and  also  of 
the  brain,  with  the  Grand  Man;  we  shall  now,  in  accordance 
with  our  plan,  treat  of  the  correspondence  with  the  external  sen- 
so?'ies,  vis.,  with  the  sensory  of  seeing  or  the  eye,  of  hearing  or 
the  ear,  of  smelling,  tasting,  and  touching  ;  but  first  concerning 
correspondence  with  sense  in  general. 

4325.  Sense  in  general,  or  general  sense,  is  distinguished  into 
voluntary  and  involuntary  ;  voluntary  sense  is  proper  to  the 
cerebrum,  but  involuntary  sense  is  proper  to  the  cerebellum.  Ln 
man,  these  two  general  senses  are  conjoined,  but  still  distinct  y 
the  fibres  which  issue  forth  from  the  cerebrum  exhibit  in  general 
the  voluntary  sense,  and  the  fibres  from  the  cerebellum  the  invol- 
untary sense  /  the  fibres  of  this  double  origin  conjoin  themselves 
in  the  two  appendixes  which  are  called  the  medulla  oblongata 
and  the  medulla  spinalis,  and  pass  through  them  into  the  body, 
and  form  together  its  members,  viscera,  and  organs.  The  parts 
which  surround  the  body,  as  the  muscles  and  skin,  and  also  the 
organs  of  the  senses,  receive  for  the  most  part  fibres  from  the 
cerebrum  ;  hence  man  has  sense,  and  hence  motion  according  tc 
his  will  f  but  the  parts  which  are  within  that  enclosure,  and  are 
called  the  viscera  of  the  body,  receive  fibres  from  the  cerebellum ; 
hence  man  has  no  sense  thereof,  neither  are  those  parts  lender  the 
disposal  of  the  will.  From  these  considerations  it  may  in  some 
degree  appear,  what  sense  in  general  is,  or  the  general  voluntary 
sense,  and  the  general  involuntary  sense.  Lt  is  moreover  to  be 
observed,  that  there  miist  needs  be  a  general  principle  in  order 
thai  there  may  be  any  particular  principle,  and  that  the  partic- 
ular cannot  possibly  exist  and  subsist  without  the  general,  and 
indeed  that  %t  subsists  in  the  general;  and  that  every  particular 
is  circumstanced  according  to  the  quality  and  state  of  t/ie  gen- 
eral j  this  is  the  case  also  with  sense  appertaining  to  man,  and 
likewise  with  motion. 

4326.  There  was  heard  a  noise  as  of  soft  and  gentle  thunder,* 

*  The  word  thunder  appears  to  be  applied  by  the  author  in  this  passage,  not 
as  denoting  the  loudness  of  the  noise,  but  as  denoting  the  rolling  or  rumbling 
manner  in  which  it  was  exoresa^i. 


78 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


which  flowed  down  from  on  high  above  the  occiput,  and  con- 
tinued about  the  whole  region  thereof;  I  wondered  who  they 
were  ;  it  teas  told  me,  that  they  were  those  toho  had  relation  to 
the  general  involuntary  sense,  and  it  was  further  told  me  that 
they  could  well  perceive  a  man's  thoughts,  but  are  not  willing  to 
expound  and  utter  them;  like  the  cerebellum,  which  perceives 
all  that  the  cerebrum  does,  but  does  not  publish  it.  When  their 
operation  ceased,  ivhich  was  manifest  in  all  the  province  of  the 
occiput,  it  was  shown  how  far  it  extended  itself  ;  it  was  first 
determined  to  the  whole  face,  afterwards  it  drew  itself  towards 
the  left  part  of  the  face,  and  lastly  towards  the  ear  in  that  part; 
by  %ohich  circumstances  was  signified  the  quality  of  the  opera- 
tion of  the  general  involuntary  sense  from  the  earliest  times 
with  men  on  this  earth,  and  how  it  advanced.  The  influx 
from  the  cerebellum  insinuates  itself  chiefly  into  the  face,  as 
is  manifest  from  this  consideration,  that  the  mind  [animus]  is 
inscribed  on  the  face,  and  the  affections  appear  in  it,  and  fre- 
quently without  mail's  will,  as  in  the  case  of  fear,  awe,  shame, 
various  hinds  of  joy  and  of  sorrow,  besides  many  other  affec- 
tions, which  are  thereby  made  known  to  another  person,  so  that 
he  discovers  from  the  face  xohat  affections  and  changes  of  the 
soid  and  mind  take  2>lace  ;  these  proceed  from  the  cerebellum 
by  means  of  its  fibres,  lohen  there  is  nothing  of  simulation  toith- 
in.  Thus  it  xoas  shown  that  the  general  sense  in  the  earliest 
times,  or  with  the  most  ancient  pieople,  occupied  the  v)hole  face, 
and  that  successively  after  those  times  it  occupied  only  the  left 
part  thereof,  and  finally  after  these  latter  times  it  spread  itself 
out  of  the  face,  so  that  at  this  day  there  is  scarcely  any  general 
involuntary  sense  remaining  in  the  face.  The  right  part  of 
the  face  with  the  right  eye  corresponds  to  the  affection  of  good, 
but  the  left  to  the  affection  of  truth;  the  region  where  tJie  ear  is, 
corresponds  to  obedience  alone  without  affection.  Tor  with  the 
most  ancient  people,  whose  age  icas  called  the  golden  age,  because 
they  lived  in  a  certain  state  of 'integrity \  in  love  to  the  Lord,  and 
in  mutual  love,  like  the  angels,  all  the  involuntary  principle  of 
the  cerebellum  icas  manifested  in  the  face  ;  and  at  that  time 
they  knew  not  hoio  to  exhibit  any  other  thing  in  the  countenance, 
than  as  heaven  fioioed  into  the  involuntary  tendencies,  and 
thence  into  the  will.  But  with  the  ancients,  whose  age  was 
called  the  silver  age,  because  they  were  in  a  state  of  truth,  and 
thence  in  charity  towards  their  neighbour,  the  involuntary  j^'in- 
ciple  of  the  cerebellum  icas  not  manifested  in  the  right  side  of 
the  face,  but  only  in  the  left;  whereas  with  their  posterity, 
whose  tb  te  was  called  the  iron  age,  because  they  lived  not  in  the 
affection  of  truth,  but  in  the  obedience  of  truth,  the  involuntary 
principle  was  no  longer  manifested  in  the  face,  but  betook  itself 
to  the  region  about  the  left  ear.  I  have  been  instructed,  that  the 
fibres  of  the  cerebellum  have  thus  changed  their  efflux  into  the 


4327,  4328.] 


GENESIS. 


79 


face,  and  that  instead  thereof  fibres  from  the  cerebrum  have 
been  translated  thither,  which,  in  such  case  bear  rule  over  those 
xohich  are  from  the  cerebellum,  and  this  from  an  endeavour  to 
form  the  features  of  the  face  according  to  the  disposal  of  man's 
own  proper  will,  which  is  from  the  cerebrum,  it  does  not  ap- 
pear to  man  that  these  things  are  so,  but  it  is  very  manifest  to 
the  angels  from  the  influx  of  heaven  and  from  correspondence. 

4327.  Involuntary  general  sense  at  this  day  is  such  with 
those  who  are  principled  in  the  good  and  truth  of  faith  ;  but 
with  those  who  are  principled  in  evil,  and  thence  in  false,  there 
is  no  longer  any  involuntary  general  sense  which  manifests 
itself,  either  in  the  face,  or  in  the  speech,  or  in  the  gesture,  but 
there  is  a  voluntary  principle  xohich  assumes  the  semblance  of 
the  involuntary,  or  natural,  as  it  is  called,  which  they  have 
made  such  by  frequent  use  or  habit  from  infancy.  The  nature 
and  quality  of  this  sense  with  such  persons  xoas  shown  by  influx, 
xohich  xvas  tacit  and  cold,  into  the  xohole  face,  both  into  the  right 
side  thereof  and  into  the  left,  and  thence  determining  itself 
toioards  the  eyes,  and  f com  the  left  eye  extending  itself  into  the 
face  ;  whereby  was  signified,  that  the  fibres  of  the  cerebrum  have 
intruded  themselves,  and  bear  ride  over  the  fibres  of  the  cerebel- 
lum, and  that  hence  a  counterfeit,  j^tended,  lying,  and  deceit- 
fxd  principle  inwardly  reigns,  and  outwardly  appears  sincere 
and  good :  its  being  determined  towards  the  left  eye,  arid  thence 
also  into  the  face,  signified  that  they  regard  evil  as  an  end,  and 
xise  the  intellectual  part  to  obtain  their  end,  for  the  left  eye  sig- 
nifies the  intellect  ual  principle.  These  at  this  day  are  they  who 
for  the  most  part  constitute  the  general  involuntary  sense,  who 
yet  in  old  time  were  the  most  celestial  of  all,  but  at  this  day  th  y 
are  the  most  wicked  of  all,  and  this  principally  from  the  Chris- 
tian world.  Their  numbers  are  great,  and  they  appear  beneath 
the  occiput  and  at  the  back,  where  they  have  been  frequently  seen 
and  perceived  by  me.  For  they  who  have  relation  to  that  sense 
at  this  day,  are  such  as  think  deceitfidly  and  contrive  evils 
against  their  neighbour,  and  put  on  a  friendly  countenance,  yea, 
most  friendly,  and  also  like  gestures,  and  discourse  with  sweet- 
ness as  if  endowed  with  a  greater  measure  of  charity  than 
others,  when  yet  they  are  the  most  bitter  enemies,  not  only  of 
him  with  whom  they  hold  commerce,  but  also  of  mankind. 
Their  thoughts  were  communicated  to  me,  which  xoere  wicked 
and  abominable,  full  of  cruelty  and  butchery. 

4328.  It  was  also  shown  me  how  the  case  is  in  general  xvith 
the  voluntary  and  intellectual  principles  :  the  most  ancient  peo- 
ple, who  constituted  the  lord's  celestial  church  {concerning 
whom  see  n.  L114  to  1123),  had  a  voluntary  principle  in  which 
was  good,  and  an  intellectual  principle  in  which  was  truth 
thence  derived,  which  two  principles  with  them  made  one',  but 
the  ancients,  who  formed  the  Lord's  spiritual  church,  had  the 


80 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


volun  tary  principle  utterly  destroyed,  out  the  intellectual  prin- 
ciple entire,  in  which  the  Lord  by  regeneration  formed  a  new 
voluntary  principle,  and  thereby  also  a  new  in  tellectual  princi- 
ple, see  n.  863,  S75,  895,  927,  928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555,  2256. 
Mow  the  case  had  been  in  respect  to  the  good  of  the  celestial 
church,  teas  shown  by  a  pillar  descending  out  of  heaven,  which 
was  of  an  azure  colour,  on  its  right  side  teas  a  lucidity  like  the 
flaming  lucidity  of  the  sun:  hereby  was  represented  their  first 
state,  by  the  azure  colour  their  voluntary  good,  and  by  the  flam- 
ing lucidity  their  intellectual  good.  And  afterwards  the  azure 
blue  of  the  pillar  passed  into  an  obscure  flaming  principle, 
vjhereby  was  represented  their  second  state,  and  that  their  two 
lives,  viz.,  of  will  and  of  understanding,  still  acted  in  unity, 
but  more  obscurely  as  to  good  from  the  will ;  for  blue  signifies 
good,  and  flaming  lucidity  truth  derived  from  good.  Presently 
the  pUla/r  became  altogether  black,  and  around  it  there  was  a 
lucidity,  which  was  variegated  by  something  whitish,  and  pre- 
sented colours,  whereby  was  signified  the  state  of  the  spiritual 
church  ;  the  black  pillar  signified  that  the  voluntary  principle 
was  altogether  destroyed,  being  nothing  but  evil ;  the  lucidity 
variegated  by  something  whitish  signified  the  intellectual  prin- 
ciple in  which  teas  a  new  voluntary  jrrinciple  from  the  Lord; 
for  in  heaven  the  intellectual  principle  is  represented  by  l/uoiar 
ity. 

4329.  Certain  spirits  came  to  some  degree  of  height,  and 
from  the  noise  they  made  they  seemed  to  be  numerous,  and  it 
appeared  from  the  ideas  of  their  thought  and  discourse  which 
were  derived  to  me,  as  if  they  were  in  no  distinct  idea,  but  in 
the  common  (or  general)  idea  of  many.  Hence  I  conceived  that 
nothing  distinct  could  be  perceived  by  them,  but  only  some  gen- 
eral indistinct  principle,  and  thus  obscure,  for  I  was  in  the 
opinion  that  a  general  principle  must  necessarily  be  an  obscure 
one ;  that  their  thought  was  general  (or  common),  that  is,  of 
several  things  together,  I  could  manifestly  perceive  from  those 
things  which  fio wed  thence  into  my  own  thought.  But  there 
was  given  to  them  an  intermediate  spirit,  by  means  of  whom 
they  discoursed  with  me,  for  such  a  general  principle  could  not 
fall  into  discourse  except  by  means  of others  /  ana  when  I  dis- 
coursed with  them  by  the  intermediate,  I  said,  as  I  had  con- 
ceived, that  general  principles  cannot  present  a  distinct  idea  of 
any  thing,  but  only  an  obscure  one,  so  that  it  is  as  it  were  no 
idea :  but  after  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  they  showed  that  they  had 
a  distinct  idea  of  general  principles,  and  of  several  things  in  gen- 
eral principles,  especially  by  this  circumstance,  that  they  observed 
accurately  and  distinctly  all  the  variations  and  changes  of  my 
thoughts  and  affections  with  every  particular  therein,  so  that  no 
other  spirits  could  excel  them  in  such  observation.  Hence  I  was 
enabled  to  conclude,  that  an  obscure  general  idea,  in  which  they 


4329,  4330.] 


GENESIS. 


81 


am  principled  who  have  little  knowledge,  and  are  thence  in  ob- 
scurity on  all  subjects,  is  one  thing  f  and  that  a  clear  general 
idea,  in  which  they  are  principled  who  are  instructed  in  truths 
and  goods,  which  are  insinuated  in  their  order  and  series  into  a 
general  principle,  and  are  thus  arranged  in  wrier,  so  that  from 
the  general  principle  they  may  be  seen  distinctly,  is  another 
thing.  These  are  they  who  in  the  other  life  constitute  common 
(or  general)  voluntary  sense,  and  who  by  knowledges  of  good 
and  truth  have  acquired  to  themselves  the  faculty  of  seeing 
things  intuitively  from  a  general  principle,  and  thence  contem- 
plate things  at  large,  and  discuss  a  point  instantly  whether  it 
be  so  or  not:  they  indeed  see  things  as  in  obscurity,  because  from 
the  general  principle  they  see  what  is  contained  therein,  but  as 
the  things  are  distinctly  arranged  in  the  general  principle,  there- 
fore they  still  see  them  in  clearness;  this  common  voluntary 
sense  belongs  only  to  the  wise.  Their  nature  and  quality  was 
also  discovered  from  this  circumstance,  that  they  viewed  all  and 
every  thing  in  me  which  had  relation  to  conclusion,  from  which 
they  concluded  so  dexterously  concerning  the  interior  of  my 
thoughts  and  affections,  that  I  began  to  be  afraid  of  thinking 
any  thing  more,  for  they  discovered  things  which  I  did  not 
know  appertained  to  me,  and  yet  from,  the  conclusions  made 
from  them  I  could  not  but  acknowledge  them.  Hence  in  dis- 
coursing with  them,  I  perceived  in  myself  a  torpor,  which  when 
observed  appeared  as  somewhat  'tairy,  with  something  therein 
speaking  mutely,  and  it  was  said  that  thereby  was  signified  the 
general  sensitive  corporeal  principle  corresponding  to  them.  On 
the  folloioing  day  I  again  discoursed  with  them,  and  again  expe- 
rienced that  they  had  a  general  perception,  not  obscure  but  clear  ; 
and  that  as  the  general  principles  and  their  states  varied,  so  the 
particulars  and  their  states  also  varied,  because  the  latter  had 
relation  in  order  and  series  to  the  former.  It  was  said  that 
general  (or  common)  voluntary  senses  of  still  higher  perfection 
are  given  in  the  interior  sphere  of  heaven,  and  that  when  the 
angels  are  in  a  general  or  universal  idea,  they  are  at  the  same 
time  in  singulars,  which  are  distinctly  arranged  in  the  univer- 
sal by  the  Lord  ;  also  that  a  general  principle  and  a  universal 
principle  are  not  any  thin  g,  unless  there  be  in  them  particulars 
and  singulars,  from  xohich  they  subsist  and  are  so  called,  and 
that  they  so  far  subsist,  in  proportion  as  particulars  and  singu- 
lars are  in  them  ;  and  that  hence  it  is  manifest  that  the  lord's 
universal  Providence^  without  the  most  singular  providences 
which  are  in  it,  and  from  which  it  exists,  is  altogether  nothing  / 
and  that  it  is  stupid  to  insist  upon  the  existence  of  any  thing 
universal  as  appertaining  to  the  Divine  ^principle  an  being], 
and  thence  to  take  away  the  singulars. 

4330.  Inasmuch  as  the  three  heavens  together  constitute  the 
Ghrand  Man,  and  all  the  members^  viscera,  and  organs  of  the 
vol.  v.  fi 


82 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxii. 


body,  according  to  their  functions  and  uses,  correspond  to  that 
Man,  as  was  said  above,  therefore  not  only  those  things  which 
are  external  and  perceptible  to  the  sight  correspond  thereto,  but 
also  those  things  which  are  internal  and  not  apparent  to  the  sight, 
consequently  both  those  things  which  are  of  the  external  man, 
and  those  which  are  of  the  internal  man.  The  societies  of  spir- 
its and  angels,  to  which  the  things  of  the  external  man  corre- 
spond, are  in  a  great  part  from  this  earth  •  but  those  to  which 
the  things  of  the  internal  man  correspond,  are  for  the  most  part 
from  other  earths  y  those  societies  in  the  heavens  act  in  unity, 
like  the  external  and  internal  man  with  the  regenerate.  Never- 
theless, few  at  this  day  come  from  this  earth  into  another  life, 
with  whom  the  external  man  acts  in  unity  with  the  internal / 
for  the  generality  are  sensual,  insomuch  that  there  are  few  who 
believe  any  other  than  that  the  external  of  man  is  the  all  of  man, 
and  when  this  is  put  off,  as  is  the  case  at  death,  that  there  is 
scarcely  any  thing  remaining  which  lives;  still  less  that  the  in- 
ternal is  that  which  lives  in  the  external,  and  when  this  latter  is 
put  off,  the  former  lives  in  an  especial  manner.  It  was  shown 
by  living  experience  how  all  such  are  against  the  internal  man  ; 
there  were  severed  spirits  from  this  earth,  who,  during  their 
life  in  the  world,  had  been  of  this  sort :  there  came  into  their 
view  the  spirits  who  have  relation  to  the  internal  sensual  man, 
and  instantly  the  former  began  to  infest  these  latter,  almost  as 
the  irrational  invest  those  who  are  rational,  by  speaking  and 
reasoning  continually  from  the  fallacies  of  the  senses,  from  the 
illusions  thence  derived,  and  from  mere  hypotheses,  believing 
nothing  but  what  coidd  be  confirmed  by  external  sensual  things, 
and  moreover  treating  the  internal  man  icith  contumely.  But 
they  who  had  relation  to  the  internal  sensual  man,  made  no 
account  of  such  things,  being  surprised  not  only  at  their  insan- 
ity, but  also  at  their  stupidity ;  and  {\ohich  is  wonderf  ul)  when 
the  external  sensual  spirits  approached  near  the  internal  sen- 
sual, and  came  almost  into  the  sphere  of  their  thoughts,  they 
began  to  respire  with  difficulty  {for  spirits  and  angels  respire 
alike  as  men,  but  their  respiration  is  respectively  internal,  see 
n.  388-t,  3885,  3893),  thus  to  be  nearly  suffocated;  wherefore 
they  retired,  and  the  further  they  removed  themselves  from  the 
internal  sensual  spirits,  they  came  into  a  state  of  greater  tran- 
quillity and  quiet,  as  they  respired  more  easily ;  and  on  again 
approaching  nearer,  their  state  was  more  restless  and  unquiet. 
The  reason  was,  because  when  external  sensual  spirits  are  in 
their  fallacies,  phantasies,  and  hypotheses,  and  thence  in  false 
principles,  they  have  tranquillity  ;  bid  on  the  other  hand,  when 
such  things  are  taken  away  from  them,  as  is  the  case  when  the 
vntcrnal  man  flows-in  with  the  light  of  truth,  they  are  in  a  state 
of  intranquillity  j  for  spheres  of  thoughts  and  affections  are 
given  in  another  life,  and  are  communicated  mutually  accord- 


4331—4333.]  GENESIS.  83 

ing  to  presence  and  near  approach,  see  n.  1048, 1053, 1316, 1504 
to  1512,  1695,  2401,  24S9.  This  conflict  continued  for  some 
hours  /  and  hereby  it  was  shown  how  the  men  of  this  earth  at 
this  day  are  in  contrariety  to  the  internal  man,  and  that  the 
exit  rnal  sensual  principle  constitutes  almost  all  that  appertains 
to  them. 

4331.  A  continuation  of  the  subject  concerning  the  Grand 
Man,  and  correspondence,  will  be  given  at  the  end  of  the  fol- 
lowing chapter,  where  correspondence  with  the  senses  in  par- 
ticular will  be  treated  of. 


GENESIS. 

CHAPTEE  THE  THIETY-THIED. 


4332.  AS  a  preface  to  the  preceding  chapter,  an  explanation 
was  given  of  the  predictions  of  the  Lord  in  Matthew,  xxiv.  32 
to  35,  concerning  His  coming ;  by  which  (as  has  been  already 
shown,  both  there  and  in  many  other  places)  is  meant  the  last 
time  of  the  former  church,  and  the  first  of  the  new  church. 
The  last  time  or  end  of  the  former  church,  and  the  first  time 
or  beginning  of  the  new  church,  have  been  heretofore  treated 
of,  see  the  prefaces  to  chap,  xxxi.,  n.  4056  to  4060,  and  to  chap, 
xxxii.,  n.  4229  to  4231.  We  now  proceed  to  explain  the  follow- 
ing words  in  the  same  chapter  of  that  evangelist,  from  verse  36 
to  42 :  But  concerning  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  one,  not 
even  the  angels  of  the  heavens,  but  my  Father  alone.  But  as  the 
days  of  Noah,  so  shall  be  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man.  For 
as  they  were  in  the  days  before  the  flood,  eating  and  drinking, 
marrying  and  giving  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noah 
entered  into  the  ark,  and  \new  not  until  the  flood  came,  and 
took  th  em  all  away  /  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man 
be.  Then  shall  two*  be  in  the  field  ;  one  shall  be  taken,  and 
one  shall  be  left.  Two  shall  bo  grinding  in  the  mill/  one  shall 
be  taken,  and  one  shall  be  left. 

4333.  What  is  signified  by  the  above  words  in  the  internal 
sense,  will  appear  from  the  following  explanation,  viz.,  that 

*  It  may  be  expedient  to  inform  the  unlearned  reader,  that,  in  the  original,  the 
term  two,  here  applied  to  those  who  are  in  the  field,  is  in  the  masculine  gender,  as 
denoting  the  male  of  the  human  species;  whereas  the  term  two,  when  applied  to 
those  who  are  at  the  mill,  is  in  the  feminine  gender,  denoting  the  female  of  the 
species.   The  reason  of  the  distinction  of  gender  is  obvious  from  the  internal  sensa 


84 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


they  contain  a  description  of  the  quality  of  state  which  will 
then  take  place,  when  the  old  church  is  rejected,  and  the  new 
established.  That  the  rejection  of  the  old  church  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  new  is  what  is  meant  by  the  consummation  of 
the  age,  and  by  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  in  general 
by  the  last  judgment,  has  been  abundantly  shown  above;  also 
that  that  last  judgment  has  occasionally  taken  place  in  this 
earth,  viz. :  Flustly,  when  the  celestial  church  of  the  Lord, 
which  was  the  most  ancient,  perished  in  the  antediluvians, 
by  an  inundation  of  evils  and  falses,  which  in  the  internal 
sense  is  the  flood.  Secondly,  when  the  spiritual  church,  which 
was  after  the  flood,  and  is  called  the  ancient,  being  spread 
through  a  great  part  of  the  Asiatic  world,  ceased  of  itself. 
Thirdly,  when  the  representative  of  the  church  amongst  the 
posterity  of  Jacob  was  destroyed  ;  as  was  the  case  when  the 
ten  tribes  were  led  away  into  perpetual  captivity,  and  scat- 
tered amongst  the  Gentiles  ;  and  finally,  when  Jerusalem  was 
destroyed,  and  the  Jews  were  also  dispersed.  As  in  this  case 
the  consummation  of  the  age  was  after  the  Lord's  coming, 
therefore  also  several  things,  which  were  said  by  the  Lord  in 
the  Evangelists,  are  also  applicable  to  that  nation,  and  are  like- 
wise so  applied  by  several  at  this  day;  nevertheless  the  subject 
specifically  and  especially  treated  of  in  those  sayings  of  the 
Lord  is  concerning  the  consummation  of  the  age  which  is  now 
at  hand,  viz.,  concerning  the  end  of  the  Christian  church,  which 
is  also  treated  of  in  the  Apocalypse  ;  this  will  be  the  fourth 
last  judgment  in  this  earth.  AVhat  the  words  involve,  which 
are  contained  in  verses  36  to  42  quoted  above,  will  appear  from 
their  internal  sense,  which  is  as  follows. 

4334.  But  concerning  that  day  and  hour  hioiceth  no  one, 
signifies  that  the  state  of  the  church  at  that  time  as  to  goods 
and  truths,  would  not  appear  to  any  one  either  on  earth  or  in 
heaven ;  for  by  day  and  hoar  in  this  passage  is  not  meant  day 
and  hour,  or  time,  but  state  as  to  good  and  truth.  That  times 
in  the  Word  signify  states,  may  be  seen  in  n.  2625,  2788,  2S37, 
3254,  3356,  and  that  davs  also  signify  states,  was  shown  in  n. 
23,  487,  488,  493,  .893,  2788,  3462,  3785;  hence  also  hour  signi- 
fies the  same,  but  state  in  species  ;*  the  reason  why  it  denotes 
state  as  to  good  and  truth,  is,  because  the  church  is  the  subject 
treated  of,  for  good  and  truth  constitute  the  church.  Not 
even  the  angels  in  the  heavens,  bid  my  Father  alone,  signifies 
that  heaven  does  not  know  the  state  of  the  church  as  to  good 
and  truth  in  species,  but  the  Lord  alone,  and  also  when  that 

*  By  state  in  species  is  here  meant  the  state  of  goods  nn  J  truths  in  their  species 
as  distinct  from  goods  and  truths  in  their  patera  ;  according  to  the  arrangement, 
which  the  author  frequently  points  out  in  his  theological  writings,  of  goods  ami 
truths  into  genera  and  species.  For  a  fuller  elucidation  of  this  arrangement,  sea 
the  term  genus,  in  the  glossary  prefixed  to  the  English  translation  of  the  Treatise 
on  Conjuyial  Love. 


4334.] 


GENESIS. 


85 


state  of  the  church  will  come  to  pass :  that  it  is  the  Lord  Him- 
self who  is  meant  by  the  Father,  may  be  seen  in  n.  15,  1729, 
2004,  2005,  3690;  and  that  Divine  Good  in  the  Lord  is  what 
is  named  Father,  and  Divine  Truth  derived  from  Divine  Good 
what  is  named  Son,  n.  2803,  3703,  3704,  3736.  They  therefore 
who  believe  that  the  Father  is  one,  and  the  Son  another,  and 
who  distinguish  them,  do  not  understand  the  Scriptures.  But 
as  they  were  in  the  days  before  the  flood,  signifiesthe  state  of 
vastation  of  those  who  are  of  the  church,  which  is  compared 
with  the  state  of  vastation  of  the  first  or  most  ancient  church, 
the  consummation  of  whose  age,  or  last  judgment,  is  described 
in  the  Word  by  a  flood  ;  that  by  flood  is  signified  an  inundation 
of  evils  and  falses,  and  thence  the  consummation  of  that  age, 
may  be  seen  in  n.  310,  660,  662,  705,  739,  790,  805,  1120 ;  that 
days  are  states,  may  be  seen  above.  Eating  and  drinking,  mar- 
rying and  giving  in  marriage,  signifies  their  state  as  to  the  ap- 
propriation of  evil  and  false,  and  thence  conjunction  therewith; 
that  to  eat  is  the  appropriation  of  good,  and  to  drink  the  appro- 
priation of  truth,  may  be  seen  in  n.  3168,  3513,  3596,  thus  in 
an  opposite  sense  the  appropriation  of  evil  and  false  ;  that  to 
marry  is  conjunction  with  evil,  and  to  give  in  marriage  con- 
junction with  false,  may  appear  from  what  was  said  and  shown 
concerning  marriage  and  conjugial  love,  in  n.  686,  2173,  2618, 
2728,  2729,  2737,  2738,  2739;  2803,  3132,  3155,  viz.,  that  in  the 
internal  sense  it  is  conjunction  of  good  and  truth,  but  here  in 
an  opposite  sense  it  is  the  conjunction  of  evil  and  false.  What- 
soever the  Lord  spake,  inasmuch  as  it  is  divine,  is  not  such  in 
the  internal  sense  as  it  is  in  the  letter ;  thus  to  eat  and  to  drink 
in  the  holy  supper,  does  not  in  the  spiritual  sense  signify  to 
eat  and  to  drink,  but  to  appropriate  the  good  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  Love,  n.  2165,  2177,  2187,  2343,  2359,  3464,  3478, 
3735,  4211,  4217 ;  and  as  the  conjugial  [principle],  when  pre- 
dicated of  the  church  and  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  is  the  con- 
junction of  the  good  of  love  with  the  truth  of  faith,  therefore 
from  that  conjunction  the  Lord's  kingdom  in  the  Word  is  called 
the  celestial  marriage.  Until  the  day  that  Noah  entered  into 
the  ark,  signifies  the  end  of  the  former  church,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  new ;  for  by  Noah  is  signified  the  ancient  church  in 
general,  which  succeeded  the  most  ancient  after  the  flood,  n. 
773,  and  elsewhere ;  and  by  the  ark  is  signified  the  church 
itself,  n.  639.  Day,  which  is  occasionally  mentioned  in  these 
verses,  signifies  state,  as  was  shown  just  above.  And  knew  not 
until  the  flood  came,  and  took  them  all  away,  signifies  that  the 
men  of  the  church  at  that  time  will  not  know  that  they  are  in- 
undated with  evils  and  falses,  because  of  the  evils  and  falses  in 
which  they  are  principled;  they  will  not  know  what  the  good 
of  love  to  the  Lord  is,  and  the  good  of  charity  towards  their 
neighbour,  nor  what  the  truth  of  faith  is,  and  that  this  latter  is 


86 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


from  the  former,  and  can  only  be  given  to  those  who  live  in 
that  love  and  in  that  charity  ;  they  will  likewise  not  know  that 
the  internal  is  that  which  saves  and  damns,  but  not  the  external 
separate  from  the  internal.  So  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son 
of  Mem  be,  signifies  that  they  will  not  receive  Divine  Truth  ; 
that  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  is  the  Divine  Truth  which 
will  then  be  revealed,  was  said  above  at  verses  27  and  30,  and 
in  n.  2803,  2813,  3704,  also  3001,  3005,  3006,  3008,  3009.  Then 
two  shall  be  in  the  field  /  one  shall  be  taken,  and  one  shall  be  left, 
signifies  those  within  the  church  who  are  principled  in  good, 
and  those  within  the  church  who  are  principled  in  evil,  that  the 
former  will  be  saved,  and  the  latter  will  be  damned  ;  that,//-  Id 
denotes  the  church  as  to  good,  may  be  seen  in  n.  2971,  3196, 
3310,  3317,  3766.  Two  shall  be  grinding  in  the  mill;  one  shall 
be  taken,  and  one  shall  be  left,  signifies  that  those  within  the 
church  who  are  principled  in  truth  (that  is,  in  the  affection 
thereof  from  good)  shall  be  saved,  and  that  those  within  the 
church  who  are  principled  in  truth  (that  is,  in  the  affection 
thereof  from  evil)  will  be  damned  :  that  grinding  and  mill 
have  such  a  signification  in  the  Word,  will  appear  from  what 
now  follows.  From  these  considerations  then  it  is  evident,  that 
by  the  above  words  is  described  what  would  be  the  state  as  to 
good  and  truth  within  the  church,  when  it  is  rejected,  and  a 
new  one  adopted, 

4335.  That  grinders,  in  the  Word,  are  they  who  within  the 
church  are  principled  in  truth  from  the  affection  of  good,  and 
in  an  opposite  sense,  who  within  the  church  are  principled  in 
truth  from  the  affection  of  evil,  may  appear  from  the  following 
passages :  "  Come  down,  and  sit  in  the  dust,  O  virgin  daughter 
of  Babel ;  sit  on  the  earth,  not  a  throne,  O  daughter  of  the 
Chaldeans:  .  .  .  take  a  mill,  and  grind  fine  flour ;  uncover  thy 
locks,  make  bare  the  foot,  uncover  the  thigh,  pass  over  the 
rivers,"  Isaiah  xlvii.  1,  2;  where  the  daughter  of  Babel  denotes 
those  with  whom  external  things  appear  holy  and  good,  but 
interior  things  are  profane  and  evil,  n.  1182,  1326 ;  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  Chaldeans  denotes  those  with  whom  external  things 
appear  holy  and  true,  but  interior  things  are  profane  and  false, 
n.  1368, 1816;  to  take  a  mill  and  to  grind  fine  flour,  denotes  to 
bring  forth  doctrinals  from  truths  which  men  pervert,  for  as 
fine  flour  is  procured  from  wheat  and  barley,  it  signifies  truths 
derived  from  good,  but  in  an  opposite  sense,  truths  which  men 
pervert  to  seduce.  So  in  Jeremiah,  "  I  will  destroy  from  them 
the  voice  of  mirth  and  the  voice  of  gladness,  the  voice  of  the 
bridegroom  and  the  voice  of  the  bride,  the  voice  of  the  mills, 
and  the  light  of  the  candle ;  and  this  whole  land  shall  be  a 
waste  and  desolation,"  xxv.  10,  11  :  and  in  John,  "  Every  arti- 
ficer of  every  art  shall  not  be  found  in  Babylon  any  longer ;  .  .  . 
every  voice  of  the  mill  shall  be  heard  no  more  therein,  and  the 


1335.] 


GENESIS. 


87 


light  of  a  candle  shall  shine  no  more  therein,  and  the  voice  of 
the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride  shall  be  heard  no  more  there- 
in," Rev.  xviii.  22,  23 ;  by  the  voice  of  the  mill  being  no  more 
heard  in  Babylon,  is  denoted  that  there  should  be  no  truth  ; 
and  by  the  light  of  a  candle  not  shining,  is  denoted  that  neither 
should  there  be  any  intelligence  of  truth.  So  in  the  Lamenta- 
tions, "They  have  ravished  the  women  in  Zion,  the  virgins  in 
the  cities  of  Judah ;  princes  were  hanged  up  by  their  hand,  the 
faces  of  the  old  men  were  not  honoured ;  the  youths  were  led 
air, i if  to  grind,  and  the  boys  fall  under  the  wood,"  v.  11 — 14. 
Youths  led  away  to  grind,  denotes  to  bring  forth  falses,  by  ap- 
plying truths,  and  thereby  persuading.  So  in  Moses,  "  Every 
first-born  in  the  land  of  Egypt  shall  die,  from  the  first-born  of 
Pharaoh  sitting  upon  his  throne,  to  the  first-born  of  the  maid- 
servant who  is  behind  the  mills"  Exod.  xi.  5  ;  the  first-born  of 
Egypt  denote  the  truths  of  faith  separated  from  the  goods  of 
chanty,  which  truths  become  falses,  n.  3325 ;  the  first-born 
of  the  maid-servant  who  is  behind  the  mills,  denotes  the  affec- 
tion of  such  truth,  whence  come  falses ;  these  things  were  rep- 
resented by  those  historicals.  Again,  "He  shall  not  take  to 
pledge  mills  and  the  millstone,  because  they  are  the  soul  of  him 
who  giveth  the  pledge,"  Dent.  xxiv.  6 ;  this  law  was  enacted 
on  this  account,  because  by  mills  were  signified  doctrinals, 
and  by  millstone  the  truths  of  doctrinals,  which  are  what  are 
called  the  soul  of  him  who  giveth  the  pledge:  it  is  evident  that 
without  a  spiritual  signification  of  mills  and  millstone,  the 
above  law  would  not  have  been  given ;  neither  would  it  have 
been  said  that  it  was  his  soul.  That  grinding  derives  its  signi- 
fication from  the  representatives  which  exist  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  has  been  shown  to  me;  for  there  were  seen  in 'that 
world  they  who  as  it  were  ground,  without  an  end  of  use, 
merely  for  the  sake  of  their  own  pleasure ;  and  whereas  truths 
in  such  case  are  without  their  affection  from  good,  they  appear 
indeed  as  truths  in  the  external  form,  but  as  they  have  no  in- 
ternal principle  in  them,  they  are  phantasms ;  and  if  the  inter- 
nal principle  be  evil,  they  are  applied  to  confirm  evil,  and  thus 
by  application  to  evil  are  made  falses. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

1.  AND  Jacob  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw,  and  lo !  Esau 
came,  and  with  him  four  hundred  men.  And  he  divided  the 
children  unto  Leah,  and  unto  Rachel,  and  unto  the  two  hand- 
maids. 


ss 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii 


2.  And  he  placed  the  handmaids  and  their  children  fore- 
most, and  Leah  and  her  children  after,  and  Rachel  and  Joseph 
hindermost. 

3.  And  he  himself  passed  over  before  them,  and  bowed  him- 
self to  the  earth  seven  times,  nntil  he  came  near  his  brother. 

4.  And  Esan  ran  to  meet  him,  and  embraced  him,  and  fell 
upon  his  neck,  and  kissed  him :  and  they  wept. 

5.  And  he  lifted  np  his  eves,  and  saw  the  women  and  the 
bhildrer.j  and  said,  Who  are  those  to  thee?  And  he  said,  The 
child*  en  which  God  hath  graciously  bestowed  on  thy  servant. 

6.  And  the  handmaidens  came  near,  they  and  their  chil- 
dren, and  bowed  themselves. 

7.  And  Leah  also  and  her  children  came  near,  and  bowed 
themselves  ;  and  afterwards  came  Joseph  and  Rachel  near,* 
and  bowed  themselves. 

8.  And  he  said,  What  are  all  those  camps  to  thee  which  I 
met  ?    And  he  said,  To  find  grace  in  the  eyes  of  my  lord. 

9.  And  Esau  said,  I  have  much,  my  brother,  be  that  to  thee 
which  is  thine. 

10.  And  Jacob  said,  Nay,  I  pray  thee,  if  now  I  have  found 
grace  in  thine  eyes,  receive  my  present  from  my  hand ;  for 
therefore  I  have  seen  thy  faces,  as  though  I  had  seen  the  faces 
of  God,  and  thou  hast  accepted  me. 

11.  Receive,  I  pray  thee,  my  blessing,  which  is  brought  to 
thee ;  because  Goo  hath  graciously  bestowed  upon  me,  and  be- 
cause I  have  all  things.    And  he  urged  him,  and  he  took  it. 

12.  And  he  said,  Let  us  take  our  journey,  and  let  us  go, 
and  I  will  go  near  thee. 

13.  And  he  said  unto  him,  My  lord  knoweth  that  the  chil 
dren  are  tender,  and  the  flocks  and  herds  giving  suck,  with  me; 
and  if  they  should  drive  them  on  in  one  day,  all  the  flocks  will 
die. 

14.  Let  my  lord.  I  pray  thee,  pass  over  before  his  servant ; 
and  I  will  proceed  slowly  to  the  foot  of  the  work  which  is  before 
me,  and  to  the  foot  of  the  children,  until  I  come  unto  my  lord, 
in  Seir. 

15.  And  Esau  said,  Let  me  set,  I  pray,  with  thee  of  the 
people  who  are  with  me.  And  he  said,  Why  this?  let  me  find 
grace  in  the  eyes  of  my  lord. 

16.  And  Esau  returned  in  that  day  on  his  way  unto  Seir. 

17.  And  Jacob  journeyed  to  Snccoth,  and  built  himself  a 
house,  and  made  booths  for  his  cattle  :  therefore  he  called  the 
name  of  the  place  Snccoth. 

18.  And  Jacob  came  to  Shalem,  a  city  of  Shechem,  which 
is  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  in  coming  thither  from  Padan-aram  ; 
and  he  pitched  his  camp  at  the  faces  of  the  city. 

*  It  is  to  be  noted,  that  in  the  original,  the  expression  ccmc  near  is  in  the  siu 
gular  number. 


4336,  4337.] 


GENESIS. 


89 


19.  And  lie  bought  a  portion  of  a  field,  where  he  had 
stretched  his  tent,  from  the  hand  of  the  sons  of  Ilamor  the 
father  of  Shechem,  for  a  hundred  pieces  of  money  (kesithoe). 

20.  And  he  set  there  an  altar,  and  called  it  El  Elohe  Israel. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

4336.  THE  subject  here  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense  is 
the  conjunction  of  Divine  natural  good,  which  is  Esau,  with  the 
good  of  truth,  which  is  Jacob  ;  thus  concerning  the  submission 
of  this  latter,  and  insinuation  into  Divine  natural  good.  The 
process  by  which  it  is  effected,  is  described.  The  subject  lastly 
treated  of  is  the  acquisition  of  interior  truths. 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

4337.  IN  the  preceding  chapters,  where  Jacob  is  treated  of, 
the  acquisition  of  truth  in  the  natural  principle  was  treated 
of,  which  acquisition  is  effected  to  the  intent  it  may  be  con- 
joined to  good,  for  all  truth  is  for  the  sake  of  this  end;  in  the 
internal  sense,  Jacob  is  that  truth,  and  Esau  is  the  good  to 
wdiich  the  truth  is  to  be  conjoined.  Before  conjunction  is  effect- 
ed, truth  appears  to  be  in  the  first  place,  but  after  conjunction 
good  is  actually  in  the  first  place,  see  n.  3539,  3548,  3556,  3563, 
3570,  3576,  3603,  3701,  3995;  this  also  is  what  is  signified  by 
the  prophetic  declaration  of  Isaac  to  Esau,  "By  thy  sword  shalt 
thou  live,  and  shalt  serve  thy  brother ;  and  it  shall  come  to 
pass  when  thou  shalt  have  dominion,  that  thou  shalt  break  his 
yoke  from  off  thy  neck,"  Gen.  xxvii.  40 ;  the  subject  here  now 
treated  of  is  concerning  that  state ;  hence  it  is,  that  Jacob  calls 
Esau  his  lord,  and  himself  a  servant,  in  this  chapter,  verses  5, 
8,  13,  14.  It  is  to  be  noted,  that  Jacob  here  represents  the 
good  of  truth,  but  the  good  of  truth  viewed  in  itself  is  only 
truth  ;  for  so  long  as  truth  is  in  the  memory  alone,  it  is  called 
truth ;  but  when  in  the  will  and  thence  in  the  act,  it  is  called 
the  good  of  truth  ;  for  to  do  truth  is  nothing  else.  "Whatsoever 
proceeds  from  the  will  is  called  good,  for  the  essential  of  the 
will  is  love,  and  thence  affection,  and  all  that  is  done  from  love 
and  its  affection  is  named  good.  Neither  can  truth  be  con- 
joined to  the  good  which  flows-in  through  the  internal  man, 
and  is  divine  in  its  origin,  which  is  here  represented  by  Esau, 
until  truth  is  truth  in  will  and  act ;  this  is  the  good  of  truth ; 


90 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii 


for  the  good  which  flows-in  through  the  internal  man,  and  is 
divine  in  its  origin,  flows  into  the  will,  and  there  meets  the 
good  of  truth  which  was  insinuated  through  the  external  man. 

4338.  Verses  1  to  3.  And  Jacob  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw, 
and  lo  !  Esau  came,  and  with  him  four  hundred  men.  And  he 
divided  the  children  unto  Leah,  and  unto  Rachel,  and  unto  the 
tvx>  handmaids.  And  he  placed  the  handmaids  and  their  chil- 
dren foremost,  and  Leah  and  her  children  after,  and  Rachel 
and  Joseph  hindermost.  And  he  himself  passed  over  before 
them,  andboioed  himself  to  the  earth  seven  times,  until  he  came 
near  his  brother.  And  Jacob  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw,  signi- 
fies perception  and  intention  of  the  good  of  truth  which  is 
Jacob:  and  lo!  Esau  came,  signifies  Divine  natural  good:  and 
with  him  four  hundred  men,  signifies  state :  and  he  divided  the 
children  unto  Leah,  signifies  the  arrangement  of  external  truths 
under  their  own  affection :  and  unto  Rachel,  signifies  the  ar- 
rangement of  interior  truths  under  their  own  affection  :  and 
unto  the  two  handmaids,  signifies  under  the  affection  of  things 
serving  the  foregoing:  and  he  placed  the  handmaids  and  their 
children  foremost,  and  Leah  and  her  children  after,  and  Rachel 
and  Joseph  hindermost,  signifies  order  from  general  principles 
in  which  are  the  rest  of  the  principles :  and  he  himself  passed 
over  before  them,  signifies  the  universal,  thus  all  principles  : 
and  he  bowed  himself  to  the  earth  seven  times,  signifies  submis- 
sion of  all  principles  :  until  he  came  near  his  brother,  signifies 
conjunction  on  the  part  of  good  from  truth,  which  is  Jacob. 

4339.  Ver.  1.  "  And  Jacob  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  perception  and  intention  of  the  good 
of  truth,  which  is  Jacob,  appears  from  the  signification  of  lift- 
ing up  the  eyes  and  seeing,  as  denoting  perception  and  inten- 
tion :  for  to  lift  up  the  eyes  is  an  external  act  corresponding  to 
elevation  of  the  mind,  which  is  an  internal  act,  consequently  to 
perception ;  hence  to  see  corresponds  to  intention.  That  Jacob 
here  represents  the  good  of  truth,  may  be  seen  just  above,  n. 


4340.  "And  lo  !  Esau  came." — That  hereby  is  signified 
Divine  natural  good,  appeal's  from  the  representation  of  Esau, 
as  denoting  Divine  good  in  the  natural  principle,  see  n.  3576. 

4341.  "  And  with  him  four  hundred  men." — That  hereby  is 


Divine  good  with  truth  in  the  natural  principle,  for  that  con- 
junction is  here  treated  of,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
four  hundred.  In  the  Word,  four  hundred  signify  the  state  and 
duration  of  temptation,  see  n.  1847,  2959,  2966 ;  and  whereas 
all  conjunction  of  good  with  truth  is  effected  by  temptations, 
therefore  it  is  a  state  of  temptations  which  is  here  meant.  That 
by  temptations,  goods  are  conjoined  to  truths,  may  be  seen  in 
n.  2272,  3318 ;  and  that  temptations  exist,  when  good  begins  to 


4337. 


signified  state,  in  the 


the  state  of  conjunction  of 


4338—4342.] 


GENESIS. 


91 


act  as  the  primary,  n.  4248,  4249  ;  also  that  the  union  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  essence  with  His  Unman  essence  was  effected 
by  temptations,  n.  1737.  The  good  itself,  which  is  to  be  con- 
joined with  truth,  is  not  tempted,  but  the  truth  ;  and  also  truth 
is  not  tempted  by  good,  but  by  falses  and  evils,  likewise  by  fal- 
lacies and  illusions,  and  the  affection  thereof,  which  adhere  to 
truths  in  the  natural  principle.  For  when  good  flows-in  (which 
is  done  by  an  internal  way,  or  through  the  internal  rational 
man),  the  ideas  of  the  natural  man  formed  from  the  fallacies  of 
the  senses  and  consequent  illusions,  do  not  endure  its  approach, 
because  they  are  discordant;  hence  come  anxieties  in  the  natu- 
ral principle,  and  temptation.  These  are  the  things  which  are 
described  in  the  internal  sense  in  this  chapter,  when,  on  the 
approach  of  Esau  with  four  hundred  men,  Jacob  came  into  fear 
and  thence  into  anxiety,  and  that  hence  he  came  into  a  state 
of  submission  and  humiliation  ;  for  their  conjunction  is  never 
effected  in  any  other  way.  Hence  it  may  appear  that  by  "  four 
hundred  men"  is  signified  a  state  of  temptations,  by  four  hun- 
dred that  state  itself,  but  by  men  the  rational  truths  which  are 
conjoined  to  good  when  it  flows  into  the  natural  principle;  that 
by  men  are  signified  intellectual  and  rational  principles,  may 
be  seen  in  n.  265,  749,  1007,  3134.  But  these  things  fall  into 
obscurity  with  man,  because,  whilst  he  lives  in  the  body,  the 
distinction  between  the  rational  and  natural  principles  is  not 
apparent ;  it  does  not  appear  at  all  to  those  who  are  not  regen- 
erated, and  but  very  little  to  those  who  are  regenerated,  for 
they  do  not  reflect  upon  it ;  yea,  neither  do  they  care  about  it, 
for  the  knowledges  of  the  interior  principles  of  man  are  almost 
obliterated,  which  yet  formerly  constituted  the  all  of  intelli- 
gence with  men  within  the  church.  These  things  neverthe- 
less may  in  some  measure  be  manifest  from  what  vas  shown 
above  concerning  the  rational  principle  and  its  influx  into  the 
natural,  viz.,  that  the  natural  principle  is  regenerated  through 
the  rational,  n.  3286,  3288  ;  and  that  the  rational  principle 
receives  truths  before  the  natural,  n.  3368,  3671.  These  truths, 
which  flow  out  of  the  rational  principle  with  good  into  \he  natu- 
ral, are  in  the  internal  sense  signified  by  the  four  hundred  men 
who  were  with  Esau. 

4342.  "And  he  divided  the  children  unto  Leah.'  -That 
hereby  is  signified  the  arrangement  of  external  truths  under 
their  own  affection,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  di- 
viding unto,  as  denoting  arrangement ;  (2.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  the  children  or  sons,  as  denoting  truths,  see  n.  489, 
491,  533,  1147,  2623,  3373  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of 
Leah,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  exterior  truth,  see  n.  3v  93, 
3819 :  hence,  in  the  present  case,  children  or  sons  are  truths  of 
exterior  affection,  consequently  external  truths.  Those  tri?  <is 
are  said  to  be  external,  which  are  called  sensual  truths,  v  ., 


92 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


which  flow-in  immediately  from  the  world  through  the  bodily 
senses ;  but  interior  truths,  which  are  signified  by  the  sons  of 
Rachel,  are  interiorly  in  the  natural  principle,  nearer  under  the 
notice  of  the  rational ;  fallacies  and  consequent  illusions  do  not 
adhere  so  much  to  these  as  to  the  sensual  truths  ;  for  in  propor- 
tion as  truths  have  more  interior  admission,  they  are  the  more 
purified  from  worldly  and  earthly  principles. 

4343.  "And  unto  Rachel."' — That  hereby  is  signified  the 
arrangement  of  interior  truths  under  their  own  affection,  ap- 
pears from  the  representation  of  Rachel,  as  denoting  the  affec- 
tion of  interior  truth,  see  n.  3758,  3782,  3793,  3819.  Hence 
in  the  present  case,  her  children  or  sons  are  interior  truths ;  see 
what  was  said  just  above,  n.  4342,  concerning  interior  truths 

4344.  "  And  unto  the  two  handmaids." — That  hereby  is 
signified  under  the  affection  of  those  things  that  serve  the  fore- 
going, appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  handmaids,  as  de- 
noting the  affections  of  sciences  and  knowledges,  see  n.  1895, 
2567,  3835,  3849  ;  and  as  denoting  means  serviceable  to  the 
conjunction  of  the  external  and  internal  man,  see  n.  3913, 
3917 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Zilpah  and  Bilhah, 
who  are  here  the  handmaids,  as  denoting  exterior  affections 
serving  for  means,  see  n.  3S49,  3931. 

4345.  Yer.  2.  "  And  he  placed  the  handmaids  and  their 
children  foremost,  and  Leah  and  her  children  after,  and  Rachel 
and  her  children  hindermost." — That  hereby  is  signified  order 
from  more  general  principles  wherein  the  rest  are  contained, 
may  appear  from  those  things  which  have  been  said  above  con- 
cerning the  signification  of  the  handmaids,  of  Leah,  of  Rachel, 
and  of  their  children;  viz.,  that  the  handmaids  are  the  affections 
of  sciences  and  of  knowledges,  that  Leah  is  the  affection  of 
exterior  truth,  and  Rachel  the  affection  of  interior  truth.  The 
affections  of  sciences  and  of  knowledges  are  the  most  external, 
for  sciences  and  knowledges  themselves  are  the  things  from 
which  and  in  which  are  truths :  the  affection  of  external  truth 
hence  follows,  and  is  more  inward,  and  the  affection  of  interior 
truth  is  still  more  inward.  The  more  external  things  are,  they 
are  in  the  same  degree  more  general ;  and  the  more  internal 
they  are,  they  are  in  the  same  degree  less  general,  and  are 
respectively  called  particulars  and  singulars.  The  case  with 
general  principles  is  this,  they  are  called  general  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  their  consisting  of  particulars,  consequently  of 
their  containing  particulars  in  them  :  general  principles  with- 
out particulars  are  not  general,  but  they  are  so  called  from 
particulars  :  the  case  herein  is  like  that  of  a  whole  and  the 
parts,  a  whole  cannot  be  called  a  whole  unless  there  are  parts, 
inasmuch  as  a  whole  consists  of  parts.  For  there  is  nothing  in 
nature  which  does  not  exist  and  subsist  from  other  things;  and 
that  which  exists  and  subsists  from  other  things  is  called  a  com- 


4343—4345.] 


GENESIS. 


93 


mon  or  general  thing  or  principle,  and  those  things  of  which  it 
consists  and  from  which  it  subsists  are  called  particulars.  Ex- 
ternal things  are  those  which  consist  of  internal,  wherefore  they 
are  respectively  general;  this  is  the  case  with  man  and  his  fac- 
ulties, the  more  external  they  are,  so  much  the  more  general 
they  are,  for  they  consist  from  interior  things,  and  these  interior 
things  from  inmost  things  in  order.  The  body  itself,  and  the 
things  appertaining  to  it,  such  as  the  external  senses  and 
actions,  are  respectively  the  most  general;  the  natural  mind, 
and  the  things  appertaining  thereunto,  are  less  general,  because 
they  are  more  internal,  and  are  called  respectively  particulars; 
but  the  rational  mind,  and  the  things  appertaining  to  it,  are 
still  more  internal,  and  are  respectively  singulars.  Ihese  things 
are  manifested  to  the  life,  when  man  puts  off  the  body  and  be- 
comes a  spirit ;  for  then  it  is  made  evident  to  him,  that  his  cor- 
poreal principles  were  no  other  than  the  most  general  of  those 
principles  which  appertain  to  his  spirit,  and  that  the  corporeal 
principles  existed  and  subsisted  from  those  which  are  of  his 
spirit,  thus  that  the  things  0/  his  spirit  were  respectively  par- 
ticulars :  and  when  the  same  spirit  becomes  an  angel,  that  is, 
when  he  is  elevated  into  heaven,  it  is  then  made  evident  to  him 
that  the  things  which  he  before  saw  and  felt  in  a  general,  thus 
in  an  obscure  principle,  he  now  sees  and  feels  in  a  particu- 
lar and  clear  principle ;  for  he  then  sees  and  feels  innumerable 
things,  which  he  had  before  seen  and  felt  as  one.  This  is  also 
evident  from  man  himself  during  his  life  in  the  world;  the  things 
which  he  sees  and  feels  in  infancy,  are  most  general,  but  the 
things  which  he  sees  and  feels  in  childhood  and  youth,  are  the 
particulars  of  those  general  things,  whereas  what  he  sees  and 
feels  in  adult  age  are  the  singulars  of  those  particulars.  For  as 
man  advances  in  age,  he  insinuates  particulars  into  the  general 
things  of  infancy,  and  next  he  insinuates  singulars  into  the  par- 
ticulars ;  for  he  successively  advances  towards  interior  things, 
and  tills  general  things  with  particulars,  and  particulars  with 
singulars.  Hence  now  it  may  appear  what  is  meant  by  order 
from  general  principles  which  contain  the  rest  in  them,  signified 
by  placing  the  handmaids  and  their  children  foremost,  Leah 
and  her  children  after,  and  Rachel  and  her  children  hindermost. 
When  man  is  regenerated,  or  what  is  the  same  thing,  when 
truths  appertaining  to  him  are  conjoined  with  good,  the  case  is 
similar  with  him,  and  this  is  the  subject  here  treated  of;  in  this 
case,  general  affections  with  their  truths,  which  are  here  the 
handmaids  and  their  children,  are  first  insinuated  into  good ; 
next,  the  less  general  principles,  that  is,  the  particulars  respec- 
tively, which  are  here  Leah  and  her  children ;  lastly,  the  still 
less  general  principles,  that  is,  the  singulars  respectively,  which 
are  here  Rachel  and  Joseph;  for  man  then  passes  in  like  man 


94 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii 


ner  as  it  were  through  ages,  first  being  in  infancy,  next  attain- 
ing to  childhood  and  youth,  and  lastly  to  adult  age. 

4346.  Ver.  3.  "  And  he  himself  passed  over  before  them." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  the  universal,  thus  all  principles, 
appears  from  the  representation  of  Jacob,  who  is  here  called  he 
himself,  as  denoting  the  good  of  truth,  that  is,  truth  in  will 
and  act,  see  n.  4337.  The  good  of  truth  is  the  universal  of  all 
principles ;  for  the  general,  particular,  and  singular  things, 
spoken  of  just  above,  belong  to  it,  because  they  are  in  it. 

4347.  "  And  bowed  himself  to  the  earth  seven  times." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  submission  of  all  principles,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  bowing  himself  to  the  earth,  as  denoting 
the  effect  of  humiliation  (concerning  which,  see  n.  2153),  con- 
sequently submission ;  the  highest  degree  of  submission  is  sig- 
nified by  seven  times,  and  the  submission  of*  all  principles  by 
Jacob  bowing  himself,  for  Jacob  represents  the  universal  of  all 
principles,  as  was  said  just  above,  n.  4346.  Few  know  why 
humiliation  and  submission  must  be  made  before  the  Divine 
principle  or  being,  when  man  is  in  worship,  hence  also  neither 
do  they  know  what  it  effects.  They  who  are  not  principled  in 
the  knowledge  of  interior  things,  cannot  believe  otherwise  than 
that  the  Divine  Being  wills  the  humiliation  and  submission  of 
man,  like  a  man  who  is  in  the  desire  of  glory,  consequently 
that  the  Divine  Being  hence  Avills  glory,  and  is  affected  with 
the  glory  which  man  attributes  to  Him :  but  the  case  is  alto- 
gether otherwise;  the  Divine  Being  is  not  in  any  affection  of 

flory,  for  what  glory  can  the  Divine  derive  from  man?  But 
le  wills  humiliation  and  submission,  not  on  His  own,  but  on 
man's  account;  for  when  man  is  in  humiliation,  he  is  turned 
away  from  the  evil  and  false  in  himself  (see  n.  2327,  2423, 
3994),  and  thereby  removes  those  principles;  and  when  this  is 
effected,  the  Divine  can  flow-in  with  good  and  truth.  Every 
one  may  know  this  in  himself;  he  who  is  of  a  haughty  mind, 
is  in  self-love,  and  not  only  prefers  himself  before  others,  but 
even  has  no  regard  to  the  Divine  Being,  consequently  he  re- 
jects the  influx  of  good,  and  thence  its  conjunction  with  truths; 
this  is  the  genuine  cause  of  man's  humiliation  before  the  Di- 
vine Being.  Hence  it  is  manifest,  that  good  cannot  be  con- 
joined with  truths,  thus  man  cannot  be  regenerated,  unless  he 
humbles  and  submits  himself.  Humiliation  and  submission  is 
predicated  of  truths,  because  truths  flow-in  through  the  exter- 
nal man,  but  good  through  the  internal;  and  those  things  which 
flow-in  through  the  external  man,  have  with  them  fallacies,  and 
hence  falses  with  their  affections;  but  not  so  those  things  which 
flow-in  through  the  internal  man,  because  the  Divine  flows-in 
through  the  latter  man,  and  comes  to  meet  truths,  that  they 
may  bo  conjoined.    Hence  now  it  is  manifest  what  is  meant 


4346—4352.] 


GENESIS. 


95 


by  the  submission  of  all  principles,  which  submission  is  signi- 
fied by  Jacob  bowing  himself  to  the  earth  seven  times,  until 
he  came  near  his  brother. 

4348.  "  Until  he  came  near  his  brother." — That  hereby  is 
signified  conjunction  on  the  part  of  good  from  truth  which  is 
Jacob,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  coming  near,  as 
denoting  to  conjoin  himself;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of 
Esau,  who  is  here  the  brother,  as  denoting  Divine  Good  in  the 
natural  principle,  see  above,  n.  4337;  and  (3.)  from  the  repre- 
sentation of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  good  of  truth,  concerning 
which  see  also  above,  n.  4337.  How  this  case  is,  was  just  now 
explained  above,  n.  4347. 

4349.  Verse  4.  And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him,  and  embraced 
him,  and  fell  upon  his  neck,  and  hissed  him  /  and  they  wept. 
And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him,  signifies  the  influx  of  Divine  natu- 
ral good :  and  embraced  him,  signifies  the  first  conjunction  of 
love:  and  fell  upon  his  neck,  signifies  the  second  conjunction 
[if  all  in  that  universal  principle :  and  kissed  him,  signifies  inte- 
rior conjunction  from  love  :  and  they  wept,  signifies  the  effect. 

4350.  "  And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied the  influx  of  Divine  natural  good,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  running  to  meet,  as  denoting  influx ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  representation  of  Esau,  as  denoting  Divine  natural 
good,  see  n.  4337,  4340.  Running  to  meet,  here  denotes  in- 
flux, because  Divine  good  flows-in  through  the  internal  man, 
and  comes  to  meet  truth  which  is  insinuated  through  the  exter- 
nal, that  they  may  be  conjoined.  This  also  appears  from  the 
subsequent  words,  for  it  follows,  that  he  embraced  him,  fell 
upon  his  neck,  and  kissed  him ;  which  words,  as  we  shall  see, 
signify  conjunction  by  love. 

4351.  "And  embraced  him." — That  hereby  is  signified  the 
first  conjunction  of  love,  appears  from  the  signification  of  embra- 
cing, as  denoting  affection,  see  n.  3807 ;  and  whereas  affection 
is  of  love,  and  love  has  respect  to  conjunction,  hence  the  con- 
junction of  love  is  here  signified.  The  reason  why  it  is  the 
first  conjunction  of  love,  is,  because  it  follows  that  he  fell  upon 
his  neck,  and  next  that  he  kissed  him,  which  signify  closer  and 
more  internal  conjunctions  from  love.  That  embracing  is  an 
effect  which  flows  from  the  conjunction  of  love,  is  evident  with- 
out further  explanation,  consequently  that  in  the  internal  sense 
it  denotes  that  conjunction  ;  for  the  things  appertaining  to  the 
internal  sense,  are  expressed  in  the  Word  by  external  things. 

4352.  "And  fell  upon  his  neck." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied the  second  conjunction  of  all  things  in  that  universal  prin- 
ciple, appears  from  the  signification  of 'falling  upon  the  neck,  as 
denoting  closer  conjunction,  for  it  is  a  closer  embracing;  by  the 
neck  also  in  the  internal  sense  is  signified  influx  and  the  com 
iKunication  of  interior  and  exterior  principles,  and  thence  con 


96 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


junction,  see  n.  3542,  3603.  The  reason  why  it  denotes  the 
conjunction  of  all  things,  or  with  all  in  that  universal  principle, 
is,  because  Jacob,  who  in  this  case  is  his,  is  the  universal  of  all 
principles  as  to  truths,  see  n.  4346.  The  conjunction  of  good 
with  truths  in  the  natural  principle  is  here  described,  and  the 
case  in  regard  thereto  is  this  :  good  flows  through  the  internal 
man  into  the  external,  and  there  conjoins  itself  with  the  truths 
which  have  been  insinuated  through  the  external ;  for  the  good, 
which  flows-in  through  the  internal,  is  of  love,  inasmuch  as 
there  is  not  any  celestial  and  spiritual  good  which  is  not  of 
love  ;  hence  it  is,  and  hence  it  is  called  good  with  man  ;  the 
love  itself,  which  is  in  good  and  with  good,  is  what  conjoins: 
unless  love  was  in  and  was  present,  it  would  not  be  possible  for 
any  conjunction  to  be  wrought,  for  love  is  nothing  else  but 
spiritual  conjunction,  because  spiritual  conjunction  is  effected 
by  it.  This  love  is  from  no  other  source  than  from  the  Lord, 
for  He  Himself  is  the  fountain  and  origin  of  all  celestial  and 
spiritual  love,  consequently  of  all  good  thence  derived.  This 
love  is  two-fold,  celestial  and  spiritual ;  celestial  love  is  love  to 
the  Lord,  and  spiritual  love  is  love  towards  the  neighbour, 
which  is  called  charity  ;  these  are  the  loves  from  which  all 
celestial  and  spiritual  good  is  derived,  and  they  conjoin  them- 
selves with  the  truths  which  are  said  to  be  of  faith ;  for  the 
truths  of  faith  viewed  without  love  are  merely  expressions  with- 
out life,  but  they  receive  life  by  love,  thus  by  conjunction  with 
the  good  of  love.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  in  no  case  is 
there  any  thing  of  faith,  except  with  those  who  are  principled 
in  the  good  of  love,  and  that  faith  is  according  to  love.  And 
whereas  there  is  never  any  thing  of  faith,  except  with  those  who 
are  principled  in  the  good  of  love,  therefore  neither  is  there  any 
confidence  or  trust :  with  those  who  are  not  principled  in  love 
and  charity,  trust  or  confidence,  whioh  is  called  the  trust  or 
confidence  of  faith,  is  either  spurious,  or  such  as  may  even 
exist  with  diabolical  spirits,  when  they  are  in  a  state  of  fear  or 
torment,  or  in  a  state  of  persuasion  grounded  in  the  love  of  self 
and  of  the  world.  But  whereas  at  this  day  men  have  made 
faith  saving  without  the  goods  of  charity,  and  yet  see  from  afar 
that  the  truths  of  faith  cannot  save,  because  they  have  place 
even  with  the  wicked,  therefore  they  acknowledge  confidence 
and  trust,  and  call  this  faith;  not  knowing  what  confidence  is, 
and  that  it  also  may  have  place  with  the  wicked,  and  that  there 
is  no  spiritual  contidence  except  that  which  flows-in  through 
the  good  of  love  and  charity,  not  at  the  time  when  man  is  in 
fear  and  torment,  or  in  persuasion  grounded  in  self-love  and 
the  love. of  the  world,  but  when  he  is  in  a  free  state.  Neither 
can  it  have  place  in  any  others  than  those  in  whom  good  is 
conjoined  with  truths,  and  in-rooted  by  the  previous  course  of 
life,  thus  not  in  sickness,  misfortunes,  dangers,  and  at  the  ap- 


4353.] 


GENESIS. 


97 


proach  of  death :  if  that  confidence  or  trust,  which  appears  in 
a  state  of  compulsion,  could  save  men,  all  mortals  would  lie 
saved,  for  everyone  is  easily  reduced  to  it,  and  the  Lord,  Who 
wills  the  salvation  of  all,  would  communicate  it  to  all.  But  con- 
ceming  confidence  and  trust,  what  it  is,  what  its  quality,  and 
with  whom  it  prevails,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  we 
shall  speak  elsewhere. 

4353.  "And  kissed  him." — That  hereby  is  signified  inte- 
rior conjunction  from  love,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
kissing^  as  denoting  conjunction  from  love,  see  n.  3573,  3574, 
4215;  in  the  present  case,  interior  conjunction.  The  subject 
treated  of  in  this  verse  in  general  is  the  conjunction  of  Divine 
natural  good,  which  is  Esau,  with  truth  in  the  natural  princi- 
ple, which  is  Jacob;  but  in  the  following  verses,  that  conjunc- 
tion in  a  specific  relation  is  treated  of.  In  regard  to  the  con- 
junction itself,  it  constitutes  regeneration  in  man;  for  man  is 
regenerated  by  the  truths  in  which  he  is  principled  being  con- 
joined to  good,  that  is  to  say,  the  things  which  are  of  faith  am 
conjoined  to  those  which  are,  of  charity ;  this  process  is  de 
scribed  here  and  in  what  follows.  The  subject  relates  indeed 
to  the  Lord,  how  He  made  His  Natural  principle  Divine,  conse- 
quently how  He  united  Divine  good  to  truth  in  the  natural 
principle  ;  but  as  the  regeneration  of  man  is  an  image  of  the 
Lord's  glorification  (see  n.  3138,  3212,  3296,  3490),  therefore 
also  the  regeneration  of  man  is  at  the  same  time  treated  of  in 
the  internal  sense  ;  and  whereas  regeneration  may  fall  into 
man's  idea,  but  not  so  the  Lord's  glorification,  therefore  it  is 
allowed  to  illustrate  the  latter  by  the  former.  From  what  has 
been  explained,  it  is  manifest,  that  the  conjunction  of  good 
with  truths,  through  which  regeneration  is  effected,  advances 
more  and  more  inwardly ;  that  is,  truths  are  successively  more 
inwardly  conjoined  with  good.  For  the  end  of  regeneration  is 
that  the  internal  man  may  be  conjoined  with  the  external,  thus 
the  spiritual  man  through  the  rational  principle  with  the  natural 
man,  there  being  no  regeneration  without  the  conjunction  of 
each;  neither. can  that  conjunction  be  effected,  until  good  be 
first  conjoined  with  truths  in  the  natural  principle  ;  as  the  nat- 
ural principle  must  be  the  plane,  and  the  things  which  are  in 
the  natural  principle  must  correspond.  This  is  the  reason  why, 
when  the  natural  principle  is  regenerated,  the  conjunction  of 
good  with  truths  becomes  successively  more  internal ;  for  the 
spiritual  principle  conjoins  itself  first  with  those  things  which 
are  inmost  in  the  natural  principle,  and  next  through  these 
with  the  more  external.  Neither  can  man's  internal  principle 
conjoin  itself  with  his  external,  unless  the  truth  in  this  latter 
principle  be  made  the  good  of  truth,  that  is,  truth  in  will  and 
act  (n.  4347),  for  they  are  then  first  capable  of  being  conjoined, 
inasmuch  as  the  Lord  flo\vs-in  to  man  through  the  internal 
vol.  v.  7 


98 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


man,  and  indeed  through  the  good  therein  ;  the  good  therein 
may  be  conjoined  with  good  in  the  external  man,  but  not  good 
with  truth  immediately.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  truth  with 
man  ought  to  be  made  truth  in  will  and  act  (that  is,  the  good 
of  truth),  before  conjunction  of  the  rational  principle  with  the 
natural,  or  of  the  internal  man  with  the  external,  can  exist. 
But  the  manner  in  which  truth  becomes  the  good  of  truth, 
may  be  manifest  to  every  one  who  attends;  all  divine  truth  has 
respect  to  these  two  precepts,  viz.,  to  love  God  above  all  things, 
and  our  neighbour  as  ourselves  ;  it  is  from  these  precepts  that 
truths  are  derived,  and  for  the  sake  of  which  truths  are,  and 
to  which  they  tend,  nearer  and  more  remotely  ;  wherefore 
when  truths  are  put  into  act,  they  are  insinuated  successively 
into  their  beginning  and  end,  viz.,  into  charity  towards  our 
neighbour,  and  into  love  to  the  Lord,  and  hence  truth  is  made 
good,  which  is  called  the  good  of  truth :  when  this  is  the  case, 
it  may  be  conjoined  with  the  internal  man,  which  conjunction 
becomes  successively  more  internal,  as  more  internal  truths  are 
implanted  in  that  good.  Act  precedes,  and  is  succeeded  by 
man's  willing,  for  what  man  acts  from  the  understanding,  he 
at  length  acts  from  the  will,  and  finally  by  habit  puts  it  on ;  and 
then  it  is  insinuated  into  the  rational  or  internal  man:  when  it 
is  insinuated  into  that  man,  he  no  longer  performs  good  from 
truth,  but  from  good  ;  for  he  then  begins  to  perceive  somewhat 
of  blessedness,  and  as  it  were  of  heaven  therein.  This  remains 
with  him  after  death,  and  by  it  he  is  elevated  into  heaven  by 
the  Lord. 

4354.  "  And  they  wept." — That  hereby  is  signified  effect, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  weeping,  as  denoting  the  effect 
of  grief,  and  also  the  effect  of  joy,  see  n.  3801 ;  in  the  present 
case,  the  effect  of  joy  arising  from  the  conjunction  of  good  with 
truths  through  love. 

4355.  Verses  5,  6,  7.  And  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw  the 
women  and  the  children,  and  said,  Who  are  those  to  thee?  And 
he  said,  The  children  which  God  hath  graciously  bestoioed  on 
thy  servant.  And  the  handmaidens  came  near,  they  and  their 
children,  and  bowed  themselves  /  and  Leah  also  and  her  chil- 
dren came  near,  and  bowed  themselves  ;  and  afterwards  came  Jo- 
seph near  and  Iiachel,  and  boiced  themselves.  And  he  lifted  up 
his  eyes,  signifies  perception  :  and  saw  the  women  and  the  chil- 
dren, signifies  [perception]  of  the  affections  of  truth  and  of  the 
truths  belonging  thereto  :  and  he  said,  "Who  are  those  to  thee? 
signifies  acknowledgment :  and  he  said,  The  children  which 
God  hath  graciously  bestowed  upon  thy  servant,  signifies  truths 
from  the  Divine  Providence:  and  the  handmaidens  came  near, 
they  and  their  children,  and  bowed  themselves,  signifies  scien- 
tific sensual  principles  and  their  truths,  and  their  submission  : 
and  Leah  also  and  her  children  came  near,  and  bowed  them- 


4354—4360.] 


GENESIS. 


99 


selves,  signifies  the  affection  of  the  truth  of  faith  as  to  exteriors, 
and  their  truths,  and  their  submissive  introduction :  and  after- 
wards came  Joseph  near  and  Rachel,  and  bowed  themselves, 
signifies  the  affections  of  the  truths  of  faith  as  to  interiors,  and 
their  submissive  introduction. 

4356.  Ver.  5.  "  And  he  lifted  up  his  eyes."— That  hereby 
is  signified  perception,  appears  from  the  signification  of  lifting 
ttj>  the  t  yes,  as  denoting  perception,  see  n.  4083,  4339. 

4357.  "And  saw  the  women  and  the  children." — That  here- 
by is  signified  [perception]  of  the  affections  of  truth,  and  of  the 
truths  which  belong  to  them,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  the  women,  who  are  here  the  handmaids,  Leah,  and  Rachel, 
as  denoting  the  affections  of  truth,  see  n.  3758,  3782,  3793, 
3819,  4344;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  children  or 
sons,  as  denoting  truths,  see  n.  489,  491,  533,  1147,  2623,  3373, 
in  the  present  case  the  truths  which  belonged  to  them. 

4358.  "  And  said,  Who  are  those  to  thee  ?" — That  hereby  is 
signified  acknowledgment,  may  appear  from  this  consideration, 
that  interrogations  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  are  not  interrosa- 
tions  in  the  supreme  sense ;  for  the  Lord,  who  is  treated  of  in 
this  latter  sense,  has  no  need  to  interrogate  man,  for  He  knows 
all,  and  each  single  thing.  Hence  the  interrogation,  "  Who 
are  those  to  thee?  '  signifies  acknowledgment  ;  for  by  Esau  is 
represented  the  Lord  as  to  Divine  natural  good,  and  Divine 
good  instantly  acknowledges  the  truths  which  it  is  to  conjoin 
to  itself;  and  moreover  all  good  does  this,  for  good  cannot  be 
without  what  it  calls  truths,  nor  truths  without  what  they  call 
goods.  They  conjoin  themselves  of  themselves  ;  but  such  as 
the  good  is,  such  are  the  truths  which  it  conjoins  to  itself ;  it 
is  good  which  acknowledges  them,  and  enters  into  union  as  a 
husband  with  a  wife,  for  the  conjunction  of  good  with  truths  is 
marriage  in  the  spiritual  sense,  see  n.  2508,  2618.  That  good 
acknowledges  its  truth,  and  truth  its  good,  and  that  they  a-re 
conjoined,  see  n.  3101,  3102,  3161,  3179,  3180. 

4359.  "And  he  said,  The  children  which  God  hath  gra- 
ciously bestowed  upon  thy  servant." — That  hereby  are  signified 
truths  from  the  Divine  Providence,  appears  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  children,  or  sons,  as  denoting  truths,  concerning 
which  see  just  above,  n.  4357 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  which  God,  hath  graciously  bestowed,  as  denoting  from  the 
Divine  Providence  ;  for  whatsoever  God  bestows  is  of  His 
Providence. 

4360.  Ver.  6.  "  And  the  handmaidens  came  near,  they  and 
their  children,  and  bowed  themselves."- — -That  hereby  are  sig- 
nified scientific  sensual  principles  and  their  truths,  and  their 
submission,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  handmaidens, 
as  denoting  affections  of  the  sciences  and  knowledges  which  arc 
of  the  external  man,  see  above,  n.  4344,  consequently  the  scien* 


100 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


tific  sensual  principles  presently  treated  of ;  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  children,  or  sons,  as  denoting  truths,  see  n.  4357  ; 
and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  bowing  themselves,  as  denot- 
ing submission.  The  scientific  sensual  principles,  signified  by 
handmaidens,  are  scientifics  of  external  things  "which  are  of 
the  world ;  hence  they  are  the  most  general  of  all,  see  n.  4345, 
and  are  those  which  enter  by  the  external  senses  immediately, 
and  are  perceived  by  the  sense  itself.  All  infants  are  in  the 
above  scientific  sensual  principles,  and  they  serve  as  planes  for 
the  knowledges  of  spiritual  things  ;  for  spiritual  tilings  are 
founded  upon  natural,  and  are  represented  in  them.  Inasmuch 
as  truths  are  conjoined  to  good  according  to  order  from  more 
common  or  general  principles,  as  was  shown  above,  n.  4345, 
therefore  it  is  here  mentioned,  that  the  handmaids  and  their 
children  bowed  themselves  first,  that  is,  submitted  themselves. 

4361.  Yer.  7.  "And  Leah  also  and  her  children  came  near, 
and  bowed  themselves." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  affection 
of  the  truth  of  faith  as  to  exteriors,  and  their  truths,  and  their 
submissive  introduction,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of 
Leah,  as  denoting  the  aftection  of  exterior  truth,  see  n.  3793, 
3819,  consequently  the  aftection  of  the  truth  of  faith  as  to  exte- 
riors ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  children,  or  sons,  as  denoting 
truths,  spoken  of  just  above  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  ot 
bowing  themselves,  as  denoting  submission,  that  is,  submissive 
introduction  into  Divine  natural  good,  which  is  represented  by 
Esau. 

4362.  "And  afterwards  came  Joseph  near  and  Rachel,  and 
bowed  themselves." — That  hereby  are  signified  the  affections 
of  the  truths  of  faith  as  to  interiors,  and  their  submissive  intro- 
duction, appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Joseph,  as  de- 
noting the  celestial  spiritual  principle,  see  n.  4286 ;  (2.)  from 
the  representation  of  Rachel,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  inte- 
rior truth,  see  n.  3758,  37S2,  3793,  3819  ;  and  (3.)  from  the 
signification  of  bowing  themselves,  as  denoting  submissive  in- 
troduction, see  above,  n.  4361.  The  manner  in  which  these 
introductions  are  effected  was  explained  above  at  verse  2. 

4363.  Verses  8  to  11.  And  he  said.  What  are  all  those  camps 
to  thee  which  J  met?  And  he  said,  To  find  grace  in  the  eyes  of 
my  lord.  And  Esau  said,  I  have  much,  my  brother  ;  be  that  to 
thee  which  is  thine.  And  Jacob  said,  Nay,  I  pray  thee,  if  now 
I  have  found  grace  in  thine  eyes,  receive  my  present  from  my 
hand  ;  for  therefore  I  have  seen  thy  faces,  as  though  I had  seen, 
the  faces  of  God,  and  thou  hast  accepted  me.  Receive,  I  pray 
thee,  my  blessing,  which  is  brought  to  thee  ;  because  God  hath 
graciously  bestowed  upon  ?ne,  and  because  I  have  all  things. 
And  he  urged  him,  and  he  took  it.  And  lie  said.  What  are  all 
those  camps  to  thee  which  I  met?  signifies  the  special  things  oi 
principles  vi  Inch  are  thence  derived  :  and  he  said,  To  find  graco 


4361—4364.] 


GENESIS. 


101 


in  the  eyes  of  my  lord,  signifies  grateful  initiation  :  and  Esau 
said,  I  have  much,  my  brother,  be  that  to  thee  which  is  thine, 
signifies  tacit  acceptance,  that  hereby  he  might  insinuate  the 
affection  of  good  derived  from  truth  :  and  Jacob  said,  Nay,  I 
pray  thee,  signifies  the  origin  of  affection:  if  now  I  have  found 
grace  in  thine  eyes,  receive  my  present  from  my  hand,  signifies 
that  the  reciprocal  principle  of  affection  might  be  insinuated : 
for  therefore  I  have  seen  thy  faces,  as  though  I  had  seen  the 
faces  of  God,  and  thou  hast  accepted  me,  signifies  the  affection 
itself  with  the  perception  wherewith  it  was  reciprocally  insinu- 
ated :  receive,  I  pray  thee,  my  blessing  which  is  brought  to 
thee,  signifies  the  Divine  things  which  were  to  be  adjoined  to 
Divine  natural  good  :  because  God  hath  graciously  bestowed 
upon  me,  signifies  from  Providence :  and  because  I  have  all 
things,  signifies  his  spiritual  riches:  and  he  urged  him,  and  he 
took  it,  signifies  that  it  [the  affection  itself]  was  insinuated  from 
the  good  of  truth  by  an  affection  inspired  from  Divine  good. 

4364.  Ver.  8.  "And  he  said,  What  are  all  those  camps  to 
thee  which  I  met?"- — That  hereby  are  signified  the  special  prin- 
ciples thence  derived,  appears  from  the  signification  of  camps 
in  this  passage,  as  denoting  special  principles ;  for  they  are  the 
things  mentioned  in  the  preceding  chapter  (verses  15,  16),  viz., 
"  two  hundred  she-goats  and  twenty  he-goats,  two  hundred  ewes 
and  twenty  rams,  thirty  milch  camels  and  their  colts,  forty  cows 
and  ten  oxen,  twenty  she-asses  and  ten  foals,"  and  that  these 
were  goods  and  truths  with  their  things  of  service,  whereby 
initiation  might  be  effected,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4263,  4264,  con- 
sequently they  are  special  principles.  Special  principles  in  this 
case  are  nothing  else  but  principles  confirming  that  truths  are 
truths  and  goods  are  goods ;  they  accede  to  the  thoughts  and 
affections  of  man,  that  is,  to  those  things  which  he  knows  and 
loves,  on  account  of  which  he  favours  and  affirms  that  it  is  so ; 
the  presents,  which  were  given  of  old  in  the  church  to  kings 
and  priests,  had  also  this  signification.  It  is  a  known  tiling, 
that  a  person  is  drawn  to  his  opinion,  or  to  those  things  which 
he  calls  good  and  true,  both  by  reasons  and  by  affections ;  the 
things  themselves  which  confirm  are  what  are  meant  by  special 
things  or  principles,  and  are  here  signified  by  camps,  wherefore 
it  is  said,  that  those  camps  were  "  to  find  grace  in  the  eyes  of 
my  lord  ;"  and  afterwards,  "If,  I  pray  thee,  I  have  found  grace 
in  thine  eyes,  receive  my  present  from  my  hand."  The  case  is 
similar  in  regard  to  spiritual  things,  or  the  things  of  faith,  when 
they  are  conjoined  with  the  good  of  charity.  Man  believes  that 
goods  and  truths  flow-in  immediately  out  of  heaven,  thus  with- 
out mediums  appertaining  to  man,  but  he  is  much  deceived : 
the  Lord  leads  every  one  by  his  affections,  and  thereby  bends 
him  by  a  tacit  Providence,  for  He  leads  by  a  free  principle,  n. 
1937,  1947;  that  all  free  principle  is  of  affection  or  love,  see  n. 


102 


GENESIS. 


[Chav.  xxxiii. 


2870,  2873  ;  and  hence  that  all  conjunction  of  good  with  truth 
is  effected  in  a  free  principle,  but  not  in  a  forced  one,  n.  2875 
to  2878,  2881,  3145,  3146,  3158,  4031.  When,  therefore,  man 
in  a  free  principle  has  been  led  to  good,  then  truths  are  ac- 
cepted and  implanted  ;  then  also  he  begins  to  be  affected  with 
them,  and  thus  by  degrees  he  is  introduced  into  a  celestial  free 
principle.  He  who  is  regenerated,  that  is,  who  loves  his  neigh- 
bour, and  especially  who  loves  the  Lord,  if  he  reflects  on  his 
past  life,  will  then  find  that  he  has  been  led  by  many  things  ot 
his  thought,  and  by  many  things  of  his  affection.  What  is  here 
specifically  meant  by  the  special  principles  which  are  thence 
derived,  may  be  better  illustrated  by  examples.  Let  us  sup- 
pose the  truth,  which  is  to  be  insinuated  into  good,  to  be  this, 
that  man  has  life  after  death.  Unless  this  truth  be  confirmed 
by  special  principles,  it  is  not  accepted  ;  the  special  principles 
by  which  it  is  to  be  confirmed  are  such  as  these,  that  man  can 
think  not  only  of  those  things  which  he  sees  and  feels,  but  also 
of  those  which  he  does  not  see  and  feel ;  that  also  he  can  be 
affected  with  them;  that  by  affection  he  can  be  conjoined  with 
them,  and  consequently  with  heaven,  yea,  with  the  Lord  Him- 
self; and  that  he  who  can  be  conjoined  with  the  Divine  Being 
cannot  die  to  eternity ;  these  and  several  like  things  are  the 
special  principles  which  first  occur,  before  the  above  truth  is 
insinuated  into  good,  that  is,  before  it  is  fully  believed.  The 
above  truth  indeed  first  submits  itself,  but  still  these  specialities 
cause  it  to  be  accepted.  Let  us  also  take  as  an  example  this 
truth,  that  man  is  a  spirit,  and  that  he  is  clothed  with  a  body 
whilst  he  lives  in  the  world.  This  also  is  a  truth  which  must 
be  insinuated  into  good ;  for  unless  it  is  insinuated,  man  has  no 
concern  about  heaven,  for  in  such  a  case  he  thinks  of  himself 
as  of  the  brute  animals;  but  this  truth  cannot  be  insinuated 
except  by  specialities,  as  by  these,  that  the  body,  which  he  car- 
ries about  him,  serves  for  uses  in  the  world,  viz.,  that  through 
the  material  eyes  he  may  see  the  things  which  are  in  the  world, 
and  may  act  by  material  muscles,  being  furnished  thereby  with 
powers  adequate  to  the  ponderous  objects  surrounding  him  ; 
that  nevertheless  there  is  some  interior  principle  which  thinks 
and  wills,  whereof  the  material  body  is  the  instrumental  or 
organ  ;  and  that  his  spirit  is  himself,  or  the  very  man,  who  acts 
and  feels  by  those  organical  parts ;  and  that  he  can  coufirm 
this  by  much  experience  in  himself,  if  he  be  once  in  the  faith 
that  it  is  so:  all  these  are  the  specialities  which  are  premised, 
and  which  cause  that  very  truth  to  be  insinuated  into  good,  and 
they  are  thence  derived.  These  and  similar  things  are  what 
are  here  signified  by  camps. 

4305.  "And  he  said,  To  find  grace  in -the  eyes  of  my  lord.'' 
— That  hereby  is  signified  grateful  initiation,  may  appear  with- 
out explanation ;  for  to  find  grace  denotes  that  they  may  be 


4365—4367.] 


GENESIS. 


103 


accepted,  and  the  things  which  are  accepted,  are  gratefully 
initiated,  that  is,  they  are  insinuated. 

4366.  Ver.  9.  "And  Esau  said,  I  have  much,  my  brother; 
be  that  to  thee  which  is  thine." — That  hereby  is  signified  tacit 
acceptance,  that  hereby  he  might  insinuate  the  affection  of 
good  from  truth,  may  appear  from  the  refusal  in  this  case  im- 
plying assent,  for  he  nevertheless  accepted  :  the  end  of  refusal, 
when  any  one  accepts,  is  occasionally  that  affection  may  be 
insinuated  ;  it  is  hence  also  increased,  and  thereby  passes  from 
thinking  well  into  willing  well.  Man  is  led  by  the  Lord  in 
spiritual  life  nearly  by  means  similar  to  those  by  which  man 
leads  others  in  civil  life ;  it  is  a  customary  thing  in  civil  life  to 
refuse  a  favour,  with  the  view  that  the  favour  may  be  done 
from  affection,  thus  not  only  from  thinking,  but  also  from  will- 
ing; for  if  the  favour  was  not  accepted,  the  end  intended  by  it 
would  perish ;  wherefore  the  end  is  urgent,  that  the  person  who 
bestows  the  favour  may  think  more  intensely  about  it,  and  may 
thereby  from  the  heart  will  to  bestow  it.  The  reason  why  such 
proceeding  does  not  appear  in  spiritual  life,  as  in  civil  life,  is, 
because  there  are  few  in  whom  good  is  conjoined  with  truths, 
that  is,  who  are  regenerated  ;  and  also  because  the  few  who 
are  regenerated  do  not  reflect  upon  such  things,  neither  can 
they  reflect,  for  they  do  not  know  what  spiritual  good  is,  since 
they  do  not  know  what  charity  is,  and  what  their  neighbour  is, 
in  the  genuine  sense ;  and  as  they  do  not  know  what  these 
things  are,  they  cannot  have  any  interior  idea  respecting  the 
truth  which  is  of  faith.  Moreover,  they  separate  spiritual  life 
from  civil  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  dare  not  draw  any  idea 
from  the  latter  concerning  the  former;  that  those  two  lives  cor- 
respond, and  that  the  former  is  represented  in  the  latter,  is  alto- 
gether unknown,  yea,  some  persons  do  not  even  admit  any 
comparison  between  them ;  when  yet  the  real  case  is,  that  no 
idea  can  be  entertained  concerning  spiritual  life,  except  from 
those  things  which  are  in  civil  life,  wherefore  when  this  latter 
is  removed,  the  former  falls,  insomuch  that  at  length  it  is  no 
longer  believed.  This  may  appear  manifest  from  this  consider- 
ation, that  it  is  no  longer  believed  that  spirits  and  angels  have 
intercourse  with  each  other  as  men,  nor  that  they  discourse 
together,  and  reason  in  like  manner  as  men,  but  much  more 
perfectly,  about  what  is  honourable  and  becoming,  just  and 
equitable,  and  good  and  true  ;  still  less  is  it  believed  that  they 
mutually  see,  hear,  and  explore  each  other,  that  they  join  to- 
gether in  societies,  cohabit  together,  and  the  like. 

4367.  Ver.  10.  "  And  Jacob  said,  Nay,  I  pray  thee."— That 
hereby  is  signified  the  origin  of  affection,  may  appear  from 
what  was  just  now  said  above,  viz.,  that  refusal  to  accept  a 
present  insinuates  affection ;  which  is  here  manifested  by  what 


104 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


he  say^.  Nay,  I  pray  thee ;  hence  it  is  evident  that  it  denotes 
the  origin  of  affection. 

4368.  "  If  now  I  have  found  grace  in  thine  eyes,  receive 
my  present  from  my  hand." — That  hereb}r  is  signified  that  the 
reciprocal  [principle]  of  affection  might  he  insinuated,  i3  evident 
from  the  things  which  precede  and  from  those  which  follow ; 
for  the  subject  treated  of  is  the  conjunction  of  good  with  truths 
in  the  natural  principle,  consequently  the  insinuation  of  affec- 
tion from  good  into  truth.  That  the  refusal  of  the  present  sent 
by  Jacob  was  with  the  view  that  affection  might  be  insinuated 
into  truth,  was  shown  above,  n.  4366,  therefore  by  the  words 
immediately  preceding,  J\Tay,  I  pray  thee,  is  signified  the  origin 
of  affection,  n.  4367 ;  hence  by  these  words,  "  If  now  I  have 
found  grace  in  thine  eyes,  receive  my  present  from  my  hand," 
is  signified  that  the  reciprocal  [principle]  of  affection  might  be 
insinuated ;  for  he  says  this  from  well-willing,  that  is,  from 
affection;  hence  in  what  follows  it  is  said  that  he  urged  him. 
By  the  reciprocal  [principle]  of  affection,  insinuated  from  the 
good  which  is  Esau  into  the  truth  which  is  Jacob,  is  meant  the 
affection  of  truth ;  for  there  are  two  affections  which  are  hea- 
venly, viz.,  the  affection  of  good  and  the  affection  of  truth, 
which  have  been  occasionally  treated  of  above.  The  affection 
of  truth  derives  its  origin  from  no  other  source  than  from  good  ; 
the  affection  itself  is  from  that  source ;  for  truth  of  itself  has 
not  life,  but  receives  life  from  good ;  wherefore  when  man  is 
affected  witli  truth,  it  is  not  from  truth,  but  from  the  good 
which  flows  into  the  truth,  and  makes  the  affection ;  this  is 
here  meant  by  the  reciprocal  [principle]  of  affection,  that  it 
might  be  insinuated.  It  is  well  known  that  there  are  several 
within  the  church  who  are  affected  by  the  Word  of  the  Lord, 
and  apply  themselves  closely  to  reading  it ;  but  still  there  are 
but  few  who  have  as  their  end  a  desire  of  being  instructed  con- 
cerning truth  ;  for  they  mostly  remain  in  their  own  particular 
dogmas,  which  alone  they  endeavour  to  confirm  from  the  Word. 
These  persons  appear  as  if  they  were  in  the  affection  of  truth, 
but  they  are  not ;  those  only  are  in  the  affection  of  truth,  who 
love  to  be  instructed  concerning  truths,  that  is,  to  know  what 
is  true,  and  for  this  end  to  search  the  Scriptures.  No  one  is 
in  this  affection  unless  he  is  in  good,  that  is,  in  charity  towards 
his  neighbour,  and  more  so  he  who  is  in  love  to  the  Lord  ;  with 
such  persons  good  itself  flows  into  truth,  and  constitutes  the 
affection,  for  the  Lord  is  present  in  that  good.  This  may  be 
illustrated  by  the  following  examples.  When  they,  who  are 
in  the  good  of  genuine  charity,  read  those  words  which  the 
Lord  said  to  Peter,  "  I  say  unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter,  and 
upon  this  rock  will  I  build  my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell 
shall  not  prevail  against  it :  and  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys 


4368.] 


GENESIS. 


105 


of  the  kingdom  of  the  heavens  ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  hind 
on  earth,  shall  he  bound  in  the  heavens,  and  whatsoever  thou 
Shalt  loose  on  earth,  shall  be  loosed  in  the  heavens,"  Matt.  xvi. 
18,  19,  they  love  to  be  instructed  in  their  meaning ;  and  when 
they  hear  that  by  the  rock  spoken  of,  on  which  the  church  shall 
be  built,  is  signified  the  faith  of  charily,  and  consequently  that 
the  same  is  signified  by  Peter,  and  that  thus  the  keys  of  open- 
ing and  shutting  heaven  are  given  to  that  faith  (see  preface  to 
chapter  xxii.  of  Genesis),  they  rejoice,  and  are  affected  with 
that  truth,  because  thus  the  Lord  alone,  from  Whom  faith  is, 
has  that  power.  But  they  who  are  not  in  the  affection  of  truth 
from  the  good  of  genuine  charity,  but  in  the  affection  of  truth 
from  some  other  good  (and  especially  if  from  the  love  of  self 
and  of  the  world),  are  not  affected  with  that  truth,  but  are 
made  sad,  and  also  angry,  inasmuch  as  they  are  willing  to 
claim  that  power  to  the  priesthood ;  they  are  angry  because 
they  are  thereby  deprived  of  dominion,  and  they  are  made  sad 
because  they  are  deprived  of  respect,  Let  us  take  another  ex- 
ample :  If  they  who  are  in  the  affection  of  truth  from  the  good 
of  genuine  charity  hear  that  charity  constitutes  the  church,  but 
not  faith  separate  from  charity,  they  receive  this  truth  with  joy; 
Avhereas  they  who  are  in  the  affection  of  truth  from  the  love  of 
self  and  of  the  world,  do  not  receive  it.  And  also,  when  they 
who  are  in  the  affection  of  truth  from  the  good  of  genuine  char- 
ity, hear  that  love  towards  the  neighbour  does  not  commence 
from  self,  but  from  the  Lord,  they  rejoice ;  Avhilst  they  who 
are  in  the  affection  of  truth  from  the  love  of  self  and  of  the 
world,  do  not  receive  that  truth,  but  sharply  insist  that  the 
love  commences  from  self;  hence  they  do  not  know  what  it  is 
to  love  their  neighbour  as  themselves.  "When  they  who  are  in 
the  affection  of  truth  from  the  good  of  genuine  charity,  hear 
that  the  principle  of  heavenly  blessedness  consists  in  doing 
good  to  others  from  a  principle  of  good-will,  without  regard  to 
any  selfish  end,  they  rejoice  ;  but  they  who  are  in  the  affection 
of  truth  from  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world,  have  no  desire 
of  this  principle  of  blessedness,  nor  indeed  do  they  even  com- 
prehend it.  When  they  who  are  in  the  affection  of  truth  from 
the  good  of  genuine  charity,  are  instructed  that  the  works  of 
the  external  man  are  nothing,  unless  they  proceed  from  the 
internal  man,  thus  from  good-will,  they  receive  it  with  joy; 
whereas  they  who  are  in  the  affection  of  truth  from  the  love  of 
self  and  of  the  world,  commend  the  works  of  the  external  man, 
but  have  no  concern  about  the  good-will  of  the  internal  man ; 
yea,  neither  do  they  know  that  the  good-will  of  the  internal 
man  remains  after  death,  and  that  the  works  of  the  external 
man  separate  from  the  internal  are  dead,  and  perish  : — and  thus 
in  all  other  instances.  From  these  considerations  it  is  evident, 
that  the  truths  of  faith  cannot  in  any  case  be  conjoined  to  any 


106 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


one,  unless  he  be  in  the  good  of  genuine  charity,  thus  they 
cannot  be  conjoined  to  any  thing  but  good ;  also  that  all  gen- 
uine affection  of  truth  is  from  that  good.  Every  one  may  see 
this  confirmed  by  daily  experience,  in  observing  that  they  who 
are  principled  in  evil  do  not  believe,  but  that  they  who  are 
principled  in  good  do  believe.  Hence  it  is  very  manifest  that 
the  truth  of  faith  is  conjoined  with  good,  but  never  with  evil. 

4369.  "  For  therefore  I  have  seen  thy  faces,  as  though  I 
had  seen  the  faces  of  God,  and  thou  hast  accepted  me." — That 
hereby  is  signified  affection  with  the  perception  wherewith  it 
was  reciprocally  insinuated,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  seeing  faces  as  the  faces  of  God,  as  denoting  affection  with 
perception,  for  by  faces  are  signified  interior  principles,  see  n. 
358,  1999,  2434,  3527,  3573,  4066 ;  and  by  the  faces  of  God, 
all  good,  see  n.  222,  223,  which,  when  it  ilows-in,  gives  affec- 
tion with  perception ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  accept' 
ing  me,  as  denoting  affection  insinuated :  that  these  words 
have  this  signification,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  just  above 
concerning  the  insinuation  of  affection,  thus  from  the  series  of 
things  treated  of. 

4370.  Yer.  11.  "  Receive,  I  pray  thee,  the  blessing  that  is 
brought  to  thee." — That  hereby  are  signified  the  Divine  things 
which  were  to  be  adjoined  to  Divine  natural  good,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  blessing  in  this  passage,  as  denoting  those 
tilings  which  were  mentioned  in  the  preceding  chapter  (verses 
14,  15),  by  which  were  signified  Divine  goods  and  truths,  with 
their  subservient  principles  whereby  initiation  might  be  effected, 
see  n.  4263,  4264.  That  these  things  were  to  be  adjoined  to 
Divine  natural  good,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  4364. 

4371.  "  Because  God  hath  graciously  bestowed  upon  me.'' 
— That  hereby  is  signified  from  Providence,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  these  words  in  this  passage,  as  denoting  Provi- 
dence ;  see  above,  n.  4359. 

4372.  "  And  because  I  have  all  things." — That  hereby  are 
signified  his  spiritual  riches,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
all  that  he  hath,  as  here  denoting  his  spiritual  riches ;  for  they 
were  flocks  and  herds,  by  which,  as  was  before  shown,  are 
signified  goods  and  truths,  which  are  called  spiritual  riches. 
Spiritual  riches  are  predicated  of  truth,  and  their  uses  are  pre- 
dicated of  good. 

4373.  "  And  he  urged  him,  and  he  took  it." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  it  [the  affection  itself]  was  insinuated  from  the 
good  of  truth  by  affection  inspired  from  Divine  good,  may 
appear  from  the  things  which  have  been  hitherto  explained  from 
n.  4364;  the  affection  itself  inspired  into  the  good  of  truth  from 
Divine  good  is  witnessed  by  his  urging  him,  see  above,  n.  4366. 
As  to  the  affection  of  truth,  which  has  been  treated  of  in  these 
verses,  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  it  appeal's  to  be  from  truth,  and 


4369—4374.] 


GENESIS. 


107 


thus  in  truth;  nevertheless  it  is  not  from  truth,  but  from  good, 
for  there  is  nothing  of  life  in  truth  but  what  is  from  good:  its 
appearing  as  if  it  was  from  truth,  is  comparatively  like  the 
appearance  of  life  in  the  body,  when  yet  it  is  not  of  the  body  but 
of  the  soul ;  neither  is  it  of  the  soul,  but  through  the  soul  from 
the  first  [principle]  of  life,  that  is,  from  the  Lord,  and  yet  it 
appears  as  of  the  body:  it  is  also  comparatively  as  an  image 
in  a  mirror,  which  appears  in  the  mirror,  when  in  fact  it  is  of 
the  influent  effigy.  That  the  internal  sense  of  these  and  of  the 
preceding  words  is  such  as  has  been  described,  does  not  indeed 
appear  to  those  who  keep  the  mind  fixed  in  the  historicals,  for 
they  think  of  Esau  and  of  Jacob,  and  of  the  present  which  was 
sent  before  ;  not  knowing  that  by  Esau  is  represented  Divine 
good  in  the  natural  principle,  and  by  Jacob  Divine  truth  which 
was  to  be  conjoined  to  Divine  good  in  that  principle,  and  that 
in  this  passage  by  their  friendly  conference  is  signified  the  af- 
fection inspired  into  truth  frorn  good.  Nevertheless,  those  his- 
toricals are  not  otherwise  understood  by  the  angels  when  they 
are  read  by  man;  for  the  angels  have  no  idea  but  what  is 
spiritual,  and  the  historical  sense  with  them  is  turned  into  a 
spiritual  idea.  Thus  angelic  thoughts  correspond  with  human  ; 
such  correspondences  are  perpetual,  causing  the  Word  to  be 
holy  and  divine,  for  thus  the  literal  sense  by  ascent  becomes 
spiritual,  and  this  even  to  the  Lord,  where  it  is  Divine.  This 
is  inspiration. 

4374.  Verses  12  to  16.  And  he  said,  Let  us  take  our  jour- 
ney, and  let  us  go,  and  J  will  go  near  thee.  And  he  said  unto 
him,  My  lord  knoweth  that  the  children  are  tender,  and  the 
flocks  and  herds  giving  suck  with  me  j  and  if  they  should 
drive  them  on  in  one  day,  all  the  flocks  will  die.  Let  my  lord, 
L pray  thee,  pass  over  before  his  servant,  and  L  will  proceed 
sloioly  to  the  foot  of  the  work  which  is  before  me,  and,  to  the 
foot  of  the  children,  until  L  come  unto  my  lord  in  Seir.  And 
Esau  said,  Let  me  set,  I  pray,  with  thee  of  the  people  who  are 
with  me.  And  he  said,  Why  this?  let  me  find  grace  in  the 
eyes  of  my  lord.  And  Esau  returned  in  that  day  on  his  way, 
unto  Seir.  And  he  said,  Let  us  take  our  journey,  and  let  us 
go,  signifies  the  successive  state :  and  I  will  go  near  thee,  signi- 
fies that  they  were  to  be  conjoined :  and  he  said  unto  him,  My 
lord  knoweth  that  the  children  are  tender,  signifies  truths  which 
have  not  as  yet  gained  Divine  life :  and  the  flocks  and  herds 
giving  suck  with  me,  signifies  interior  and  natural  goods, 
which  have  not  as  yet  gained  Divine  life :  and  if  they  should 
drive  them  on  in  one  day,  all  the  flocks  will  die,  signifies  delay 
and  successive  state,  and  that  otherwise  they  would  not  live, 
thus  that  they  were  to  be  prepared  for  conjunction :  let  my 
lord,  I  pray  thee,  pass  over  before  his  servant,  signifies  more 
common  or  general  presence :  and  I  will  proceed  slowly,  signi- 


108 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


fies  a  successive  state  of  preparation :  to  the  foot  of  the  work 
which  is  before  me,  signifies  according  to  common  or  general 
things  or  principles :  and  to  the  foot  of  the  children,  signifies 
according  to  truths  in  those  principles :  until  I  come  unto  my 
lord  in  Seir,  signifies  until  they  could  be  conjoined  ;  Seir  is  the 
conjunction  of  spiritual  things  with  celestial  in  the  natural 
principle :  and  Esau  said,  Let  me  set,  I  pray,  with  thee  of  the 
people  who  are  with  me,  signifies  that  some  things  of  the  truth 
of  good  might  be  conjoined:  and  he  said,  Why  this?  let  me 
find  grace  in  the  eyes  of  my  lord,  signifies  illustration  from 

Eresence  more  interiorly :  and  Esau  returned  in  that  day  on 
is  way,  unto  Seir,  signifies  the  state  of  Divine  natural  good 
on  this  occasion  whereunto  the  goods  of  truth  were  adjoined; 
way  is  the  good  of  truth  respectively. 

4375.  v  er.  12.  "  And  he  said,  Let  us  take  our  journey,  and 
let  us  go." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  successive  state  of  the 
conjunction  of  good  with  truth,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  journeying  and  going,  which  expressions,  it  is  evident,  in- 
volve progression  to  further  things,  for  progression  and  succes- 
sion are  contained  in  the  internal  sense  of  what  now  follows. 

4376.  "And  I  will  go  near  thee." — That  hereby  is  signified 
that  they  were  to  be  conjoined,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  going  near  thee,  as  denoting  adjunction,  in  the  present  case 
therefore  that  they  were  to  be  conjoined,  viz.,  good  with  truths. 

4377.  Ver.  13.  "And  he  said  unto  hiin,  My  lord  knoweth 
that  the  children  are  tender." — That  hereby  arc  signified  truths 
which  have  not  as  yet  gained  Divine  life,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  children.,  or  sons,  as  denoting  truths,  see  n.  iS9, 
491,  533,  1147,  2623,  3373 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
tender,  as  denoting  recent,  thus  which  have  gained  some  life, 
but  not  as  yet  genuine ;  in  the  present  case  it  is  Divine,  because 
the  subject  treated  of  is  the  glorification  of  the  Lord  as  to  the 
Divine  Natural  [principle].  These  things  may  be  illustrated  by 
those  which  exist  in  the  man  who  is  regenerated ;  for  the  re- 
generation of  man  is  an  image  of  the  Lord's  glorification.  The 
man  who  is  regenerated,  like  the  man  who  is  born  [naturally], 
runs  through  a  course  of  ages,  viz.,  infancy,  childhood,  adoles- 
cence or  youth,  and  adult  age,  for  the  man  who  is  regenerated 
is  born  anew:  when  he  is  an  infant,*  the  truths  appertaining  to 
him  have  indeed  life,  but  not  as  yet  spiritual  life,  they  are  only 
common  or  general  truths  without  particulars  and  singulars, 
with  which  good  at  this  time  is  conjoined,  consequently  the 
conjunction  is  only  exterior,  and  not  interior;  interior  conjunc- 
tion is  effected  successively,  as  advancement  is  made  into  the 
subsequent  ages.  The  state  of  that  infancy  is  what  is  here  sig- 
nified by  the  children  being  tender,  and  also  by  what  presently 

*  Infant  in  this  passage  is  to  be  understood  as  spoken  of  the  spiritual  man,  and 
not  of  the  natural. 


4375—4379.] 


GENESIS. 


109 


follows,  "And  the  flocks  and  herds  giving  suck,  with  rac;  and 
if  they  should  drive  them  on  in  one  day,  all  the  flocks  will 
die." 

4378.  "And  the  ilocks  and  herds  giving  suck,  with  me." — ■ 
That  hereby  are  signified  interior  and  natural  goods,  which 
have  not  as  yet  gained  Divine  life,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  flocks,  as  denoting  interior  goods,  see  n.  2566,  3783 ; 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  herds,  as  denoting  exterior  or  natu- 
ral goods,  see  n.  2566,  and  also  n.  2180,  2781  ;  and  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  giving  sucJc,  as  denoting  also  recent  princi- 
ples, which  here  are  spiritual  principles  nascent  in  the  natural. 
For  in  the  state  of  infancy,  when  man  is  regenerating,  spiritual 
principles  are  therein  with  potency,  for  spiritual  life  succes- 
sively comes  forth  as  from  an  egg,  from  whatsoever  age  ;  the 
age  of  infancy  is  as  it  were  an  egg  for  the  age  of  childhood, 
and  the  age  of  childhood  is  as  it  were  an  egg  for  the  age  of  ado 
lescence  and  youth,  and  this  latter  is  as  an  egg  for  adult  age ; 
thus  man  is  as  it  were  continually  born.  Hence  it  is  evident, 
what  is  meant  by  the  interior  and  natural  goods  that  have  not 
as  yet  gained  Divine  life,  which  are  here  signified  by  flocks 
and  herds  giving  suck.  See  also  what  was  said  just  above,  n. 
4377,  concerning  a  state  of  infancy. 

4379.  "  And  if  they  should  drive  them  on  in  one  day,  all 
the  flocks  will  die." — That  hereby  is  signified  delay  and  suc- 
cessive state,  and  that  otherwise  they  would  not  live,  thus  that 
they  were  to  be  prepared  for  conjunction,  may  appear  from  the 
series  itself;  for  in  the  preceding  part,  the  subject  treated  of  is 
the  conjunction  of  good  with  truths  in  general,  but  here  specifi- 
cally. The  process  itself  of  the  insinuation  of  truth  into  good  is 
here  described  in  the  internal  sense,  the  quality  of  which  pro- 
cess may  indeed  in  some  measure  appear  from  the  explanation 
in  general,  but  not  as  to  its  arcana,  which  are  innumerable ; 
these  arcana  are  manifest  to  those  only  who  are  in  the  light  of 
heaven,  and  like  some  rude  image  to  those  who  are  in  the  light 
of  the  world,  when  the  light  of  heaven  is  admitted  into  it.  This 
may  appear  sufficiently  plain  from  this  consideration,  that  man, 
in  being  re-born,  runs  through  ages  as  when  he  is  born  [natu- 
rally], and  that  the  preceding  state  is  always  as  an  egg  in 
respect  to  the  subsequent  one,  thus  that  he  is  continually  con- 
ceived and  born ;  and  this,  not  only  when  he  lives  in  the  world, 
but  also  when  he  comes  into  another  life  to  eternity  ;  and  still 
he  cannot  be  further  perfected,  than  to  be  as  an  egg  to  those 
things  that  remain  to  be  manifested,  which  are  indefinite.  From 
these  considerations  it  is  evident,  how  innumerable  are  the 
things  appertaining  to  the  regeneration  of  man,  whereof  scarcely 
any  are  yet  known  to  man ;  thus  what  important  things  are 
here  contained  in  the  internal  sense,  treating  of  the  successive 
state  and  manner  of  the  insinuation  of  good  into  truths. 


110 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii 


4380.  Yer.  14.  "  Let  my  lord,  I  pray  thee,  pass  over  before 
his  servant." — That  hereby  is  signified  more  common  or  general 
presence,  appears  from  the  signification  of  passing  over  before 
any  one,  as  denoting  here,  where  the  conjnnction  of  good  with 
truths  is  treated  of,  more  general  presence.  For  in  the  regene- 
ration, which  is  effected  by  the  conjunction  of  good  with  truths, 
it  is  good  which  acts  and  truth  which  suffers  itself  to  be  acted 
upon,  and  when  good  has  applied  itself  to  truths,  and  has  in  a 
small  degree  conjoined  itself  with  them,  then  truth  appears  to 
re-act;  yet  it  is  not  truth,  but  the  good  conjoined  or  adjoined 
to  it,  which  re-acts  by  truth ;  this  adjunction  is  what  is  meant 
by  more  common  or  general  presence.  It  is  said,  the  conjunc- 
tion of  good  with  truths;  but  thereby  is  meant  the  man  in  whom 
is  good  and  truth,  for  these  things  cannot  be  predicated  with* 
jut  a  subject,  which  is  man:  in  heaven  they  so  think  and  speak 
by  abstract  principles,  because  they  do  not  attribute  good  nor 
truth  to  themselves,  but  to  the  Lord,  and  because  good  and 
truth  from  the  Lord  fill  the  whole  heaven.  This  manner  of 
speaking  was  also  familiar  to  the  ancients. 

4381.  "  And  I  will  proceed  slowly." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied a  successive  state  of  preparation,  may  appear  from  the  sig- 
nification of  proceeding  slowly,  in  this  case,  where  the  insinua- 
tion of  good  into  truth,  and  the  reception  of  the  former  by  the 
latter,  are  treated  of,  as  denoting  the  successive  state  of  prepa- 
ration. 

4382.  "  To  the  foot  of  the  work  which  is  before  me."— That 
hereby  is  signified  according  to  common  or  general  principles, 
may  appear  from  the  things  which  precede  ;  by  foot  of  the 
work  are  meant  those  things  which  were  said  above,  viz.,  "that 
the  children  were  tender,  and  the  flocks  and  herds  giving  sxick, 
with  me ;  and  if  they  should  drive  them  on  in  one  day,  all  the 
flocks  will  die,"  whereby  is  signified  that  it  is  according  to 
common  or  general  principles,  as  is  evident  from  what  was 
there  said.  It  is  said  the  foot  of  the  work,  and  afterwards  the 
foot  of  the  children,  because  by  foot  is  signified  the  natural 
principle,  see  n.  2162,  3147,  3761,  3986,  4280,  and  here  the 
natural  principle  ia  treated  of. 

4383.  "  And  to  the  foot  of  the  children."— That  hereby  is 
signified  according  to  the  truths  which  are  there,  appeal's  from 
the  signification  of  children  or  sons,  as  denoting  truths,  of 
which  we  have  occasionally  spoken  above.  The  truths  which 
are  there,  are  the  truths  in  common  or  general  principles;  for 
general  principles  are  those  which  were  above  compared  to  an 
egg,  n.  4378,  since  in  general  principles  are  contained  particu- 
lars, and  in  these  singulars,  n.  4325,  4329,  4345.  In  the  first 
state,  viz.,  in  the  state  of  infancy,  there  are  particulars  therein; 
and  in  *hese,  singulars  in  potency,  but  afterwards  they  come 
forth,  and  exert  themselves  in  act,  and  thus  successively.  They 


4380—4385.] 


GENESIS. 


Ill 


who  are  regenerated  are  thus  led  by  the  Lord,  for  they  .are  im- 
bued with  general  principles,  wherein  are  those  which  follow, 
which  also  successively  come  forth,  and  this  in  an  order  and 
series  surpassing  all  comprehension;  for  all  and  singular  things 
are  foreseen  by  the  Lord,  even  as  to  what  their  quality  will  be 
to  eternity  ;  wherefore  no  other  general  truths  are  conjoined 
to  good  in  the  man  who  is  regenerated,  than  those  in  which 
particular  truths  can  be  aptly  inserted,  and  in  these  singular 
truths.  Nevertheless  these  particulars,  yea,  the  singulars  of 
particulars,  are  but  as  common  or  general  things  in  respect  to 
those  things  which  remain  to  be  manifested,  for  in  each  there 
are  still  indefinite  things.  The  angels  also  (although  in  respect 
to  man,  they  are  principled  in  wisdom  so  great,  that  what  they 
know  and  perceive  is  ineffable)  confess  that  they  only  know 
the  most  common  or  general  things  respectively,  and  that  the 
things  which  they  do  not  know  are  indefinite  ;  they  dare  not 
say  infinite,  because  there  is  no  comparison  and  ratio  between 
the  finite  and  the  infinite.  Hence  also  it  may  be  concluded 
what  the  quality  of  the  Word  is,  and  that  being  Divine  from  its 
first  origin,  it  contains  in  itself  things  infinite,  and  hence  the 
ineffable  things  appertaining  to  angelic  wisdom,  and  finally 
such  things  as  are  adapted  to  human  apprehension. 

4384.  "  Until  I  come  unto  my  lord  in  Seir." — That  hereby 
is  signified  until  they  could  be  conjoined,  viz.,  the  truth  which 
is  Jacob  with  the  good  which  is  Esau,  may  appear  from  the 
signification  of  Seir,  as  denoting  the  conjunction  of  spiritual 
things  with  celestial  in  the  natural  principle;  that  is,  of  the 
truth  of  faith  with  the  good  of  charity.  The  good  to  which 
truth  is  conjoined  in  the  natural  principle,  and  in  the  supreme 
sense  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  as  to  good  conjoined  to  truth 
therein,  is  Avhat  is  properly  signified  by  Seir  in  these  passages 
in  the  Word :  "  Jehovah  came  from  Sinai,  and  rose  up  from  Seir 
unto  them  ;  He  shone  forth  from  mount  Paran,  and  He  came 
out  from  the  myriads  of  holiness,"  Deut.  xxxiii.  2,  3.  So  in 
the  prophecy  of  Balaam,  "  I  see  him,  but  not  now ;  I  behold 
him,  but  not  nigh;  a  Star  shall  arise  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  Scep- 
tre shall  rise  out  of  Israel :  .  .  .  and  Edom  shall  be  an  inherit- 
ance, and  Seir  shall  he  an  inheritance,  of  his  enemies,  and  Is- 
rael shall  become  strong,"  Numb.  xxiv.  17, 18.  So  in  the  song 
of  Deborah  and  Barak,  "Jehovah,  when  thou  wentest  forth  out 
of  Seir,  when  thou  departedst  out  of  the  field  of  Edom,  the 
earth  trembled,  .  .  .  the  mountains  flowed  down  ;  this  Sinai 
before  Jehovah  God  of  Israel,"  Judges  v.  4,  5.  And  in  Isaiah, 
•'  He  calleth  to  me  out  of  Seir,  Watchman,  Avhat  of  the  night  ? 
Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?  The  watchman  said,  The  morn- 
ing cometh,  and  also  the  night,"  xxi.  11,  12.  See  these  pas- 
sages concerning  Seir,  and  likewise  those  adduced  in  n.  4240. 

4385.  Ver.  15.  "  And  Esau  said,  Let  me  set,  I  pray,  with 


112 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


thee  of  the  people  who  are  with  me." — That  hereby  is  signified 
that  some  things  of  the  truth  of  good  might  be  conjoined,  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  setting  with  thee,  as  denot- 
ing to  conjoin;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  people  who 
are  with  me,  as  denoting  some  things  of  the  truth  of  good;  that 
people  are  truths,  see  n.  1259,  1260,  2928,  3295,  3581,  hence 
"  the  people  who  are  with  me,"  are  truths  of  good.  What  is 
meant  by  truths  of  good,  has  been  occasionally  shown  above ; 
they  are  those  truths  which  proceed  from  good,  and  which  have 
with  them  the  good  flowing-in  through  the  internal  man  into 
the  external ;  that  those  truths  were  signified  by  the  four  hun- 
dred men  whom  Esau  had  with  him,  may  be  seen  above,  n. 
4311 ;  here  therefore  some  of  them  are  meant,  for  it  is  said, 
"  of  the  people  who  are  with  me." 

4386.  "  And  he  said,  "Wherefore  this  ?  let  me  find  grace  in 
the  eyes  of  my  lord." — That  hereby  is  signified  illustration  from 
presence  more  interiorly,  may  appear  from  what  is  involved  in 
this  formula  of  submission ;  for  by  it,  proximate  presence  is 
refused,  but  remote  presence  is  assented  to,  which  is  the  same 
with  presence  more  interiorly,  from  which  comes  illustration. 

4387.  Ver.  16.  "And  Esau  returned  in  that  day  on  his  way 
unto  Seir." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  state  of  Divine  natu- 
ral good  on  this  occasion  to  which  the  goods  of  truth  were 
adjoined,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  day,  as  denoting 
state,  see  n.  23,  487,  488,  493,  S93,  2788,  3462 ;  hence  return- 
ing in  that  day  denotes  the  state  which  on  this  occasion  he  had 
put  on  ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Esau,  as  denoting  Di- 
vine natural  good,  see  above,  n.  4340 ;  (3.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  way,  as  denoting  truth  in  will  and  act,  see  n.  4337,  4353 ; 
and  (4.)  from  the  signification  of  Seir,  as  denoting  conjunction 
of  truth  with  good,  see  above,  n.  4384.  From  these  significa- 
tions collated  into  one  sense,  it  is  evident,  that  by  the  above 
words  is  signified  the  state  of  Divine  natural  good  on  this  occa- 
sion to  which  the  goods  of  truth  were  adjoined.  That  these 
tilings  are  signified  by  the  above  words,  does  not  at  all  appeal 
from  their  historical  sense,  but  still  they  are  the  things  which 
are  involved  in  the  spiritual  or  internal  sense;  for  heaven, 
which  is  in  man,  that  is,  the  angels  who  are  attendant  upon  him, 
are  not  at  all  concerned  about  historical  worldly  things,  nor  do 
they  know  what  Esau  is,  nor  what  Seir,  neither  do  they  think 
of  the  da}'  in  which  Esau  returned,  nor  of  the  way  to  Seir,  but 
they  conceive  ideas  from  the  spiritual  things  which  correspond 
thereto,  and  hence  in  the  same  instant  they  draw  out  such  a 
sense.  This  is  the  effect  of  correspondences,  the  case  with 
which  is  nearly  like  that  of  a  person  speaking  in  a  foreign  lan- 
guage, the  sense  whereof  the  hearer  understands  in  an  instant, 
as  from  his  own  language,  nor  is  he  impeded  by  the  expres- 
sions which  have  a  foreign  sound  and  articulation; — so  it  is 


4386—4390.] 


GENESIS. 


113 


with  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  which  coincides  in  every 
respect  with  the  universal  language  in  which  the  angels  are 
principled,  or  with  the  spiritual  speech  of  their  thought  ;  their 
speech  is  spiritual,  because  their  thought  is  from  the  light  of 
heaven,  which  is  from  the  Lord. 

4388.  Verses  17  to  20.  And  Jacob  journeyed  to  Succoth, 
and  built  himself  a  house,  and  made  booths  for  his  cattle:  there- 
fore he  called  the  name  of  the  place  Succoth.  And  Jacob  cam,e 
to  Shalein,  a  city  of  Shechem,  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
in  coming  thither  from  Padan-aram,  and  he  pitched  his  camp 
at  the  faces  of  the  city.  And  he  bought  a  portion  of  a  field, 
where  he  had  stretched  his  tent,  from  the  hand  of  the  sons  of 
Humor  the  father  of  Shechem,  for  a  hundred  pieces  of  money 
(kesithce).  And  he  set  there  an  altar,  and  called  it  "El  Elohe 
Israel.  Jacob  journeyed  to  Succoth,  signifies  the  state  of  the 
life  of  good  from  truth  on  this  occasion:  and  built  himself  a 
house,  signifies  the  increase  of  good  from  truth  in  that  state  : 
and  made  booths  for  his  cattle,  signifies  in  like  manner  increase 
of  the  things  which  were  in  common  or  general  good  from 
truth  at  that  time  :  therefore  he  called  the  name  of  the  place 
Succoth,  signifies  the  quality  of  his  state  :  and  Jacob  came  to 
Shalein,  a  city  of  Shechem,  signifies  the  interior  truths  of  faith 
which  are  of  tranquillity:  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  sig- 
nifies in  the  Lord's  kingdom  :  in  coming  thither  from  Padan- 
aram,  signifies  after  the  former  state:  and  he  pitched  his  camp 
at  the  faces  of  the  city,  signifies  application :  and  bought  a  por- 
tion of  a  field,  signifies  the  appropriation  of  good  from  that 
truth :  where  he  had  stretched  his  tent,  signifies  a  holy  princi- 
ple :  from  the  hand  of  the  sons  of  Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem, 
signifies  the  origin  of  that  truth  from  a  divine  stock  from  some 
other  place  [or  persons] :  for  a  hundred  kesithse,  signifies  what 
is  full :  and  set  there  an  altar,  signifies  interior  worship :  and 
called  it  El  Elohe  Israel,  signifies  from  the  Divine  Spiritual 
[principle]. 

4389.  Yer.  17.  "And  Jacob  journeyed  to  Succoth."— That 
hereby  is  signified  the  state  of  the  life  of  good  from  truth  on 
this  occasion,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Jacob,  as 
denoting  the  good  of  truth,  concerning  which  see  above  ;  in 
the  present  case  he  denotes  good  from  truth,  derived  from  the 
things  adjoined  to  it  from  the  good  which  is  Esau,  which  things 
have  been  treated  of  above;  (2.)  from  the  signification  ofjour- 
rui/ing,  as  denoting  order  and  institutes  of  life,  see  n.  1293, 
thus  the  state  of  life  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  Succoth, 
as  denoting  the  quality  of  that  state,  see  what  follows  in  n. 
4391,  4392. 

4390.  "  And  built  himself  a  house." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied the  increase  of  good  from  truth  in  that  state,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  building  a  house,  as  denoting  to  instruct 

vol.  v.  A 


114 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


the  external  man  in  intelligence  and  wisdom,  see  n.  1488  :  and 
as  intelligence  is  of  truth  and  wisdom  is  of  good,  by  building 
a  house  is  here  signified  the  increase  of  2;ood  from  truth  ;  that 
house  is  good,  may  be  seen,  n.  2233,  3128,  3142,  3652,  3720. 
"What  the  good  of  truth  is,  was  said  above,  n.  4337,  4353,  viz., 
that  it  is  truth  in  will  and  act ;  this  truth  is  what  is  called  good, 
and  the  conscience  which  is  from  that  good,  is  called  the  con- 
science of  truth.  This  good,  which  is  from  truth,  increases  in 
proportion  as  a  man  exercises  charity  from  a  principle  of  good- 
will, thus  in  proportion  as  he  loves  his  neighbour;  and  its 
quality  is  according  to  the  quality  of  that  love.  The  reason 
why  such  frequent  mention  is  made  of  good  and  truth  in  these 
explanations,  is,  because  all  things  in  heaven,  and  hence  all 
things  in  the  Lord's  church,  have  reference  to  truth  and  good  ; 
these  two  principles  include  in  general  all  things  of  doctrine 
and  of  life,  the  truths  which  are  of  doctrine,  and  the  goods 
which  are  of  life.  The  human  mind  also,  in  the  universal,  has 
no  other  objects  than  what  are  of  truth  and  of  good,  its  under- 
standing having  for  objects  such  things  as  are  of  truth,  and  its 
will  such  things  as  are  of  good.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  truth 
and  good  are  terms  of  most  extensive  signification,  and  that 
their  derivations  are  in  immber  ineffable.  It  is  for  this  reason 
that  good  and  truth  are  so  frequently  mentioned. 

4391.  "  And  made  booths  for  his  cattle." — That  hereby 
is  signified  in  like  manner  increase  of  things  which  were  iu 
common  [or  general]  good  and  truth  at  that  time,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  cattle,  as  denoting  goods  and  truths  in 
general ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  making  booths,  or 
tents,  as  denoting  the  same  as  building  a  house,  viz.,  receiving 
increase  of  good  from  truth ;  but  with  this  difference,  that  to 
build  a  house  is  less  general,  thus  more  interior,  and  to  make 
booths  or  tents  is  more  general,  thus  more  exterior ;  the  former 
was  for  themselves,  viz.,  for  Jacob,  his  women  and  children, 
but  the  latter  for  the  subservient  things,  the  flocks  and  herds. 
In  the  Word,  booths  or  tents  properly  signify  the  holy  principle 
of  truth,  and  are  distinguished  from  tabernacles,  which  are  also 
called  tents,  by  this,  that  these  latter  signify  the  holy  principle 
of  good,  see  n.  414,  1102,  2145,  2152,  4128;  in  the  original 
tongue,  the  former  are  called  Succoth,  but  the  latter  Ohalim. 
The  holy  principle  of  truth  is  the  good  which  is  from  truth. 
That  this  is  the  signification  of  the  booths  or  tents  which  are 
called  Succoth,  is  also  evident  from  the  following  passages  in 
the  Word  :  "Jehovah  God  rode  upon  a  cherub,  and  did  fly,  and 
was  carried  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind;  he  placed  darkness 
his  hiding,  and  his  circuits  his  tent,  darkness  of  waters,  and 
clouds  of  the  heavens,''''  Psalm  xviii.  10,  11  ;  and  in  another 

Slace,  "  He  bowed  the  heavens  when  he  came  down,  and  thick 
arkness  was  under  his  feet :  and  he  rode  upon  a  cherub,  and 


4-391,  4392.] 


GENESIS. 


116 


did  fly,  and  was  carried  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind  ;  and  he 
placed  darkness  tents  round  about  him,  bindings  of  the  waters, 
clouds  of  the  heavens"  2  Sam.  xxii.,10,  11,  12,  speaking  of  Di- 
vine revelation,  or  the  Word;  to  bow  the  heavens  when  lie 
came  down,  denotes  hiding  the  interiors  of  the  Word ;  thick 
darkness  under  his  feet,  denotes  that  those  things  which  appear 
to  man  are  respectively  darkness,  such  as  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word  ;  to  ride  upon  a  cherub,  denotes  that  it  was  so  provided; 
to  place  darkness  tents  round  about  him,  or  his  circuits  his  tent, 
denotes  the  holy  principle  of  truth  hidden  within  the  sense  of 
the  letter;  bindings  of  the  waters  and  clouds  of  the  heavens, 
are  the  Word  in  the  letter;  that  clouds  of  the  heavens  are  the 
Word  in  the  letter,  see  the  preface  to  the  eighteenth  chapter  of 
Genesis,  and  n.  4060.  The  like  is  signified  by  these  words 
in  Isaiah,  "  Jehovah  will  create  upon  every  dwelling-place  of 
Mount  Zion,  and  upon  her  assemblies,  a  cloud  by  day,  and  a 
smoke  and  shining  of  a  flame  of  fire  by  night,  for  upon  all  the 
glory  shall  be  a  covering ;  and  there  shall  be  a  tent  tor  a  shade 
by  day,  .  .  .  and  for  a  refuge  and  hiding  against  inundation  and  > 
rain,"  iv.  5,  6 ;  in  this  passage  also,  cloud  is  the  literal  sense  of 
the  Word,  and  glory  the  internal  sense,  as  also  in  Matthew  xxiv. 
30 ;  Mark  xiii.  26  ;  Luke  xxi.  27 ;  tent  also  in  this  passage  de- 
notes the  holy  principle  of  truth.  It  is  said  that  interior  truths 
are  hidden,  because  if  they  had  then  been  revealed,  they  would 
have  been  profaned,  see  n.  3398,  3399,  4289 ;  which  is  also  ex- 
plained by  these  words  in  David,  "Thou  concealest  them  in  the 
secret  of  thy  faces  by  reason  of  the  insidious  counsels  of  man, 
thou  hidest  them  in  a  tent  by  reason  of  the  strife  of  tongues,''' 
Psalm  xxxi.  20.  That  tent  is  the  holy  principle  of  truth,  is  evi- 
dent also  in  Amos,  "In  that  day  I  will  set  up  the  fallen  tent  of 
David,  and  I  will  fence  up  the  breaches,  and  will  set  up  the 
ruins,  and  will  build  according  to  the  days  of  eternity,"  ix.  11 ; 
to  set  up  the  fallen  tent  of  David,  denotes  to  restore  the  holy 
principle  of  truth  after  it  has  perished ;  David  denotes  the  Lord 
in  respect  to  Divine  truth,  n.  1888,  for  a  king  is  divine  truth,  n. 
2015,  2069,  3009.  Inasmuch  as  tent  signified  the  holy  princi- 
ple of  truth,  and  to  inhabit  tents  signified  worship  thence, 
therefore  the  feast  of  tents,  which  is  called  the  feast  of  taber- 
nacles, was  instituted  in  the  Jewish  and  Israelitish  church, 
Levit.  xxiii.  34,  41  to  43 ;  Dent.  xvi.  13,  16 ;  where  alsu  that 
feast  is  called  the  feast  of  Succoth,  or  of  Tents. 

4392.  "Therefore  he  called  the  name  of  the  place  Succoth." 
■ — That  hereby  is  signified  the  quality  of  his  state,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  calling  a  name,  as  denoting  quality, 
•  see  n.  144,  145,  1754,  1896,  2009,  2724,  3006,  3421 ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  place,  as  denoting  state,  see  n.  2625, 
2837,  3356,  3387,  4321.  The  quality  of  this  state,  viz.,  of 
the  holy  state  of  truth  from  good  at  that  time,  is  what  is  in- 


116 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii 


volved  in  Succoth ;  for  Succoth  signifies  tents,  and  tents  denote 
the  holy  principle  of  truth,  as  was  shown  just  above,  n.  4391. 
The  like  also  is  signified  by  Succoth  in  David,  "  I  will  divide 
Shechein,  and  mete  out  the  valley  of  Succoth :  Gilead  is  mine, 
and  Manasseh  is  mine,  and  Ephraim  the  strength  of  my  head, 
Judah  is  my  lawgiver,"  Psalm  Ix.  6,  7 ;  cviii.  7,  8. 

4393.  Ver.  18.  "And  Jacob  came  to  Shalem,  a  city  of 
Shechem." — 'That  hereby  are  signified  interior  truths  of  faith 
which  are  of  tranquillity,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
/Shalem,  as  denoting  the  tranquillity  of  peace,  of  which  we 
shall  speak  presently;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  a  city 
of  Shechem,  as  denoting  the  interior  truths  of  faith,  of  which 
we  shall  speak  in  the  next  chapter,  where  Shechem  and  his  city 
are  treated  of ;  city  denotes  the  truth  of  faith,  as  may  be  seen  in 
n.  402,  2268,  2449,  2451,  2712,  2943,  3216.  That  Shalem  sig- 
nifies the  tranquillity  of  peace,  may  appear  from  David,  "  In 
Judah  is  God  known,  his  name  is  great  in  Isi'ael;  his  tent  is  in 
Shalem,  and  his  habitation  in  Zion.  There  brake  he  the  burn- 
ing coals*  of  the  bow,  the  shield,  and  the  sword,  and  the  war," 
Psalm  Ixxvi.  1,  2,  3;  where  it  is  evident  that  Shalem  is  the 
tranquillity  of  peace,  for  it  is  said,  that  there  he  brake  the 
burning  coals  of  the  bow,  the  shield,  and  the  sword,  and  the 
Avar  ;  also  from  its  signification  in  the  original  tongue,  for  Shalem 
is  tranquillity  and  perfection.  What  the  tranquillity  of  peace  is, 
may  be  seen  in  n.  1726,  3696 ;  in  it  are  interior  truths,  that  is, 
they  who  are  principled  in  interior  truths  in  faith  and  life ;  but 
so  long  as  they  are  in  exterior  truths,  and  especially  in  coming 
from  exterior  into  interior,  the  state  is  untranquil,  for  then 
temptation-combats  have  place.  This  also  is  here  represented 
by  Jacob,  for  after  having  been  in  fear  and  anxiety  on  account 
of  Esau,  he  lias  now  arrived  at  a  state  of  tranquillity. 

4394.  "  Which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan."— Tluit  hereby  is 
signified  in  the  Lord's  kingdom,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  the  land  of  Canaan,  as  denoting  the  Lord's  kingdom,  see  n. 
1413,  1437,  1607,  3038,  3481,  3705.  When  a  man  is  in  interior 
truths  in  faith  and  life,  he  is  in  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  in  a 
state  of  tranquillity ;  and  then  he  looks  at  exterior  things  as  he 
who,  from  a  high  hill,  looks  at  a  tempestuous  sea. 

4395.  "In  coming  thither  from  Padan-aram." — That  hereby 
is  signified  after  the  former  state,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  in  coming  thither,  as  denoting  after ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  Padan-aram,  as  denoting  the  knowledges  of 
good  and  truth,  see  n.  3664,  4107,  4112,  but  the  exterior  Know- 
ledges, which  serve  for  introducing  genuine  goods  and  truths; 
for  Laban  dwelt  there,  by  whom  is  represented  the  affection 
of  such  good,  see  n.  3612*,  3665,  3778,  3974,  3982,  39S6,  4063, 

*  The  original  Hebrew  term  literally  means  burning  coalt. 


4393— 4401.  J 


GENESIS. 


117 


4189,  4206;  wherefore  it  is  said,  "in  coming  thither  from 
Fadan-aram,"  because  there  was  a  coming  from  external  goods 
and  truths  to  interior,  thus  from  the  former  state  to  this. 

4396.  "  And  pitched  his  camp  at  the  faces  of  the  city." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  application,  viz.,  to  the  goods  of  that 
truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  pitching  a  camp,  as 
properly  denoting  arrangement  according  to  order,  see  n.  4236, 
but  in  the  present  case  application,  for  to  pitch  a  camp  here 
signifies  to  fix  a  habitation  with  his  herds  and  flocks,  which 
were  also  called  a  camp  above,  n.  4364  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  at  the  faces  of  the  city,  as  denoting  to  the  goods  of 
that  truth,  for  the  face  signifies  interior  things,  see  n.  358, 1999, 
2434,  3527,  3573,  4066,  consequently  the  affections  of  good  and 
truth  which  shine  forth  from  the  face ;  that  city  is  truth,  may 
be  seen  in  n.  402,  2268,  2449,  2451,  2712,  2943,  3216. 

4397.  Ver.  19.  "And  he  bought  a  portion  of  a  field."— That 
hereby  is  signified  the  appropriation  of  good  from  that  truth, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  buying,  as  denoting  to 
appropriate  to  himself;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  a  por- 
tion of  a  field,  as  denoting  the  good  which  was  from  that  truth. 
That  field  is  the  church  as  to  good,  tints  good,  see  n.  2971,  3196, 
3317,  3500,  3508,  3766. 

4398.  "  Where  he  had  stretched  his  tent."— That  hereby  is 
denoted  what  is  holy,  appears  from  the  signification  of  tent,  as 
denoting  what  is  hoiy,  see  n.  414, 1102,  2145,  2152,  3210. 

4399.  "  From  the  hand  of  the  sons  of  Hamor  the  father  of 
Shechem." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  origin  of  that  truth 
from  a  divine  stock  from  some  other  place  [or  persons],  will 
appear  from  what  will  be  said  in  the  following  chapter,  where 
Hamor  and  Shechem  are  treated  of. 

4400.  "For  a  hundred  kesithee." — -That  hereby  is  signified 
what  is  full,  appears  from  the  signification  of  a  hundred,  as  de- 
noting a  full  state,  see  n.  2636,  consequently  what  is  full ;  but 
properly  by  a  hundred  is  here  signified  much,  for  the  subject 
treated  of  is  the  appropriation  of  good  from  interior  truths, 
which  are  signified  by  the  sons  of  Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem, 
see  n.  4399.  In  the  internal  sense,  by  TcesitJm,  which  were 
pieces  of  money,  are  signified  such  truths ;  this  expression  is 
also  derived  from  an  expression  which  signifies  truth,  Psalm  lx. 
6.*  The  conjunction  of  good  with  those  truths  will  be  spoken 
of  below,  n.  4402. 

4401.  Yer.  20.  "And  he  set  there  an  altar."— That  hereby 
is  signified  interior  worship,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
setting  an  altar,  as  denoting  worship ;  for  an  altar  was  the 
principle  representative  of  the  Lord,  n.  921,  2777,  2811,  hence 
also  the  principal  of  worship.    By  worship  is  here  meant  interior 


*  In  our  English  versions  of  the  Psalms  it  is  verse  4th. 


118 


GENESIS.  [Chap,  xxxih. 


worship  from  the  Divine  Spiritual  [principle],  which  subject 
comes  now  to  be  treated  of. 

4402.  "And  called  it  El  Elohe  Israel."— That  hereby  is 
signified  from  the  Divine  Spiritual  [principle],  viz.,  interior  wor- 
ship, appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  El  Elohc,  concerning 
which  we  shall  speak  presently ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  Israel,  as  denoting  the  spiritual  principle,  see  n.  4286,  4292. 
In  regard  to  what  has  been  said  from  verse  17  of  this  chapter  to 
the  present  verse,  the  case  is  this:  The  subject  treated  of  in  this 
chapter,  in  the  supreme  sense,  is  concerning  the  Lord,  how  He 
made  His  Natural  [principle]  Divine.  But  whereas  those  things, 
which  in  the  supreme  sense  relate  to  the  Lord,  exceed  the  ideas 
of  man's  thought,  because  they  are  Divine,  it  is  allowed  to  illus- 
trate them  by  such  things  as  fall  nearer  into  the  ideas,  viz.,  by 
the  manner  in  which  the  Lord  regenerates  the  natural  principle 
of  man ;  for  the  regeneration  of  man  as  to  his  natural  principle 
is  here  also  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense,  inasmuch  as  the 
regeneration  of  man  is  an  image  of  the  Lord's  glorification,  see 
n.  3138,  3212,  3296,  3190 ;  for  the  Lord  glorified  Himself  or 
made  Himself  Divine,  according  to  divine  order;  and  also  ac- 
cording to  such  order  He  regenerates  man,  that  is,  makes  him 
celestial  and  spiritual :  in  the  present  case  we  shall  illustrate  vhe 
above  by  considering  how  the  spiritual  man  is  made,  for  Israel 
signifies  that  man.  The  spiritual  man  is  not  the  interior  rational 
man,  but  the  interior  natural ;  the  interior  rational  man  is  what 
is  called  celestial ;  the  difference  between  the  spiritual  and  coles- 
tial  man  has  been  often  shown  above ;  man  is  made  spiritual  by 
this,  that  the  truths  appertaining  to  him  are  conjoined  with  good, 
that  is,  the  things  of  iaith  are  conjoined  with  those  of  charity, 
and  tli is  in  his  natural  principle ;  in  that  principle  exterior 
truths  are  first  conjoined  with  good,  and  next  interior  truths. 
The  conjunction  of  exterior  truths  in  the  natural  principle  is 
treated  of  in  this  chapter  from  verse  1  to  17,  and  the  conjunction 
of  interior  truths  with  good,  from  verse  17  to  the  end.  Interior 
truths  are  conjoined  with  good  in  no  other  way  than  by  illus- 
tration flowing-in  through  the  internal  man  into  the  external ; 
by  this  illustration  divine  truths  are  made  manifest,  but  only  in 
a  common  or  general  way,  comparatively  as  innumerable  objects 
are  manifested  to  the  eye  as  one  obscure  object  without  distinc- 
tion. This  illustration,  by  virtue  whereof  truths  appear,  but 
only  in  a  common  or  general  view,  was  signified  by  Esau's  words 
to  Jacob,  "  Let  me  set,  I  pray,  with  thee  of  the  people  who  are 
with  me,"  and  by  Jacob's  answer,  "Wherefore  this?  let  me 
find  grace  in  thine  eyes,"  concerning  which,  see  n.  4385,  4386. 
That  the  spiritual  man  is  respectively  in  an  obscure  principle, 
may  be  seen  in  n.  2708,  2715,  2716,  2718,  2831,  2819,  2935, 
2937,  3241,  3246,  3833;  this  spiritual  man  is  represented  by 
Israel,  n.  4286;  he  is  called  a  spiritual'  man  from  this  circum- 


4402.] 


GKXESIS. 


119 


stance,  that  the  light  of  heaven,  in  which  is  intelligence  and 
wisdom,  flows  into  those  things  in  man  which  are  of  the  light 
of  the  world,  and  causes  the  things  of  the  light  of  heaven  to  be 
represented  in  these  latter  things  of  the  light  of  the  world,  and 
thereby  to  correspond :  for  the  spiritual  principle,  viewed  in 
itself,  is  divine  light  itself  from  the  Lord,  consequently  it  is  the 
intelligence  of  truth,  and  the  wisdom  thence  derived :  but  with 
the  spiritual  man,  that  light  falls  into  those  things  which  are  of 
faith  with  him,  and  which  he  believes  to  be  true;  whereas 
with  the  celestial  man  it  falls  into  the  good  of  love.  But  al- 
though these  things  are  clear  to  those  who  are  in  the  light  of 
heaven,  they  are  still  obscure  to  those  who  are  in  the  light  of 
the  world,  thus  to  the  generality  at  this  day,  and  possibly  so 
obscure  as  to  be  scarcely  intelligible  ;  nevertheless,  as  these 
things  are  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense,  and  are  of  such  a 
nature,  the  opening  of  them  cannot  be  dispensed  with ;  a  time 
is  about  to  come  when  there  will  he  illustration.  The  altar  was 
called  El  Eloiie  Israel,  and  thereby  was  signified  interior 
worship  from  the  Divine  Spiritual  principle ;  because  in  the 
supreme  sense,  El  Elohe  is  the  same  as  the  Divine  Spiritual, 
and  also  Israel :  Israel  is  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Spiritual, 
and  in  the  representative  sense  is  the  Lord's  spiritual  church, 
or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  is  the  man  who  is  such  a  church ; 
see  n.  4286,  4292.  In  the  original  tongue,  El  Elohe  signifies 
God  God,  and  strictly  according  to  the  words,  God  of  gods. 
In  the  AVord,  Jehovah  or  the  Lord  is  in  several  places  named 
El  in  the  singular,  also  Eloah,  and  is  likewise  named  Elohim 
in  the  plural,  each  sometimes  in  one  verse  or  in  one  series; 
the  reason  why  He  is  so  named  cannot  be  known,  unless 
the  internal  sense  of  the  Word  be  known.  That  El  involves 
one  thing,  Eloah  another,  and  Elohim  another,  every  one  may 
judge  from  this,  that  the  Word  is  divine,  or  derives  its  origin 
from  the  Divine,  and  that  it  is  hence  inspired  as  to  all  expres- 
sions, yea,  as  to  the  smallest  point.  What  is  involved  in  El, 
when  it  is  named,  and  what  in  Elohim,  may  appear  from  what 
has  been  abundantly  shown  above,  viz.,  that  El  and  Elohim  or 
God  is  mentioned  when  truth  is  treated  of,  see  n.  709,  2586, 
2769,  2807,  2822,  3921,  4287.  Hence  it  is,  that  by  El  and 
Elohim  in  the  supreme  sense  is  signified  the  Divine  Spiritual, 
for  this  is  the  same  as  Divine  Truth  ;  but  with  this  difference, 
that  by  El  is  signified  truth  in  the  will  and  act,  which  is  the 
same  thing  as  the  good  of  truth,  see  n.  4337,  4353,  4390.  Elo- 
him in  the  plural  is  used,  because  by  the  Divine  Truth  are 
meant  all  truths  which  are  from  the  Lord  ;  hence  also  the  an- 
gels in  the  Word  are  sometimes  called  Elohim,  or  gods  (n.  4295), 
as  will  likewise  appear  from  the  passages  below  adduced  from 
the  Word.  As  El  and  Elohim  in  the  supreme  sense  signify  the 
Lord  as  to  truth,  they  also  signify  Him  as  to  power,  for  it  is 


120 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


truth  of  which  power  is  predicated,  since  good  acts  by  truth 
when  it  exercises  power,  see  n.  3091,  4015 ;  therefore,  where- 
soever power  derived  from  truth  is  treated  of  in  the  Word,  the 
Lord  is  called  El  and  Elohim,  or  God  ;  hence  also  it  is,  that  in 
the  original  tongue,  El  likewise  signifies  one  who  is  powerful. 
That  the  names  of  El  and  Elohim,  or  God,  are  used  in  the 
Word,  where  the  Divine  Spiritual  is  treated  of,  or  what  is  the 
same  thing,  the  Divine  Truth,  and  thence  the  Divine  Power, 
may  further  appear  from  these  passages:  ''God  said  unto  Israel 
in  the  visions  of  the  night,  I  am  the  God  of  the  gods  (El  Elohe) 
of  thy  father :  fear  not  to  go  down  into  Egypt ;  for  I  will  there 
make  of  thee  a  great  nation,"  Gen.  xlvi.  2,  3  ;  as  these  words 
were  spoken  to  Israel,  of  whom  He  would  make  a  great  nation, 
and  thereby  truth  and  its  power  are  treated  of,  it  is  said  El 
Elohe,  which  in  the  proximate  sense  signifies  God  of  gods. 
That  Elohim,  in  the  proximate  sense,  are  gods,  because  they 
are  predicated  of  truths  and  the  power  thence  derived,  is  evi- 
dent also  from  the  following  passage,  "  There  Jacob  built  an 
altar,  and  called  the  place  El-beth-el,  because  there  the  Elohim 
were  revealed  to  him,  when  he  fled  from  the  face  of  his  brother," 
Genesis  xxxv.  7  ;  and  in  another  place,  "  Jehovah  our  God, 
himself  the  God  of  gods,  and  Lord  of  lords,  the  God  (El)  great, 
powerful,  and  terrible,"  Dent.  x.  17  ;  where  God  of  gods  is  ex- 
pressed by  Elohe  Elohim,  and  afterwards  God  by  El,  to  Whom 
is  attributed  greatness  and  power.  So  in  David,  "  God  (El), 
the  great  Jehovah,  and  the  great  King  over  all  gods  (Elohim), 
in  whose  hand  are  the  tracings  out  (pcrvest  igatio?ic$)  of  the 
earth ;  the  strengths  of  the  mountains  are  his  also,"  Psalm  xcv. 
3,  4 ;  where  the  name  God  or  El  is  used,  because  the  sub- 
ject treated  of  is  concerning  the  Divine  Truth  and  the  power 
thence  derived  ;  mention  is  also  made  of  gods,  because  truths 
thence  derived  are  treated  of;  for  king,  in  the  internal  sense, 
signifies  truth,  see  n.  1672,  2015,  2069,^3009,  3670 ;  hence  it  is 
evident  what  is  involved  in  the  expression  "  a  great  King  over 
all  gods ;"  the  tracings  out  of  the  earth,  are  also  the  truths  of 
the  church,  which  are  called  strengths  of  the  mountains  from 
power  grounded  in  good.  Again,  "  Who  in  the  heaven  shall 
compare  himself  unto  Jehovah  ?  who  among  the  sons  of  the 
yods  (Elim;  shall  be  likened  unto  Jehovah  ?  God  (El)  strong 
in  the  secret  of  the  saints.  Jehovah  God  of  Sabaoth,  who  is 
as  Thou,  the  mighty  Jah?"  lxxxix.  6,  7,  8 ;  in  this  passage  the 
sons  of  the  gods,  or  Elim,  denote  divine  truths,  of  which  it  is 
evident  that  power  is  predicated,  for  it  is  said,  God  (El)  strong, 
Jehovah  God  of  armies,  who  is  mighty  as  Thou?  In  like  man- 
ner in  another  place,  "  Give  unto  Jehovah,  O  ye  sons  of  the 
gods,  give  unto  Jehovah  glory  and  st>'e?igth"  xxix.  1.  And 
in  Moses,  "  They  fell  upon  their  faces,  and  said,  God  of  the 
gods  (El  Elohe)  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,"  Numb.  xvi.  22.  And 


4102.] 


GENESIS. 


121 


in  David,  "I  have  said,  Ye  are  gods  (Elohim),  and  ye  are  all 
the  sons  of  the  Most  High,"  Psalm  lxxxii.  6 ;' John  x.  31; 
where  they  are  called  gods  from  truths,  for  sons  are  truths,"  see 
n.  489,  491,  533,  1147,  2628,  3373,  3704.  Again,  "  Confess 
ye  to  the  God  of  gods  (Elohe  Elohim),  confess  ye  to  the  Lord 
of  lords,"  cxxxvi.  2,  3.  And  in  Daniel,  "The  king  shall  do 
according  to  his  pleasure,  and  he  shall  lilt  himself  up,  and  shall 
exalt  himself  ahove  every  God  (El),  and  over  the  God  of  gods 
(El  Elohim)  he  shall  speak  marvellous  things,"  xi.  36.  Ilence 
it  is  evident  that  in  the  proximate  sense,  El  Elohe  is  God  of 
gods ;  and  that  in  the  internal  sense,  gods  are  predicated  of 
truths  which  are  from  the  Lord.  The  expression  El  or  God 
in  the  singular  is  nsed  when  treating  of  power  from  the  Divine 
Truth,  or  what  is  the  same  thing,  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Spir- 
itual [principle],  as  is  evident  from  the  following  passages  : 
"  Let  my  hand  be  to  God  (El)  to  do  with  thee  evil,"  Gen. 
xxxi.  29.  And  in  another  place,  "Nor  a  hand  for  God  (El)," 
Dent,  xxviii.  32.  And  in  Micah,  "  Nor  a  hand  for  God  (El)," 
ii.  1.  A  hand  for  God  signifies  that  there  is  power;  that  hand 
denotes  power,  may  be  seen  in  n.  878,  3387 ;  and  that  hand  is 
predicated  of  truth,  n.  3091.  So  in  David,  "I  will  set  his  hand 
in  the  sea,  and  his  right  hand  in  the  rivers  ;  he  shall  call  me, 
Thou  my  Father,  my  God  (El),  the  rock  of  my  salvation,"  Psalm 
lxxxix.  25,  26  ;  speaking  of  power  grounded  in  truths.  Again, 
"The  wicked  one  saith  in  his  heart,  God  (El)  hath  forgotten, 
he  hath  hidden  his  faces,  he  will  never  see.  Arise,  O  Jehovah 
God  (El),  lift  up  thine  hand.  .  .  .  Wherefore  cloth  the  wicked 
despise  God  (Elohim)?"  x.  11,  12,  13;  where  the  sense  is  the 
same.  Again,  "  Jehovah  my  rock  (petra),  and  my  fortress,  and 
my  deliverer,  my  God  (El),  my  rock  (rupesY"  xviii.  2 ;  speaking 
of  power.  So  in  Isaiah,  "The  remnant  shall  return,  the  rem- 
nant of  Jacob  unto  the  powerful  God  (El),"  x.  21.  Again, 
"  Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given,  and  the  gov- 
ernment shall  be  upon  his  shoulder :  he  shall  call  his  name, 
"Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God  (El),  The  Father  of 
Eternity,  The  Prince  of  Peace,"  ix.  6.  Again,  in  the  same 
prophet,  "  Behold  the  God  (El)  of  my  salvation ;  I  will  trust, 
and  will  not  be  afraid  because  he  is  my  strength"  xii.  2.  Again, 
u  I  am  God  (El)  even  from  the  day,  I  myself,  and  no  one 
snatcheth  out  of  my  hand:  I  do,  and  who  shall  retract  it?" 
xliii.  12, 13;  speaking  of  power.  So  in  Jeremiah,  "The  Great, 
the  Mighty  God  (El),  whose  name  is  Jehovah  of  Flosts,"  xxxii. 
IS.  And  in  the  second  book  of  Samuel,  "  With  my  God  (El) 
I  will  leap  over  the  wall.  God  (El),  his  way  is  perfect,  the 
word  of  Jehovah  is  pure.  .  .  .  Who  is  God  (El)  but  Jehovah? 
who  is  a  rock  except  our  God  (Elohim)?  God  (El)  is  the  strength 
of  my  refuge,"  xxii.  30,  33.  And  in  Moses,  "  God  (El)  is  not  a 
man  (w),  that  he  should  lie;  nor  the  son  of  man,  that  he 


122 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


should  repent :  hath  he  said,  and  shall  he  not  do  ?  or  hath  lie 
spoken,  and  shall  he  not  establish  ?  .  .  .  He  brought  them  forth 
out  of  Egypt,  he  hath  as  it  were  the  strength  of  an  unicorn  ; 
...  in  that  time  it  shall  be  said  to  Jacob  and  Israel,  "What  hath 
God  (El)  wrought?"  Numb,  xxiii.  19,  22,  23;  speaking,  in  the 
internal  sense,  concerning  power  and  truth.  And  again,  "  God 
(El)  who  brought  him  forth  out  of  Egypt,  he  hath  as  it  were 
the  strength  of  an  unicorn ;  he  shall  consume  the  nations  his 
enemies,  and  shall  break  their  bones,  and  shall  bruise  his  wea- 
pons," xxiv.  8  ;  that  the  horn  and  strength  of  the  unicorn  sig- 
nify the  power  of  truth  from  good,  may  be  seen  in  n.  2832, 
and  in  many  other  passages  likewise.  Inasmuch  as  several  ex- 
pressions in  the  Word  have  also  an  opposite  sense,  so  also  have 
God  and  gods,  and  these  expressions  are  applied  when  the  false 
principle  and  power  derived  therefrom  are  treated  of,  as  in 
Ezekiel,  ''The  gods  (elim)  of  the  mighty  out  of  the  midst  of 
hell  shall  accost  him,"  xxxii.  21.  And  in  Isaiah,  "  Ye  have 
heated  yourselves  in  the  gods  (elim)  under  every  green  tree," 
Ivii.  5  ;  where  gods  are  predicated  of  falses.  In  like  manner 
in  other  places. 


A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  SUBJECT  CONCERNING  THE  GRAND  MAN, 
AND  CORRESPONDENCE;  ESPECIALLY  CONCERNING  THE  CORRE- 
SPONDENCE WITH  THE  EYE  AND  LIGHT. 

4403.  WHAT  was  the  quality  of  spirits,  and  to  what  prov- 
ince of  the  body  they  belonged,  it  has  been  given  me  also  to  observe 
and  know  from  their  situation  and  place  with  me,  likewise  from 
the  plane  in  which  they  were,  and  from  their  distance  in  that 
plane.  They  who  were  seen  near  me,  were  for  the  most  part 
subjects  of  entire  societies :  for  societies  send  from  themselves 
spirits  to  others,  and  by  them  perceive  the  thoughts  and  affec- 
tions, and  thus  communicate:  but,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the 
Lord,  we  shall  speak  in  a  distinct  work  concerning  the  subjects, 
as  they  are  called,  or  emissary  spirits.  These  things  have  been 
observed  of  them :  they  who  appear  above  and  near  the  head,  are 
they  who  teach,  and  also  suffer  themselves  easily  to  be  taught  : 
they  who  are  beneath  the  hinder  part  of  the  head,  are  they  who 
act  tacitly  and  prudently  •  they  who  are  near  the  back,  in  like 
manner,  but  with  a  difference  y  those  at  the  thorax  or  breast,  are 
they  who  are  in  charity  •  those  at  the  loins,  are  such  as  are  in 
conjugial  love  ;  those  at  the  feet,  are  such  as  are  natural',  and 
those  at  the  soles  of  the  feet,  are  the  grosser  of  that  kind.  But 
they  who  are  at  the  face,  are  of  a  different  nature  according  to 
the  correspondences  with  the  sensories  which  are  there  /  thus. 


4403—4407.] 


GENESIS. 


123 


they  who  are  at  the  nostrils,  are  such  as  excel  in  perception  f 
they  xoho  are  at  the  ears,  are  such  as  obey  ;  they  who  are  at  the 
eyes,  are  such  as  are  intelligent  and  wise  ;  and  so  forth. 

4404.  The  external  senses,  which  are  Jive,  vis.',  the  touch  ,  the 
taste,  the  smell,  the  hearing,  and  the  sight,  have  each  a  corre- 
spondence with  the  internal  senses;  but  coi'respondences  at  this 
day  are  known  scarcely  to  any  one,  because  it  is  not  known  that 
there  are  any  correspondences,  and  still  less  that  there  is  a  cor- 
respondence of  spiritual  with  natural  things,  or  in  other  words, 
of  those  things  which  are  of  the  internal  man  with  those  which 
are  of  the  external  man.  As  to  the  correspondences  of  the  senses, 
the  sense  of  touch  in  general  corresponds  to  the  affection  of 
good ;  the  sense  of  taste  to  the  affection  of  knowing  :  the  sense 
of  smell  to  the  affection  of ' jyerceiving  ;  the  sense  of  hearing  to 
the  affection  of  learning,  also  to  obedience  ;  and  the  sense  of 
seeing  to  the  affection  of  understanding  and  of  growing  wise. 

4405.  The  reason  why  the  sense  of  seeing  corresponds  to  the 
affection  of  understanding  and  of  growing  wise,  is,  because  the 
sight  of  the  body  altogether  corresponds  to  the  sight  of  its  spirit, 
thus  to  the  understanding.  For  there  are  two  lights  :  one,  which 
is  of  the  wo/id,  from  the  sun;  the  other,  which  ts  of  heaven, 
from  the  Lord:  in  the  light  of  the  world  there  is  nothing  of 
intelligence,  but  in  the  light  of  heaven  there  is  intelligence ; 
hence,  so  far  as  with  man  the  things  which  are  of  the  light  of 
the  world  are  illuminated  by  those  of  the  light  of  heaven,  so  far 
the  man  understands  and  is  wise  ;  thus  so  far  as  they  corre- 
spond. 

4406.  As  the  sight  of  the  eye  corresponds  to  the  understand- 
ing, therefore  also  sight  is  attributed  to  the  understanding,  and 
is  ccdled  intellectual  sight;  those  things  also  which  man  per- 
ceives, are  called  the  objects  of  that  sight ;  and  also  in  common 
discourse  it  is  usual  to  say  that  objects  are  seen  when  they  are 
understood ;  light  and  illumination  likewise,  and  consequent 
clearness,  are  predicated  of  the  understanding ;  and  on  the  other 
hand  shade  and  darkness,  and  consequent  obscurity.  These  and 
similar  things  have  come  to  be  expressed  in  mail's  ordinary  dis- 
course, because  they  correspond  ;  for  his  spirit  is  in  the  light  of 
heaven,  and  his  body  in  the  light  of  the  world,  and  it  is  his 
spirit  which  lives  in  the  body,  and  also  thinks ;  hence  several 
things,  which  are  of  an  interior  kind,  have  thus  fallen  into  ex- 
pressions of  outward  speech. 

4407.  The  eye  is  the  most  noble  organ  of  the  face,  and  com- 
municates more  immediately  with  the  understanding  than  the 
rest  of  man^s  organs  of  sense ;  it  is  also  modified  by  a  more  sub- 
tle atmosphere  than  the  ear,  on  which  account  likewise  the  sight 
penetrates  to  the  internal  sensory,  which  is  in  the  brain,  by  a 
shorter  and  more  interior  way  than  speech  perceived  by  the  ear. 
Hence  also  it  is,  that  certain  animals,  inasmuch  as  they  are  void 


124 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


of  understanding,  have  two  as  it  were  succenturiate*  cerebra 
within  the  orbits  of  their  eyes  •  for  their  intellectual  principle 
depends  on  their  sight  /  whereas  man  is  not  so  [formed],  but  has 
the  advantage  of  a  large  cerebrum,  that  his  intellectual  princi- 
ple may  not  depend  upon  his  sight,  but  his  sight  upon  his  in- 
tellectual principle.  That  the  sight  of  man  depends  upon  his 
intellectual  principle,  is  very  manifest  from  this  consideration, 
that  his  natural  affections  effigy  themselves  representatively  in  the 
face  J  whereas  the  interior  affections,  which  are  of  the  thought, 
appear  in  the  eyes  from  a  certain  flame  of  life,  and  consequent 
evibration  of  light,  which  sparkles  forth  hccording  to  the  affec- 
tion in  which  the  thought  is.  This  also  man  knows  and  observes, 
although  not  instructed  by  any  science  /  because  his  spirit  is  in 
society  with  spirits  and  angels  in  the  other  life,  who  know  it 
from  evident  perception.  That  every  man  as  to  his  spirit  is  in 
society  with  spirits  and  angels,  may  be  seen  in  n.  1277,  2379, 
3644,  3645. 

4408.  That  there  is  a  correspondence  of  the  ocular  sight 
with  the  intellectual  sight,  appears  manifestly  to  those  who  re- 
flect ;  for  the  objects  of  the  world,  which  all  derive  something 
from  the  light  of  the  sun,  enter  in  by  the  eye,  and  store  them- 
selves up  in  the  memory  /  and  this  evidently  tinder  a  like  visual 
appearance,  for  the  things  which  are  thence  reproduced,  are  seen 
within:  hence  the  imagination  of  man,  the  ideas  of  which  are 
called  by  philosophers  material  ideas.  When  these  objects 
appear  still  more  inteHorly,  they  constitute  thought,  and  this 
also  under  some  visual  appearance,  but  more  pure ;  and  the 
ideas  of  this  latter  are  called  immaterial,  and  intellectual. 
That  there  is  an  interior  light,  in  which  is  life,  consequently 
intelligence  and  wisdom,  which  illuminates  the  interior  sight, 
and  meets  those  things  which  have  entered  by  the  external  sight, 
is  clearly  manifest ;  also  that  the  interior  light  operates  accord- 
ing to  the  arrangement  of  the  things  which  are  there  from  the 
light  of  the  world.  The  things  which  enter  by  hearing,  are 
also  changed  within  into  appearances  like  those  of  the  visual 
objects  from  the  light  of  the  world. 

4409.  Inasmuch  as  ocular  sight  corresponds  to  intellectual 
sight,  it  also  corresponds  to  truths  j  for  all  things  which  are  of 
the  intellect  have  ?'elation  to  truth,  and  also  to  good,  viz.,  that  it 
may  not  only  know  good,  but  also  may  be  affected  by  good.  All 
things  likewise  of  the  external  sight  have  relation  to  truth  and 
good,  since  they  have  relation  to  the  symmetries  of  objects,  conse- 
quently to  their  beauties  and  pleasantnesses  thence  derived.  Any 
person  of  discernment  may  see  that  all  things  in  nature,  both  in 

*  It  may  be  necessary  to  inform  the  unlearned  reader,  that  by  hiccenturiate,  as 
here  applied  to  the  cerebra  of  certain  animals,  is  meant  somewhat  supplying  the 
place  of  cerebra,  the  term  being  taken  from  the  Latin  tuccenturiatus,  which  was 
applied  by  the  Itomaus  to  denote  one  who  was  substituted  in  another's  place. 


4408—4112.] 


GENESIS. 


125 


ami  rat  and  hi  particular,  have  relation  to  truth  and  good;  and 
by  this  also  he  may  know  that  universal  nature  is  a  theatre  rep- 
resentative of  the  Lord's  kingdom. 

4410.  L>y  much  experience  it  has  been  made  manifest  to  me, 
that  the  sight  of  the  left  eye  corresponds  to  truths  which  are  of 
the  understanding,  and  the  right  eye  to  the  affections  of  truth 
tvhich  are  also  of  the  understanding ;  consequently  that  the  left 
eye  corresponds  to  the  truths  of  faith,  and  the  right  eye  to  the 
goods  of  faith.  The  ground  of  such  correspondence  is,  because 
in  the  light  which  is  from  the  Lord,  there  is  not  only  light,  but 
also  heat  ;  the  light  itself  is  the  truth  which  proceeds  from  the 
Lord,  and  the  heat  is  the  good  ;  hence,  and  also  from  the  influx 
into  the  two  hemispheres  of  the  brain,  there  is  such  correspond- 
ence /  for  they  who  are  in  good  are  to  the  right  of  the  Lord, 
and  they  who  are  in  truth  to  the  left. 

4411.  All  the  things,  which  we  in  the  eye,  have  their  corre- 
spondences in  the  heavens,  as  the  three  humours,  the  aqueous,  the 
vitreous,  and  the  crystalline ;  and  not  only  the  humours,  but 
also  the  coats,  yea,  each  individual  part.  The  interior  things 
of  the  eye  have  more  beautiful  and  pleasant  correspondences,  but 
with  a  difference  in  each  heaven.  When  the  above  light,  which 
proceeds  from  the  Lord,  flows  into  the  inmost  or  third  heaven, 
it  is  received  there  as  the  good  which  is  called  charity:  and 
when  it  flows  into  the  middle  or  second  heaven,  mediately  and 
immediately,  it  is  received  as  the  truth  which  is  from  charity ; 
but  when  this  truth  flows  into  the  last  or  first  heaven,  mediately 
and  immediately,  it  is  received  substantially,  and  appeal's  there 
as  a  paradise,  and  in  some  places  as  a  city  wherein  are  pal- 
aces ;  thus  the  correspondences  succeed  each  other  even  to  the 
external  sight  of  the  angels.  Ln  like  manner  in  man,  in  his 
•ultimate  principle,  which  is  the  eye,  the  above  [truths  is  pre- 
sented materially  by  the  sight,  whose  objects  are  the  things  apiper- 
taining  to  the  visible  world.  The  man  who  is  in  love  and 
charity,  and  thence  in  faith,  has  his  interioi's  such,  for  they 
correspond  to  the  three  heavens,  and  he  is  in  effigy  a  little 
heaven. 

4412.  There  was  a  certain  person  with  whom  Lwas  acquaint- 
ed in  the  life  of  the  body,  but  not  as  to  the  mind  [animus]*  and 
interior  affections  ;  he  occasionally  discoursed  with  me  in  the 
other  life,  but  for  a  little  while,  at  a  distance.  Ln  general  he 
manifested  himself  by  pleasant  representatives,  for  he  could 
present  things  which  delighted,  such  as  colours  of  every  kind. 

*  It  maybe  expedient  here  to  remind  the  reader,  that  by  mind,  when  a  trans- 
lation from  the  Latin  animus,  is  meant  the  human  mind  as  consisting  of  external 
affections  and  consequent  inclinations,  which  are  chiefly  insinuated  after  birth  bv 
education,  social  intercourse,  and  habits  thence  derived  ;  and  not  the  mind  as  con- 
sisting of  the  will  and  understanding,  this  latter  mind  being  universally  called 
mens  by  the  author. 


126 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


and  beautiful  coloured  forms  •  he  could  also  introduce  infants 
beautifully  decorated  as  angels,  and  several  like  things  which 
were  pleasant  and  delightful :  he  acted  by  a  gentle  and  soft 
influx  into  the  tunic  of  the  left  eye  ;  by  such  things  he  insinu- 
ated himself  into  the  affections  of  others,  for  the  end  of  pleasing 
and  delighting  their  life.  It  was  told  me  by  the  angels,  that 
such  are  they  toho  belong  to  the  coats  of  the  eye,  and  that  they 
communicate  with  the  paradisiacal  heavens,  where  truths  and 
goods  are  represented  in  a  substantial  form,  as  was  said  above, 
4411. 

4413.  That  the  light  of  heaven  has  in  it  intelligence  and 
wisdom,  and  that  it  is  the  intelligence  of  truth  and  the  wisdom 
of  good  from  the  Lord,  which  appears  as  light  before  the  eyes 
of  the  angels,  it  has  been  given  me  to  knoio  by  living  experience  ; 
I  have  been  elevated  into  the  light,  which  glittered  like  the  light 
radiating  from  diamonds;  and  whilst  I  was  kept  in  it,  I  seemed 
to  myself  to  be  withdrawn  from  corporeal  ideas,  and  to  be  led 
into  spiritual  ideas,  and  thus  into  those  things  which  are  of  the 
intelligence  of  truth  and  good  /  the  ideas  of  thought,  which  de- 
rived their  origin  from  the  light  of  the  world,  appeared  on  this 
occasion  removed  from  me,  and  as  it  were  not  belonging  to  me, 
although  they  were  obscurely  present.  Hence  it  was  given  me  to 
know,  that  so  far  as  man  comes  into  that  light,  so  far  he  comes 
into  intelligence.  From  this  ground  it  is,  that  the  more  intelli- 
gent the  angels  are,  in  so  much  the  greater  and  more,  illustrious 
light  they  are. 

4414.  The  differences  of  light  in  heaven  are  as  many  as  are 
the  angelic  societies  which  constitute  heaven,  yea,  as  many  as  are 
the  angels  in  each  society  :  the  reason  is,  because  heaven  is  ar- 
ranged according  to  all  the  differences  of  good  and  truth,  thus 
according  to  all  the  states  of  intelligence  and  wisdom,  conse- 
quently according  to  the  receptions  of  the  light  derived  from  the 
Lord.  Hence  it  is,  that  the  light  is  not  exactly  similar  any 
where  in  the  universal  heaven,  but  differs  according  as  it  is 
differently  tempered-  with  the  flaming  and  the  bright  white 
principles,  and  according  to  the  degrees  of  its  intenseness  ;  for 
zntelligence  and  wisdom  is  nothing  else  than  an  eminent  modi- 
fication of  the  heavenly  light  from  the  Lord. 

4415.  Recent  souls,  or  novitiate  spirits,  viz.,  who  some  days 
after  the  death  of  the  body  come  into  the  other  life,  are  greatly 
surprised  that  there  is  light  in  the  other  life  ;  for  they  bring 
with  them  the  ignorance  of  supposing  that  light  is  from  no  other 
source  than  from  the  sun,  and  from  material  flame  :  still  less 
do  they  know,  that  there  is  any  light  which  illuminates  the  un- 
derstanding, for  they  have  not  perceived  this  in  the  I  if e^  of  the 
body  ;  and  still  less,  that  that  light  gives  the  faculty  of  thinking, 
and,  by  influx  into  the  forms  derived,  from  the  light  of  the  world, 
constitutes  all  things  which  are  of  the  understanding.    If  they 


4413—1416.] 


GENESIS. 


127 


have  been  good,  they  are  elevated  to  heavenly  societies  that  they 
may  be  instr  ucted,  and  f  rom  society  into  society,  that  th  ey  may 
perceive  by  living  experience  that  in  the  other  life  there  is  light, 
far  more  intense  than  any  where  exists  in  the  world  ;  and  that 
at  the  same  time  they  may  perceive,  that  so  far  as  they  are  in 
the  light  there,  so  far  they  are  in  intelligence.  Some,  who  were 
tah  n  up  into  spheres  of  celestial  light,  discoursed  with  me  thence, 
and  confessed  that  they  had  never  believed  any  thing  of  the  hind, 
and  that  the  light  of  the  world  is  respectively  darkness;  they 
also  looked  thence  through  my  eyes  into  the  light  of  the  world, 
and  had  no  other  perception  of"  it  than  as  of  a  dark  mist;  and 
from  commiseration  said,  that  man  is  in  such  a  mist.  From 
what  has  been  said  above,  it  may  also  appear  why  the  celestial 
cmgx  Is  are  called,  in  the  Word,  angels  of  ligh  t.  That  the  Lord  is 
thi  light,  and  thence  the  life  of  men,  see  John  i.  1  to  9  ;  viii.  12. 

4416.  From  the  light  in  which  spirits  are  in  the  other  life, 
their  quality  appears  ;  for  the  light  in  which  they  see,  corresponds 
to  the  light  by  virtue  of  which  they  perceive,  as  was  said  above. 
Tin  y  who  have  known  truths,  and  have  also  confirmed  them  in 
themselves,  and  yet  have  lived  a  life  of  evil,  appear  in  a  snowy 
light,  but  (■old,  like  the  light  of  winter ;  but  when  they  come  near 
those  who  are  in  the  light  of  heaven,  their  light  is  cdtogcther 
darkened,  and  becomes  grossly  dark ;  and  when  they  remove 
themselves  from  the  light  of  heaven,  there  succeeds  a  faint  yel- 
low light  as  from  sulphur,  in  which  they  appear  as  spectres,  and 
their  truths  as  phantasms  ;  for  their  truths  were  of  a  persuasive 
faith,  which  faith  is  such,  that  they  believed  because  they  had 
obtained  honour,  gain,  and  consequent  reputaion  thereby,  and  it 
was  the  same  thing  to  them  what  wets  considered  true,  provided 
it  was  generedly  received.  But  they  who  are  in  evil  and  thence 
in  false  principles,  appear  in  a  gloomy  light  as  of  a  fire  of  coals, 
which  becomes  altogether  dusky  at  the  light  of  heaven;  but  the 
kinds  of  light,  from  which  they  see,  are  varied  according  to  the 
false  and  the  evil  in  which  they  are.  Hence  also  it  appeared 
manifest,  why  they  who  live  a  life  of  evil,  can  in  no  wise  have 
faith  in  divine  truths  from  a  sincere  heart;  for  they  are  in  that 
smoky  light,  which,  when  heavenly  light  falls  into  it,  becomes 
dark  to  them,  so  that  they  neither  see  with  their  eyes  nor  with 
the  mind,  and  moreover  they  then  fcdl  into  agonies,  and  some 
as  it  were  into  swoons  ;  hence  it  is  that  the  evil  cannot  possibly 
receive  tridh,  but  only  the  good.  The  man  who  leads  a  life  of 
evil,  cannot  believe  that  he  is  in  such  a  light,  because  he  cannot 
see  the  light  in  which  his  spirit  is,  but  only  that  in  which  his 
ocidar  sight  is,  and  thence  his  natural  mind  ;  but  if  he  saw  the 
light  of  his  spirit,  and  knew  by  experience  whed  its  quality 
woidd  become  if  the  light  oftrtdh  and  good  from  heaven  flowed 
into  it,  he  would  know  manifestly  hoio  far  he  was  from  receiv- 
ing those  things  which  are  of  the  light,  that  is,  which  are  of 


128 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiii. 


faith,  and  still  more  from  imbibing  those  things  which  are  of 
charity  /  thus  how  far  he  was  distant  from  heaven. 

4417.  I  was  once  discoursing  with  spirits  concerning  life, 
that  no  one  has  life  from  himself  but  from  the  Lord,  although 
he  may  seem  to  live  from  himself  {compare  n.  1320)  /  and  on 
this  occasion  the  discourse  icas  first  concerning  what  life  is,  viz., 
that  it  is  to  understand  and  to  will,  and  because  all  understand- 
ing has  relation  to  truth,  and  all  willing  to  good  (n.  4109), 
therefore  the  understanding  of  truth  and  the  will  of  good  is 
life.  But  the  reasoning  spirits  observed,  {for  there  are  spir- 
its roho  are  to  be  called  reasoning,  or  ratiocinalors,  because  they 
reason  about  every  thing  whether  it  be  so,  and  for  the  most  part 
are  in  obscurity  concerning  every  truth.)  they  observed,  I  say, 
that  nevertheless  they  live,  who  are  in  no  intelligence  of  truth 
and  toill  of  good,  yea,  they  believe  that  they  live  in  a  way  supe- 
rior to  others.  But  it  was  given  me  to  answer  them,  that  the 
life  of  the  wicked  ap>pears  indeed  to  them  as  life,  but  still  it  is 
the  life  which  is  called  spiritual  death/  as  they  might  know 
from  this  consideration,  that  since  to  understand  truth  and  to 
will  good  is  life  from  the  Divine  [being],  in  this  case  to  under- 
stand what  is  false  and  to  will  what  is  evil  cannot  be  life,  be- 
cause evils  and  falses  are  contrary  to  the  very  essential  life.  To 
convince  them  of  this,  the  quality  of  their  life  was  shoivn;  which, 
when  seen,  appeared  like  the  dull  light  from  a  coal  fire,  in  which 
a  smokiness  was  intermixed /  and  when  they  are  in  this  light, 
they  cannot  suppose  otherwise  than  that  the  life  of  their  thought 
and  of  their  will  is  the  only  life.  A  still  further  conviction 
thereof  is  wrought  from  this  circumstance,  tixat  the  light  of  the 
intelligence  of  truth,  which  is  the  light  of  life  itself,  cannot  at 
all  appear  to  them y  for  as  soon  xs  they  come  into  that  light, 
their  own  light  is  rendered  dark  so  that  they  absolutely  can  see 
nothing,  thus  neither  can  they  perceive  any  thing.  The  quality 
of  the  state  of  their  life  was  further  shown  on  this  occasion,  by 
a  removal  of  their  delight  derived  from  the  false  principle  ; 
which  in  the  other  life  is  effected  by  a  separation  of  the  spirits 
in  whose  society  they  are;  which  being  done,  they  appeared  of 
a  dusky  countenance  like  cotpses,  so  that  they  might  be  called 
ejfigies  of  death.  But  concerning  the  life  of  animals,  by  the 
divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  we  shall  treat  particularly  elsewhere. 

4418.  They  who  are  in  the  hells  are  said  to  be  in  darkness, 
because  they  are  in  falses  ;  for  as  light  corresponds  to  truths,  so 
darkness  corresponds  to  falses  /  for  they  are  m  a  yellowish  light 
like  that  of  afire  of  coal  and  sulphur,  as  was  said  above.  This 
light  is  what  is  meant  by  dark/uss,  for  their  understanding  is 
according  to  the  light,  consequently  according  to  the  sight  thence 
derived,  because  they  correspond.  Lt  is  also  called  darkness, 
because  those  lights  become  darkness  at  the  approach  of  celestial 
light. 


4417—4420.] 


GENESIS. 


129 


4419.  There  was  a  spirit  present  with  me,  who,  whilst  he 
lived  in  the  world,  knew  many  things,  arid  in  consequence  there- 
of believed  that  he  was  wiser  than  all  others f  hence  he  had  con- 
tracted this  evil,  that  wheresoever  he  was,  he  was  desirous  to 
have  the  entire  mile.  He  was  sent  to  me  from  a  certain  society, 
that  he  might  serve  them  as  a  subject,  or  for  communication 
(see  n.  4403)/  and  also  that  they  might  alienate  him  from  them- 
selves, for  he  was  troublesome  to  them  on  this  account,  that  he 
teas  desirous  to  rule  them  from  his  own  intelligence.  When  he 
was  with  me,  it  was  given  me  to  discourse  with  him  concerning 
intelligence  grounded  in  the proprium,  being  so  prevalent  in  the 
Christian  world,  as  to  induce  a  belief  that  all  intelligence  is 
thence  derived,  and  consequently  none  from  God ;  although, 
when  they  speak  from  the  doctrinals  of  faith,  they  say  that  all 
truth  and  good  is  from  heaven,  thus  from  the  Divine  [principle  » 
or  being],  consequently  all  intelligence,  for  this  is  of  truth  and 
of  good.  But  when  that  sjririt  was  unwilling  to  attend  to  these 
th  ings,  I  said,  thect  he  would  do  well  if  he  would  recede,  because 
the  sphere  of  his  intelligence  infested  me  /  but  whereas  he  was 
in  the  persuasion  that  he  was  more  intelligent  than  others,  he 
was  not  toilling  to  do  so.  It  was  then  shown  to  him. by  the  an- 
gels, what  is  the  quality  of  intelligence  grounded  in  the  pro- 
prium, and  what  the  quality  of  intelligence  from  the  Divine 
[principle  or  being]'  and  this  by  lights,  for  in  the  other  life 
such  things  are  wonderfully  presented  to  view  by  the  variega- 
tions of  light.  Intelligence  grounded  in  the  proprium  was 
shown  by  a  light,  which  appeared  like  a  Will-o'-t/ie-wisp  (lumen 
fatuum),  around  which  teas  a  dark  border,  and  moreover  it 
extended  itself  to  a  very  small  distance  from  the  focus  ;  it  was 
further  shown,  that  it  is  instantly  extinguished  when  inspected 
by  any  angelic  society,  just  as  a  Will-o'-the-wisp  is  extinguished 
at  the  light  or  day  of  the  su?i.  The  qurdity  of  intelligence  from 
the  Divine  [principle  or  being]  was  next  shown,  and  this  also 
by  a  light,  which  was  more  bright  and  luminous  than  that  of 
the  sun  at  noon-day,  extending  to  all  distance,  and  termvnating 
like  the  light  of  the  sun  in  the  universe  ;  and  it  was  said,  that 
intelligence  and  wisdom  enter  from  all  sides  into  the  sphere  of 
that  light,  and  cause  truth  and  good  to  be  perceived  by  an  intui- 
tion almost  boundless,  but  this  according  to  the  quality  of  truth 
from  good. 

4420.  From  these  considerations  it  may  appear,  that  those 
things  appertaining  to  man  which  are  of  the  light  of  the  world, 
correspond  to  those  things  %chich  are  of  the  light  of  hea/ven,:  con  - 
sequently, that  the  sight  of  the  external  man,  which  is  that  of 
the  eye,  corresponds  to  the  sight  of  the  internal  man,  which  is 
that  of  the  understanding  •  also  that  by  UgMs  in  the  other  life, 
the  quality  of  intelligence  appears. 

tol.  v.  9 


130 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxi7. 


4421.  The  subject  concerning  correspondence  with  the  eyt, 
and  with  light  will  he  continued  at  the  close  of  the  following 
chapter. 


GENESIS. 

CHAPTER  THE  THIRTY-FOURTH. 


4422,  PREFATORY  to  this  chapter,  the  Lord's  w.ords  in 
,  Mathew  xxiv.  42  to  the  end  come  to  he  explained,  which  words 
are  the  last  in  that  chapter  concerning  the  consummation  of  the 
age  or  the  Lord's  coming ;  in  the  letter,  they  are  as  follows  : 
"  Watch  therefore,  for  ye  know  not  in  what  hour  your  Lord 
coincth.  But  know  this,  that  if  the  master  of  the  house  knew 
in  what  watch  the  thief  wo  uld  come,  he  would  watch  ,  and  would 
not  suffer  his  house  to  be  broken  through.  Therefore  be  ye  also 
ready :  for  insuch  an  hour  as  ye  think  not,  the  Son  of  Man  will 
come.  Who  then  is  the  faithful  and  prudent  servant,  whom  his 
lord  hath  appointed  over  his  ministering  attendants*  to  give 
them  meat  xn  due  season  ?  Blessed  (is)  that  servant,  whom  his 
lord,  when  he  cometh,  shall  find  so  doing.  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  that  he  will  appoint  him  over  all  his  goods.  But  if  that 
evil  servant  shall  say  hi  his  heart,  My  lord  delay cth  to  come; 
and  shall  begin  to  smite  his  fellow-servants,  and  to  eat  and 
drink  with  the  drunken;  the  lord  of  that  servant  shall  come  in 
a  day  in  which  he  looketh  not,  and  in  an  hour  that  he  knoweth 
not,  and  shall  cut  him  off,  and  appoint  him  his  portion  toith 
the  hypocrites :  There  shall  be  wading  and  gnashing  of  teeth. ." 
What  these  words  involve,  may  appear  from  the  series  of  the 
things  treated  of;  for  the  snhject  of  the  chapter  throughout  is 
concerning  the  last  time  of  the  church,  which  in  the  internal 
sense  is  the  consummation  of  the  age,  and  the  Lord's  advent. 
That  this  is  the  case,  may  he  evident  from  the  explanation  of 
all  the  contents  of  this  chapter,  which  may  he  seen  in  what  has 
heen  premised  before  the  chapters  immediately  preceding,  viz.. 
before  chapter  xxvi.  n.  3353  to  3356  ;  xxvii.  n.  3486  to '3489  ; 
xxviii.  ri.  3650  to  3655 ;  xxix.  n.  3751  to  3757 ;  xxx.  n.  3897  to 
3901 ;  xxxi.  n.  4056  to  4060  ;  xxxii.  n.  4229  to  4231  ;  xxxiii.  n. 

*  In  our  common  Ensrlish  versions  of  the  New  Testament,  the  word  here  ren- 
dered ministering  attendants  is  translated  household;  but  the  original  word  is 
very  properly  rendered  by  our  author  famulitium,  and  literally  signifies  the 
whole  body  of  servants  or  ministering  attendants  in  a  house. 


4421— 4424.] 


GENESIS. 


131 


4332  to  4335.  It  was  there  also  shown  what  the  contents  are 
in  a  series,  viz.,  that  when  the  Christian  church  established 
after  the  Lord's  coming  began  to  vastate  itself,  that  is,  to  recede 
from  good,  I.  They  began  not  to  know  what  is  good  and  true, 
but  disputed  on  the  subject.  II.  They  despised  good  and  truth. 
Ill  They  next  did  not  acknowledge  them  in  their  hearts.  IV. 
Afterwards  they  profaned  them.  V.  And  whereas  the  truth  of 
faith  and  the  good  of  charity  were  yet  about  to  remain  with 
some,  who  are  called  the  elect,  the  state  of  faith  is  then  de- 
scribed. VI.  And  next,  the  state  of  charity.  VII.  Lastly,  the 
commencement  of  a  new  church  is  treated  of :  and  VIII.  the 
state  as  to  good  and  truth  within  the  church  so  called,  when  it 
is  rejected,  and  the  new  church  is  adopted.  From  this  series 
it  may  appear  what  those  words,  which  are  above  written,  and 
are  the  last  of  that  chapter,  involve ;  viz.,  they  are  words  of. 
exhortation  to  those  who  are  in  the  church,  to  be  in  the  good 
of  faith  ;  and  that  if  they  were  not,  they  would  perish. 

4423.  How  the  case  is  with  the  rejection  of  an  old  church, 
and  the  adoption  of  a  new  one,  is  scarcely  known  to  any  one  ; 
he  who  is  not  acquainted  with  the  interiors  of  man  and  the 
states  of  these  interiors,  and  thence  with  the  states  of  man  after 
death,  cannot  conceive  otherwise  than  that  they  who  are  of  the 
old  church,  with  whom  good  and  truth  is  vastated  (that  is,  is 
no  longer  acknowledged  in  heart),  are  about  to  perish,  either 
like  the  antediluvians,  by  the  flood,  or  like  the  Jews,  by  being 
driven  out  from  their  own  land,  or  otherwise.  But  when  the 
church  is  vastated,  that  is,  when  it  is  no  longer  in  any  good  of 
faith,  it  principally  perishes  as  to  the  states  of  its  interiors,  thus 
as  to  states  in  another  life ;  in  such  case  heaven  removes  itself 
from  them  (and  consequently  the  Lord),  and  transfers  itself  to 
others,  who  are  adopted  in  their  place.  For  without  a  church 
somewhere  or  other  on  earth,  there  is  no  communication  of 
heaven  with  man;  for  the  church  is  like  the  heart  and  lun^s 
of  the  Grand  Man  in  the  earth,  see  n.  468,  637,  931,  2054,  2853. 
On  this  occasion,  they  who  are  of  the  old  church,  and  thereby 
removed  from  heaven,  are  in  a  sort  of  inundation  as  to  the 
interiors,  and  indeed  over  the  head ;  this  inundation  is  not  per- 
ceived by  the  man  himself  whilst  he  lives  in  the  body,  but  he 
comes  into  it  after  death  ;  it  appears  manifestly  in  another  life, 
like  a  cloudy  mist  with  which  they  are  encompassed,  and  there- 
by separated  from  heaven.  The  state  of  those  who  are  in  that 
cloudy  mist,  is,  that  they  cannot  possibly  see  what  is  the  truth 
of  faith,  and  still  less  what  is  its  good;  for  the  light  of  heaven, 
in  which  is  intelligence  and  wisdom,  cannot  penetrate  into  that 
mist.    This  is  the  state  of  the  vastated  church. 

4424.  What  the  words  of  the  Lord  above  adduced  involve 
in  the  internal  sense,  may  appear  without  explanation  ;  for  in 
that  passage  the  Lord  did  not  so  speak  by  representatives  and 


132 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


significatives,  but  by  comparatives;  it  is  expedient  only  to  point 
out  the  signification  of  the  words  of  the  last  verse,  viz.,  "  He 
shall  cut  him  off,  and  appoint  him  his  portion  with  the  hypo- 
crites: there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  He  shall 
cut  him  off,  signifies  separation  and  removal  from  goods  and 
truths ;  for  they  who  are  in  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth 
(as  they  who  are  within  the  church),  and  yet  in  the  life  of  evil, 
are  said  to  be  cut  off,  or  divided,  when  they  are  removed  from 
those  knowledges  ;  for  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  are 
separated  from  them  in  another  life,  and  they  are  kept  in  evils, 
and  thence  also  in  falses;  lest  by  the  knowledges  of  good  and 
truth  they  should  communicate  with  heaven,  and  by  evils  and 
consequent  falses  should  communicate  with  hell,  and  thereby 
hang  between  each ;  also,  lest  they  should  profane  goods  and 
truths,  as  is  the  case  when  they  are  mingled  with  falses  and 
evils.  Something  of  this  kind  is  also  signified  by  the  Lord's 
words  to  him  who  hid  the  talent  in  the  earth,  "Take  away  the 
talent  from  him,  and  give  it  unto  him  that  hath  ten  talents : 
For  \mto  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given,  that  he  may  have 
abundance ;  but  from  him  who  hath  not  shall  be  taken  away 
even  that  which  he  hath,"  Matt.  xxv.  2S,  29  ;  also  by  what  the 
Lord  saith  elsewhere  in  Matthew,  xiii.  12  ;  likewise  in  Mark, 
iv.  25  ;  and  in  Luke,  viii.  18.  And  appoint  him  his  portion 
with  the  hypocrites,  signifies  his  lot,  which  is  the  portion  with 
those  who  outwardly  appear  in  truth  as  to  doctrine,  and  in  good 
as  to  life,  but  inwardly  believe  nothing  of  truth,  and  will  nothing 
of  good,  who  are  hypocrites;  they  are  thus  divided.  There- 
fore, when  external  things  are  taken  away  from  them,  as  is  the 
case  with  all  in  another  life,  they  appear  such  as  they  are  as  to 
internals,  viz.,  without  faith  and  charity ;  nevertheless  they 
have  made  a  show  of  faith  and  charity,  with  a  view  of  catching 
the  attention  of  others,  and  securing  thereby  honours,  gain,  and 
reputation.  Such  is  the  quality  and  character  of  almost  all 
those  within  the  vastated  church  ;  for  they  have  external,  but 
no  internal  principles ;  hence  the  inundation  of  their  interiors 
spoken  of  above,  n.  4-423.  There  shall  he  wailing  and  gnashing 
of  teeth,  signifies  their  state  in  another  life ;  wailing  denotes 
their  state  as  to  evils,  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  their  state  as  to 
falses;  for  in  the  Word  teeth  signify  the  lowest  natural  princi- 
ples, in  a  genuine  sense  the  truths  of  those  principles,  and  in 
an  opposite  sense  their  falses;  teeth  also  correspond  thereto; 
wherefore  gnashing  of  teeth  is  the  collision  of  falses  with  truths. 
They  who  are  in  mere  natural  principles  from  the  fallacies  of 
the  senses,  and  believe  nothing  which  they  do  not  thence  see, 
are  said  to  be  in  gnashing  of  teeth ;  and  in  another  life  they 
appear  to  themselves  to  be  so,  when  they  make  conclusions 
concerning  truths  from  their  own  fallacies.  Such  characters 
abound  in  the  church,  when  it  is  vastated  as  to  good  and  truth. 


4224.] 


GENESIS. 


133 


The  like  is  also  signified  elsewhere  by  gnashing  of  teeth,  as  in 
Matthew,  "The  sons  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  into  outer 
darkness:  there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth"  viii. 
12  ;  the  sons  of  the  kingdom  are  they  who  are  in  the  vastated 
church  ;  darkness  is  falses,  n.  4418,  for  they  are  in  darkness 
when  in  the  cloudy  mist  spoken  of  above;  gnashing  of  teeth  is 
the  collision  of  falses  with  truths  in  that  mist.  In  like  manner 
in  other  passages,  as  in  Matthew  xiii.  42,  50;  xxii.  13;  xxv.  30; 
and  Luke  xiii.  28. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

1.  AND  Dinah  went  forth  (the  daughter  of  Leah,  whom 
she  bare  unto  Jacob),  to  see  the  daughters  of  the  land. 

2.  And  Shechem  saw  her,  the  son  of  Hamor  the  Hivite,  the 
prince  of  the  land  ;  and  he  took  her,  and  lay  with  her,  and 
compressed  her. 

3.  And  his  soul  clave  unto  Dinah  the  daughter  of  Jacob  ; 
and  he  loved  the  damsel,  and  spake  unto  the  heart  of  the 
damsel. 

4.  And  Shechem  spake  unto  his  father  Hamor,  saying,  Get 
me  this  damsel  for  a  wife. 

5.  And  Jacob  heard  that  he  had  defiled  Dinah  his  daughter ; 
and  his  sons  were  with  his  cattle  in  the  field ;  and  Jacob  was 
silent  until  they  came. 

6.  And  Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem  went  out  unto  Jacob, 
to  speak  with  him. 

7.  And  the  sons  of  Jacob  came  from  the  field,  when  they 
heard  it:  and  the  men  grieved,  and  they  wrere  very  wroth,  be- 
cause he  had  wrought  folly  in  Israel,  in  lying  with  the  daughter 
of  Jacob  ;  which  thing  ought  not  to  be  done. 

8.  And  Hamor  spake  with  them,  saying,  Shechem  my  son, 
his  soul  longeth  for  your  daughter :  give  her,  I  pray  you,  to 
him  for  a  wife. 

9.  And  join  kindred  with  us;  give  your  daughters  unto  us, 
and  receive  our  daughters  unto  you. 

10.  And  ye  shall  dwell  with  us,  and  the  land  shall  be  before 
you ;  dwell  ye,  wander  through  it  in  trading,  and  possess  ye 
in  it. 

11.  And  Shechem  said  unto  her  father,  and  unto  her  breth- 
ren, Let  me  find  grace  in  your  eyes,  and  what  ye  shall  say  unto 
me,  I  will  give. 

12.  Multiply  upon  me  exceedingly  dowry  and  gift,  and  I 
will  give  according  as  ye  shall  say  unto  me :  and  give  me  the 
damsel  for  a  wife. 


134 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


13.  And  the  sons  of  Jacob  answered  Shechem  and  Ham  or 
his  father  in  fraud,  and  spake  (because  he  had  denied  Dinah 
their  sister), 

14.  And  they  said  unto  them,  We  cannot  do  this  thing,  to 
give  our  sister  to  a  man  who  hath  a  foreskin;  because  this  is  a 
reproach  unto  us. 

15.  Nevertheless,  in  this  will  we  consent  unto  you;  If  ye 
be  as  we  are,  to  circumcise  to  you  every  male ; 

16.  Then  will  we  give. our  daughters  unto  you,  and  will  take 
*   your  daughters  to  us  ;  and  we  will  dwell  with  you,  and  we  will 

become  one  people. 

IT.  But  if  ye  do  not  hearken  unto  us,  to  be  circumcised, 
then  we  will  take  our  daughter,  and  will  go. 

18.  And  their  words  were  good  in  the  eyes  of  Hamor,  and 
in  the  eyes  of  Shechem,  Hamor's  son. 

19.  And  the  young  man  deferred  not  to  do  the  word,  be- 
cause he  had  delight  in  the  daughter  of  Jacob ;  and  he  was 
honoured  above  all  of  his  father's  house. 

20.  And  Hamor  and  Shechem  his  son  came  unto  the  gate 
of  their  city,  and  spake  unto  the  men  of  their  city,  saying, 

21.  These  men  are  peaceable  with  us,  therefore  let  them 
dwell  in  the  land,  and  in  trading  let  them  wander  through  it; 
and  the  land,  lo !  it  is  broad  in  spaces  before  them.  Let  us 
take  their  daughters  to  us  for  wives,  and  let  us  give  them  our 
daughters. 

22.  Nevertheless,  in  this  will  the  men  consent  unto  us  to 
dwell  with  us,  to  be  one  people,  that  every  male  be  circumcised 
to  us,  as  they  are  circumcised. 

23.  Their  substance,  and  their  purchase,  and  every  beast  of 
theirs,  shall  they  not  be  ours  ?  Only  let  us  consent  unto  them, 
and  they  will  dwell  with  us. 

24.  And  they  hearkened  unto  Hamor,  and  unto  Shechem 
his  son,  all  who  went  out  of  the  gate  of  his  city ;  and  they  cir- 
cumcised every  male,  all  who  went  out  of  the  gate  of  his  city. 

25.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  when  they  were 
in  pain,  that  two  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  Simeon  and  Levi,  the 
brethren  of  Dinah,  took  each  his  sword,  and  came  upon  the 
city  confidently,  and  slew  every  male. 

26.  And  they  slew  Hamor  and  Shechem  his  son  with  the 
edge  of  the  sword,  and  took  Dinah  out  of  the  house  of  Shechem, 
and  departed. 

27.  The  sons  of  Jacob  came  upon  those  who  were  thrust 
through,  and  spoiled  the  city,  because  they  had  denied  their 
sister. 

28.  Their  flocks,  and  their  herds,  and  their  asses,  and  what- 
soever was  in  the  city,  and  whatsoever  was  in  the  field,  they 
took; 

29.  And  all  their  wealth,  and  every  infant  of  theirs,  and 


4425,  4426.] 


GENESIS. 


135 


their  females  they  took  captive,  and  spoiled,  and  all  that  was 
in  the  house. 

30.  And  Jacoh  said  to  Simeon  and  Levi,  Ye  have  troubled 
me,  to  make  me  to  stink  to  the  inhabitant  of  the  land,  to  the 
Canaanite  and  the  Perizzite;  and  I  (am)  mortals  of  number; 
and  they  will  gather  together  upon  me,  and  will  smite  me  ;  and 
I  shall  be  destroyed,  and  my  house. 

31.  And  they  said,  Shall  he  make  our  sister  as  a  harlot? 


THE  CONTENTS. 

4425.  THE  subject  here  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense  is 
concerning  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  that  they  extinguished  all 
the  truth  of  doctrine  which  belonged  to  the  ancient  church. 
Hamor  and  Shechem,  with  the  people  of  their  city,  represent 
that  truth.  For  the  representative  of  the  church  among  the 
posterity  of  Jacob  consisted  solely  m  externals  without  inter- 
nals ;  whereas  the  representative  church  among  the  ancients 
consisted  in  externals  with  internals. 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

4426.  VEBSES  1  to  4.  And  Dinah  ivent  forth,  the  daugnter 
of  Leah,  whom  she  bare  unto  Jacob,  to  see  the  daughters  of  the 
land.  And  Shechem  saw  her,  the  son  of  Hamor  the  Hivite,  the 
prince  of  the  land,  and  he  took  her,  and  lay  with  her,  and  com- 
pressed her.  And  his  soul  cla/oe  unto  Dinah,  the  daughter  of 
Jacob  /  and  he  loved  the  damsel,  and  spake  unto  the  heart  of 
the  damsel.  And  Shechem  spake  unto  his  father  Hamor,  say- 
ing, Get  me  this  damsel  for  a  wife.  And  Dinah  went  forth, 
signilies  the  affection  of  all  things  of  faith,  and  the  church 
thence  derived:  the  daughter  of  Leah,  whom  she  bare  unto 
Jacob,  signifies  in  externals:  to  see  the  daughters  of  the  land, 
signifies  to  know  the  affections  of  truth,  and  the  churches  which 
are  thence  derived  :  and  Shechem  saw  her,  signifies  truth  :  the 
son  of  Hamor  the  Hivite,  signifies  from  the  ancients:  the  prince 
of  the  land,  signifies  the  primary  amongst  churches:  and  he 
took  her,  and  lay  with  her,  and  compressed  her,  signifies  that 
he  could  not  otherwise  be  conjoined  with  the  affection  of  the 
truth  signified  by  the  sons  of  Jacob  her  brethren :  and  his  soul 
clave  unto  Dinah,  the  daughter  of  Jacob,  signifies  propensity 


136 


GENESIS. 


fCiiAP.  xxxiv. 


to  conjunction :  and  he  loved  the  damsel,  and  spake  unto  the 
heart  of  the  damsel,  signifies  love:  and  Shechem  spake  unto  his 
father  Hamor,  signifies  thought  grounded  in  the  truth  which 
prevailed  among  the  ancients :  saying,  Get  me  this  damsel  for 
a  wife,  signifies  that  he  was  willing  to  be  conjoined  with  the 
affection  of  that  truth. 

4427.  Ver.  1.  "And  Dinah  went  forth."— That  hereby  is 
signified  the  affection  of  all  things  of  faith,  and  the  church  thence 
derived,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Dinah,  as  denoting 
the  affection  of  all  truths,  and  the  church  thence  derived,  see 
n.  3963,  3961.  For  the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob  represented  all 
the  things  of  faith,  thus  all  the  things  of  the  church,  see  n. 
2129,  2130,  3858,  3926,  3939  ;  hence  Dinah,  who  was  born  after 
the  ten  sons  of  Jacob  by  Leah  and  the  handmaids,  signifies  their 
affection,  and  thus  the  church ;  for  the  church  is  derived  from 
the  affection  of  truth,  insomuch  that  it  is  the  same  thing  whether 
we  say  the  affection  of  truth,  or  the  church,  for  man  is  a  church 
by  virtue  of  the  affection  of  truth. 

4128.  "The  daughter  of  Leah,  whom  she  bare  unto  Jacob." 
— That  hereby  is  signified -in  externals,  appeal's  (1.)  from  the 
representation  of  Leah,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  external 
truth,  see  n.  3793,  3819;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of 
Jacob,  as  denoting  in  a  supreme  sense  the  Lord  as  to  Divine 
truth  of  the  Natural  [principle],  see  n.  3305,  3509,  3525,  3546, 
3576,  4234,  4273,  4337;  and  in  a  respective  sense  denoting  the 
external  church,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  the  external  of 
the  church,  see  n.  3305,  4286.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  the 
daughter  of  Leah,  whom  she  bare  unto  Jacob,  signifies  the 
affection  of  truth  in  externals. 

4429.  "  To  see  the  daughters  of  the  land." — That  hereby  is 
signified  to  know  the  affections  of  truth  and  the  churches  which 
are  thence  derived,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  seeing ; 
as  denoting  to  know,  concerning  which  see  occasionally  above; 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  daughters,  as  denoting  affections, 
and  thence  churches,  see  n.  2362,  3024,  3963 ;  and  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  land,  in  this  case  the  land  of  Canaan,  as 
denoting  the  tract  where  the  church  is,  and  thence  also  the 
church  itself,  see  n.  662,  1066,  1068,  1262,  1733,  1850,  2117, 
2118,  2928,  3355,  3686,  3705.  The  signification  of  the  things 
contained  in  these  verses,  may  appear  from  those  which  follow ; 
for  the  subject  treated  of  is  the  representative  of  a  church,  which 
representative  was  about  to  be  instituted  amongst  the  posterity 
of  Jacob.  That  this  representative  could  not  be  instituted 
amongst  them,  until  they  were  altogether  vastated  as  to  interior 
truths  (that  is,  until  they  no  longer  knew  them),  may  be  seen 
in  n.  4289 ;  interior  truths  are  all  those  which  are  represented 
and  signified  by  the  rituals  that  were  commanded  them  ;  for  all 
rituals  represented  and  signified  something  in  the  Lord's  kiug- 


4427—4430.] 


GENESIS. 


137 


dom  in  the  heavens,  and  thence  something  in  the  Lord's  kingdom 
in  the  earths,  that  is,  in  the  church  ;  the  things  thus  represented 
and  signified  are  here  interior  truths.  It  lias  heen  shown  through- 
out these  explanations,  that  when  the  representative  of  a  church 
was  instituted  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  all  the  things, 
both  collectively  and  singly,  which  were  commanded  them,  and 
which  are  mentioned  in  the  books  of  Moses,  especially  in  Exodus 
and  Leviticus,  were  representative  and  significative  of  the  celes- 
tial and  spiritual  things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom.  All  these  things 
were  unknown  to  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  because  they  were  such 
a  people,  that,  had  they  known,  they  would  have  profaned  them, 
see  n.  301  to  303,  2520,  3398,  3479,  3769,  4281,  4293  ;  there- 
fore they  did  not  come  into  those  representatives,  until  they 
were  altogether  vastated  as  to  interior  truths.  It  is  on  this 
account  that  those  truths  and  their  extinction  are  treated  of  in 
this  chapter.  The  representatives  enjoined  to  the  posterity  of 
Jacob  were  not  new,  but  several  of  them  were  such  as  had 
before  been  in  use  amongst  the  ancients ;  nevertheless  the  an- 
cients did  not  worship  external  things,  like  the  posterity  of 
Jacob,  or  the  Jews  and  Israelites,  but  internal  things,  and 
through  internal  things  they  acknowledged  the  Lord  Himself. 
The  remains  of  a  church  from  the  ancient  time  were  still  existing 
in  the  land  of  Canaan,  especially  amongst  those  who  were  called 
Hittites  and  Hivites ;  hence  it  is,  that  by  those  nations  the 
truths  of  the  church  are  represented.  From  these  considerations 
then,  it  may  in  some  measure  appear  what  is  signified  by  Dinah, 
the  daughter  of  Jacob  by  Leah,  going  forth  to  see  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  land ;  for  by  Dinah  is  represented  the  external  church, 
such  as  was  instituted  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob  ;  and  by 
daughters  of  the  land  are  signified  the  churches  amongst  the 
ancients.  That  daughters,  throughout  the  Word,  in  the  internal 
sense,  signify  churches,  may  be  seen  in  n.  2362,  3024,  where  it 
is  shown ;  and  that  land  signifies  the  tract  or  nation  where  the 
church  is,  thus  the  church,  n.  662, 1066, 1068, 1733, 1850,  2117, 
2118,  2928,  3355,  3686,  3705. 

4430.  Ver.  2.  "And  Shechem  saw  her." — That  hereby  is 
signified  truth,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Shechem,  as 
denoting  truth,  in  the  present  case  the  truth  of  the  church  from 
ancient  time.  The  ground  and  reason  of  this  representation  is, 
because  there  were  still  the  remains  of  a  church  amongst  that 
nation  where  Shechem  was ;  that  it  was  amongst  the  well-dis- 
posed nations,  is  evident  from  the  sincerity  with  which  Ham  or 
and  Shechem  spake  to  Jacob  and  his  sons,  verses  8  to  12,  and 
from  the  condescension  that  Shechem  might  receive  Dinah  for 
a  wife,  verses  18  to  24  ;  and  this  being  the  case,  the  truth  of  the 
church  was  represented  by  them.  Moreover,  the  city  of  She- 
chem was  Abram's  first  station  when  he  came  out  of  Syria  into 
the  land  of  Canaan,  Gen.  xii.  6 ;  and  now  also  Jacob's  first  station 


138 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


in  coming  out  of  Syria  likewise,  where  he  stretched  his  tent, 
made  booths,  and  erected  an  altar,  Gen.  xxxiii.  17  to  20.  That 
by  the  journeys  or  sojournings  of  Abraham  and  Jacob  were 
represented  progressions  into  the  truths  of  faith  and  the  goods 
of  love,  which  in  the  supreme  sense  relate  to  the  Lord,  and  in 
the  respective  sense  to  man  who  is  regenerated  by  the  Lord,  has 
been  frequently  shown  above  ;  hence  by  Shechem  was  signified 
the  first  of  light,  n.  1440,  1441,  consequently  interior  truth, 
for  this  is  the  first  of  light.  But  the  subject  treated  of  in  this 
chapter  in  an  internal  sense  is  concerning  the  posterity  of  Jacob, 
how  they  extinguished  in  themselves  this  first  of  light  or  interior 
truth ;  in  this  sense,  which  is  the  internal  historical  sense,  the 
sons  of  Jacob  signify  all  their  posterity ;  for  the  internal  sense 
of  the  Word  treats  solely  of  the  things  which  are  of  the  Lord's 
kingdom,  thus  which  are  of  his  church.  The  sons  of  Jacob 
themselves  did  not  constitute  any  church ;  but  their  posterity 
did  constitute  a  church,  yet  not  till  after  they  had  departed  out 
of  Egypt,  and  not  actually  before  they  came  into  the  land  of 
Canaan.  Moreover,  as  to  what  concerns  this  city  called  from 
Shechem,  it  was  called  of  old  Shalem,  as  appears  from  the  pre- 
ceding chapter,  "Jacob  came  to  Shalem,  a  city  of  Shechem, 
which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan,"  verse  18 ;  that  by  Shalem  is 
signified  tranquillity,  and  that  by  the  city  of  Shechem  are  sig- 
nified interior  truths  of  faith,  and  that  man  comes  to  a  tranquil 
state  when  he  comes  to  those  truths,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4393. 
But  afterwards  the  same  city  was  called  Shechem,  as  is  evident 
from  Joshua,  "  The  bones  of  Joseph,  which  the  sons  of  Israel 
brought  up  out  of  Egypt,  they  buried  in  Shechem,  in  a  part  of 
the  field  which  Jacob  bought  of  the  sons  of  Hainor  the  father  of 
Shechem,  for  a  hundred  pieces  of  silver  (kesithce)"  xxiv.  32 ; 
and  from  the  book  of  Judges,  "  Gaal  the  son  of  Ebed  said  (to  the 
citizens  of  Shechem),  Who  is  Abimelcch,  and  who  is  Shechem, 
that  we  should  serve  him  ?  Is  not  he  the  son  of  Jerubbaal  ? 
and  Zebul  his  officer?  Serve  ye  the  men  of  Hamor  the  father 
of  Shechem  :  for  why  should  we  serve  him?"  ix.  28.  The  same 
city  was  afterwards  called  Sichar,  as  is  evident  from  John, 
"  Jesus  came  into  a  city  of  Samaria  call  Sichar,  near  the  field 
which  Jacob  gave  to  his  son  Joseph  ;  the  fountain  of  Jacob  was 
there,"  iv.  5,  6 ;  that  by  that  city  is  signified  interior  truth,  is 
evident  from  the  above  passages,  and  from  others  where  it  is 
named  ;  and  also  from  Hosea,  "  Gilead,  a  city  of  those  who 
work  iniquity,  polluted  with  blood.  And  as  troops  waiting  for 
a  man,  the  company  of  priests  commit  murder  in  the  way  to 
Shechem  :  because  they  have  done  wickedness.  I  have  seen 
a  filthy  thing  in  the  house  of  Israel,"  vi.  8  to  10 ;  where  by 
committing  murder  in  the  way  to  Shechem,  is  signified,  that 
they  extinguish  truths  even  to  interior  truths,  thus  all  external 
truths.    The  extinction  of  interior  truth  is  also  signified  by 


4431—4433.] 


GENESIS. 


139 


Abimelech  destroying  that  city  and  sowing  it  with  salt,  Judges 
ix.  45. 

4431.  "  The  son  of  Hamor  the  Hivite." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified from  the  ancients,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
son,  who  in  this  case  is  Shechem,  as  denoting  the  interior  truth 
spoken  of  just  above;  that  son  is  truth,  may  be  seen  in  n.  489, 
491,  533,  1147,  2623,  3373,  4257 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  represent- 
ation of  Ilamor,  as  denoting  the  father  of  that  truth,  thus  de- 
noting from  the  ancients ;  for  the  truth  which  was  interior  in 
the  rituals  and  representatives,  flowed  forth  from  the  church  of 
old,  and  this  being  the  case,  Hamor  is  also  called  the  Hivite ;  for 
the  Hivite  nation  was  that  by  which  such  truth  amongst  the 
ancients  was  signified,  because  from  ancient  time  they  had  been 
principled  in  such  truth,  and  hence  it  is  that  Hamor  is  here 
called  the  Hivite.  By  all  the  nations  in  the  land  of  Canaan 
some  good  or  truth  of  the  church"  in  ancient  time  was  signified, 
for  the  most  ancient  church,  which  was  celestial,  was  in  that 
land,  n.  4116  ;  but  as  those  nations,  like  the  rest  amongst  whom 
the  church  was,  turned  away  afterwards  to  idolatry,  therefore 
also  idolatries  are  signified  by  them.  Nevertheless,  as  interior 
truth  was  signified  by  the  Hivites  of  old,  and  they  were  amongst 
the  better  disposed  nations  in  whom  iniquity  was  not  so  consum- 
mated, that  is,  the  trnth  of  the  church  was  not  so  extinguished, 
as  in  others,  therefore  the  Hivite  Gribeonites  were  preserved  by 
the  Lord's  Providence  through  the  covenant  which  Joshua  and 
the  princes  established  with  them,  Joshua  ix.  15 ;  that  they 
were  Hivites  may  be  seen  in  Joshua  ix.  7 ;  xi.  19.  From  these 
considerations  now  it  is  evident,  whence  it  is  that  by  Shechem 
the  son  of  Hamor  the  Hivite  is  signified  interior  truth  from  the 
ancients. 

4432.  "  The  prince  of  the  land." — That  hereby  is  signified 
the  primary  amongst  churches,  appears  (1.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  prince,  as  denoting  what  is  primary,  see  n.  1482,  20S9 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  land,  as  denoting  the  church, 
see  n.  662, 1066, 1068, 1262, 1733, 1850,  2117,  2118,  2928,  3355. 
3686,  3705. 

4433.  "  And  he  took  her,  and  lay  with  her,  and  compressed 
her." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  he  could  not  otherwise  be 
conjoined  with  the  affection  of  the  truth  signified  by  the  sons  of 
Jacob  her  brethren,  appears  from  the  signification  of  taking  her, 
lying  with  her,  and  compressing  her,  as  denoting  to  be  conjoined, 
yet  not  in  the  legitimate  manner  which  is  effected  by  betrothing. 
But  that  by  those  words  is  signified,  that  he  could  not  otherwise 
be  conjoined,  cannot  appear  unless  it  be  known  how  the  case  is. 
Interior  truth  from  the  ancients,  which  is  signified  by  Shechem 
the  son  of  Hamor  the  Hivite,  is  that  truth  which  had  been  the 
internal  of  the  church  with  the  ancients,  and  thus  which  had 
been  the  internal  in  their  statutes,  judgments,  and  laws;  in 


140 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


short,  in  their  rituals  and  the  like.  Those  truths  were  their 
doctrinals,  according  to  which  they  lived,  and  indeed  they  were 
doctrinals  of  charity,  for  in  ancient  time,  they  who  were  of  the 
genuine  church  had  no  other  doctrinals ;  they  may  also  he  called 
interior  truths  of  faith  in  respect  to  doctrine,  hut  goods  in 
respect  to  life.  If  any  church  should  be  instituted  among  the 
nation  descended  from  Jacob,  it  was  necessary  that  they  should 
be  initiated  into  those  truths  and  goods ;  for  unless  internal 
things  are  in  external,  that  is,  unless  internal  things  be  thought 
of  whilst  the  men  of  the  church  are  in  external  things,  and 
unless  at  the  same  time  they  are  affected  with  internal  things,  or 
at  least  with  external  things  for  the  sake  of  internal,  there  is 
not  any  thing  of  the  church ;  for  internal  things  constitute  the 
church,  inasmuch  as  the  Lord  is  in  them,  because  in  them  are 
the  spiritual  and  celestial  things  from  Him.  But  the  nation 
descended  from  Jacob,  that  is,  the  Israelitish  and  Jewish  nation, 
could  not  be  initiated  into  those  things  in  a  legitimate  manner, 
which  is  by  betrothing,  because  their  external  worship  did  not 
correspond ;  for  from  their  fathers,  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
they  received  the  worship  instituted  by  Eber,  which  differed 
in  externals  from  the  worship  of  the  ancient  church,  as  may 
be  seen  in  n.  1238,  1241,  1343,  2180 ;  and  whereas  that  wor- 
ship was  different,  the  interior  truths  in  which  the  ancients 
were  principled  could  not  be  conjoined  with  it  in  a  legitimate 
manner,  which  is  by  betrothing,  but  in  the  manner  which  is 
here  described.  Hence  it  may  be  understood  what  is  meant 
when  it  is  said,  that  he  could  not  otherwise  be  conjoined  with 
the  affection  of  the  truth  signified  by  the  sons  of  Jacob  the 
brothers  of  Dinah.  But  although  conjunction  might  be  effected 
in  that  manner,  according  to  a  law  known  also  to  the  ancients 
(concerning  which,  see  Exod.  xxii.  16 ;  Deut.  xxii  28,  29,  still 
that  nation  was  such,  that  it  in  no  wise  admitted  any  con- 
junction of  the  interior  truth  from  the  ancients,  with  the 
externals  of  worship  which  were  in  use  with  the  posterity  of 
Jacob,  n.  4218,  4290,  4293,  4311,  4314,  4316,  4317,  therefore 
with  that  nation  no  church  could  be  instituted,  but  instead 
thereof  only  the  representative  of  a  church,  see  n.  4281,  42S8, 
4311.  That  the  nation  was  of  such  a  quality,  that  they  not 
only  were  incapable  of  receiving  interior  truths,  but  also  that 
they  altogether  extinguished  those  truths  in  themselves,  was 
here  represented  by  this  circumstance,  that  the  sons  of  Jacob 
answered  Shechcm  and  Hamor  in  fraud  (verse  13),  and  after- 
wards Simeon  and  Levi  smote  the  city  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  slew  Shechem  and  Hamor  (verses  25,  26),  and  the 
rest  of  the  sons  came  upon  the  slain,  and  spoiled  the  city,  and 
took  away  the  flocks,  herds,  and  whatsoever  was  in  the  city,  in 
the  field,  and  in  the  house  (verses  27  to  29).  Hence  it  is  evi- 
dent what  is  signified  by  the  prophetic  enunciations  of  Jacob,  at 


4434.] 


GENESIS. 


141 


that  time  Israel,  "Simeon  and  Levi  are  brethren  ;  instruments 
of  violence  are  their  daggers.  Let  not  my  soul  come  into  their 
secret ;  in  their  assembly  let  not  my  glory  be  united  ;  because 
in  their  anger  they  slew  a  man,  and  in  their  good  pleasure  they 
unstrung  an  ox.  Cursed  be  their  anger,  for  it  was  vehement ; 
and  their  wrath,  for  it  was  hard;  I  will  divide  them  in  Jacob, 
and  scatter  them  in  Israel,"  Gen.  xlix.  5  to  7. 

4434.  Ver.  3.  "And  his  soul  clave  unto  Dinah." — That  hereby 
is  signified  propensity  to  conjunction,  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  the  soul  cleaving  imto,  as  denoting  propensity  ;  that  it 
was  a  propensity  to  conjunction  is  evident,  because  the  things 
relating  to  conjugial  love,  in  the  internal  sense,  involve  spiritual 
conjunction,  which  is  that  of  truth  with  good,  and  of  good  with 
truth.  The  things  relating  to  conjugial  love  in  the  internal 
sense  involve  that  conjunction,  because  conjugial  love  derives 
its  origin  from  the  marriage  of  truth  and  good,  and  of  good 
and  truth,  see  n.  2618,  2727,  2728,  2729,  2737,  2803,  3132 ; 
hence  also  in  the  Word,  the  adulterations  of  good  are  meant 
by  adulteries,  and  the  falsifications  of  truth  by  whoredoms,  n. 
2466,  2729,  2750,  3399.  From  these  considerations  it  may 
appear,  that  by  all  these  things  which  are  related  of  Shechem 
and  of  Dinah  in  this  chapter,  nothing  else  is  meant  in  the  inter- 
nal sense,  but  the  conjunction  of  the  truth  represented  by  She- 
chem, with  the  affection  of  tuth  represented  by  Dinah,  thus  that 
by  these  words,  "His  soul  clave  unto  Dinah,"  is  signified  pro- 
pensity to  conjunction.  Whereas  in  this  whole  chapter  the  sub- 
ject treated  of  is  concerning  conjugial  love  towards  Dinah,  and 
that  he  courted  her  for  a  Avife,  and  as  spiritual  conjunction  is 
signified  by  those  things  which  relate  to  conjugial  love,  it  is 
allowed  to  confirm  from  the  Word  that  nothing  else  but  spiritual 
conjunction  is  involved  in  marriages  and  in  things  relating  to 
marriages,  whensoever  they  are  mentioned  in  the  Word  ;  thus 
in  the  Apocalypse,  "Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  let  us  give 
glory  to  him,  for  the  time  of  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come, 
and  his  wife  hath  made  herself  ready.  .  .  .  Blessed  are  they  who 
are  called  unto  the  supper  of  the  marriage  of  the  Zamb"  xix. 
7,  9.  Again,  "  I  saw  the  holy  city,  the  new  Jerusalem,  coming 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for 
her  husband.  .  .  .  One  of  the  seven  angels  spake  with  me,  saying, 
Come,  I  will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  LamVs  wife.  And  he 
carried  me  away  in  the  spirit  upon  a  great  and  high  mountain, 
and  showed  me  the  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  descending 
out  of  heaven  from  God,"  xxi.  2,  9,  10 ;  that  by  what  is  said 
of  bride  and  marriage  in  these  passages,  nothing  else  is  signified 
but  the  Lord's  conjunction  with  the  church  by  means  of  truth 
and  good,  is  very  manifest,  for  the  holy  city  and  the  new  Jeru- 
salem is  nothing  else  but  the  church ;  that  city  is  the  truth  of 
the  church,  may  be  seen  in  n.  402,  2268,  2449,  2451,  2712, 


142 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


2943,  3216;  that  Jerusalem  is  the  spiritual  church,  raay  he 
seen  in  n.  402,  2117,  3654.  So  in  Malachi,  "  Judah  hath 
dealt  treacherously,  and  an  abomination  hath  been  committed 
in  Israel  and  in  J erusalem  ;  for  Judah  hath  profaned  the  holi- 
ness of  Jehovah,  because  he  hath  loved  and  betrothed  to  himself 
the  daughter^  of  a  strange  god.  .  .  .  Jehovah  hath  been  witness 
between  thee  and  the  wife  of  thy  youth,  against  whom  thou  hast 
dealt  treacherously,"  ii.  11,  14 ;  where  to  love  and  to  betroth 
the  daughter  of  a  strange  god  is  to  conjoin  himself  with  the 
false  principle,  instead  of  truth,  which  is  the  wife  of  his  youth. 
So  in  Ezekiel,  "Thou  hast  taken  thy  sons  and  thy  daughters, 
whom  thou  hast  brought  forth  unto  me,  and  hast  sacrificed  to 
devour.  Is  it  a  small  thing  concerning  thy  whoredoms  ?  .  .  . 
Thou  art  the  daughter  of  thy  mother,  who  loathed  her  husband 
and  her  sons  :  and  thou  art  the  sister  of  thy  sisters,  who  loathed 
their  husbands  and  their  sons,"  xvi.  20,  45 ;  speaking  of  the 
abominations  of  Jerusalem,  which,  as  they  were  derived  from 
evils  and  falses,  are  described  in  that  chapter  by  such  things  as 
are  contrary  to  marriages,  viz.,  by  adulteries  and  whoredoms ; 
the  husbands  whom  they  loathed  are  goods,  sons  are  truths,  and 
daughters  the  affections  thereof.  So  in  Isaiah,  "  Sing,  thou 
barren,  who  hast  not  borne  ;  break  forth  into  singing  and  cry 
aloud,  thou  that  hast  not  travailed  with  child:  because  more 
are  the  sons  of  the  desolate,  than  the  so?is  of  the  married  woman. 
.  .  .  Thou  shalt  not  remember  any  more  the  reproach  of  thy  wid- 
oiohood,  because  thy  Maker  is  thy  husband ;  Jehovah  Zebaoth 
is  His  name :  and  thy  Redeemer  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  The 
God  of  the  whole  earth  is  He  called :  for  Jehovah  hath  called 
thee  like  a  woman  left  and  afflicted  in  spirit,  and  a  wife  of  youth 
when  she  is  divorced,  saith  thy  God.  .  .  .  All  thy  sons  shall  be 
taught  of  Jehovah,  and  great  shall  be  the  peace  of  thy  sons," 
liv.  1,  4,  5,  6,  13:  Inasmuch  as  by  marriage  is  signified  the 
conjunction  of  truth  and  good,  and  of  good  and  truth,  it  may 
appear  what  is  signified  by  husband  and  wife,  by  sons  and 
daughters,  by  widows,  by  the  divorced,  and  by  bringing  forth, 
travailing  with  child,  being  desolate  and  barren,  for  these  ex- 
pressions have  relation  to  marriage  ;  the  particular  signification 
of  each  expression,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  has  been  frequently 
pointed  out  in  the  explanations  above.  Again,  in  the  same 
prophet,  "  For  the  sake  of  Zion  I  will  not  be  silent,  and  for  the 
sake  of  Jerusalem  I  will  not  rest ;  ...  it  shall  not  be  said  to 
thee  any  longer,  (Thou  art)  forsaken,  .  .  .  but  thy  land  shall  bo 
called  married :  for  Jehovah  shall  be  well  pleased  in  thee,  and 
thy  land  shall  be  ma?Tied ;  because  as  a  youth  shall  marry 
a  virgin,  thy  sons  shall  marry  thee,  and  there  shall  be  the  joy 
of  a  bridegroom  over  a  bride :  thy  God  shall  rejoice  over  thee,v' 
lxii.  1,  4,  5.  lie  who  is  not  acquainted  with  the  internal  sense 
of  the  Word,  may  suppose  that  such  expressions  in  the  Word 


4434.] 


GENESIS. 


143 


are  comparative,  like  several  which  occur  in  common  discourse  ; 
and  hence,  that  the  church  is  compared  to  a  daughter,  to  a 
virgin,  and  to  a  wife,  and  that  thus  the  things  relating  to  faith 
and  charity  are  compared  to  those  things  which  relate  to  mar- 
riage.  But  in  the  Word,  all  things  are  representative  of  spirit- 
ual and  celestial  things,  and  are  real  correspondences ;  for  the 
Word  descended  from  heaven,  and  consequently  in  its  origin  it 
is  divine  celestial  and  spiritual,  to  which  those  things  correspond 
which  are  of  the  sense  of  the  letter.    Hence  it  is,  that  the 
things  relating  to  the  heavenly  marriage,  which  is  the  conjunc- 
tion of  good  and  truth,  fall  into  correspondent  things,  and  thus 
into  those  things  which  relate  to  marriages  on  earth.  .Hence 
also  it  is  that  the  Lord  likened  the  kingdom- of  the  heavens,  that 
is,  His  kingdom  in  the  heavens,  and  His  kingdom  in  the  earth, 
which  is  the  church,  to  "  a  man  a  king,  who  made  a  marriage 
for  his  son,  and  invited  several  thereto,"  Matt.  xxii.  2,  and 
following  verses ;  and  also  to  "  ten  virgins,  who  took  their 
lamps,  and  went  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom"  Matt.  xxv.  1, 
and  following  verses.    And  also  the  Lord  called  those  who  are 
of  the  church,  sons  of  the  marriage  :  "  Jesus  said,  Can  the  sons 
of  the  marriage  mourn,  so  long  as  the  bridegroom  is  with  them  ? 
but  the  days  shall  come  when  the  bridegroom  shall  be  taken 
away  from  them,  and  then  shall  they  fast,"  Matt.  ix.  15. 
Hence  also  the  affection  of  good  and  the  affection  of  truth  are 
called  the  joy  and  gladness  of  the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride, 
because  heavenly  joy  is  from  those  affections  and  in  them  ;  as 
in  Isaiah,  "  Thy  sons  shall  marry  thee,  and  there  shall  be  the 
joy  of  a  bridegroom  over  a  bride :  Jehovah  thy  God  shall  rejoice 
over  thee,"  lxii.  5.    And  in  Jeremiah,  "  The  voice  of  joy  and 
the  voice  of  gladness,  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  the  voice 
of  the  bride,  the  voice  of  them  that  say,  Praise  ye  Jehovah, 
for  Jehovah  is  good,"  xxxiii.  11.    Again,  in  the  same  prophet, 
"  I  will  cause  to  cease  from  the  cities  of  Judah  and  from  the 
streets  of  Jerusalem,  the  voice  of  mirth,  and  the  voice  of  glad- 
ness, the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  the  voice  of  the  bride  ; 
for  the  land  shall  be  desolate,"  vii.  34 ;  xvi.  9 ;  xxv.  10.  And 
in  the  Apocalypse,  "  The  light  of  a  candle  shall  not  shine  any 
more  in  Babylon,  and  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  of  the 
bride  shall  not  be  heard  any  more  therein,"  xviii.  23.  Inas- 
much as  marriages  on  earth,  by  love  truly  conjugial,  correspond 
to  the  heavenly  marriage,  which  is  that  of  good  and  truth,  there- 
fore the  laws  enacted  in  the  Word  concerning  betrothings  and 
marriages,  correspond  altogether  to  the  spiritual  laws  of  the 
heavenly  marriage ;  as  that  they  si  ould  marry  only  one  wife, 
Mark  x.  2  to  8 ;  Luke  xvi.  18 ;  for  in  the  heavenly  marriage, 
good  cannot  be  conjoined  except  to  its  own  truth,  and  truth  to 
its  own  good;  for  supposing  it  to  be  conjoined  to  any  other 
truth  than  its  own,  the  good  would  not  subsist  at  all,  but  would 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


be  torn  asunder  and  thereby  perish.  In  the  spiritual  church, 
the  wife  represents  good,  and  the  man  (vir)  represents  truth  ; 
whereas  in  the  celestial  church  the  husband  represents  good, 
and  the  wife  truth ;  and  (which  is  an  arcanum)  they  not  only 
represent  those  principles,  bxit  also  actually  correspond  to  them. 
The  laws  in  the  Old  Testament  also  which  were  enacted  con- 
cerning marriages,  in  like  manner  have  a  correspondence  with 
the  laws  of  the  heavenly  marriage,  as  those  in  Exod.  xxi.  7  to 
11;  xxii.  16,  17;  xxxiv.  16;  Numb,  xxxvi.  6;  Deut.  vii.  3,  4; 
xxii.  28,  29  ;  and  also  the  laws  concerning  the  forbidden  de- 
grees, Levit.  xviii.  6  to  20,  concerning  each  of  which,  by  the 
divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  we  shall  speak  elsewhere.  That  the 
degrees  and  laws  of  marriages  derive  their  origin  from  the  laws 
of  truth  and  of  good,  which  are  the  laws  of  the  heavenly  mar- 
riage, and  that  they  have  relation  to  them,  is  evident  from  the 
following  passage  in  Ezekiel,  "The  priests  the  Levites  shall  not 
take  to  themselves  for  their  wives  a  widow,  or  her  that  is  divorced, 
but  virgins  of  the  seed  of  the  house  of  Israel ;  or  they  shall 
take  a  widow  who  hath  been  the  widow  of  a  priest,"  xliv.  22  ; 
speaking  of  the  holy  city,  the  new  Jerusalem,  and  of  the  heav- 
enly Canaan,  which,  it  is  manifest,  are  the  Lord's  kingdom  and 
His  church ;  consequently  by  Levites  are  not  signified  Levites, 
nor  by  widow  and  divorced  are  widow  and  divorced  signified, 
but  such  things  to  which  they  correspond. 

4435.  "  And  he  loved  the  damsel,  and  spake  unto  the  heart 
of  the  damsel." — That  hereby  is  signified  love,  is  evident  with- 
out explanation. 

4436.  Ver.  4.  "  And  Shechem  spake  unto  his  father  Hamor." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  thought  grounded  in  the  truth  which 
prevailed  with  the  ancients,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  speaking  unto,  in  the  historical  of  the  Word,  as  denoting 
perception  and  thence  thought,  see  n.  3395 ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  Shechem  the  son  of  Hamor,  as  denoting  the 
truth  which  prevailed  among  the  ancients,  see  n.  4430,  4431. 
Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  Shechem  spake  unto  his  father 
Hamor,  is  signified  thought  from  the  truth  which  prevailed 
with  the  ancients. 

4437.  "Saying,  Get  me  this  damsel  for  a  wife."— That 
hereby  is  signified  that  he  was  willing  to  be  conjoined  with  the 
affection  of  that  truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
damsel,  in  this  case  Dinah,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  the 
truth  signified  by  the  sons  of  Jacob  her  brethren,  see  n.  4427, 
4433  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  getting  for  a  wife,  as 
denoting  to  he  conjoined,  see  above,  n.  4434. 

4438.  Verses  5,  6,  7.  And  Jacob  heard  that  he  had  defied 
Dinah  his  daughter  /  and  his  sons  were  with  his  cattle  in  the 
field i  and  Jacob  was  silent  until  they  came.  And  Hamor  the 
father  of  /Shechem  went  out  unto  Jacob,  to  speak  with  him.  And 


4435-4439.] 


GENESIS. 


145 


the  sons  of  Jacob  came  from  the  field,  when  they  heard  it:  and 
the  men  grieved,  and  they  xoere  very  wroth,  because  he  had 
wrought  folly  in  Israel,  in  lying  with  the  daughter  of  Jacob  / 
which  thing  ought  not  to  be  done.  And  Jacob  heard  that  lie 
had  defiled  Dinah  his  daughter,  signifies  conjunction  not  legiti- 
mate; Jacob  in  this  case  is  the  external  ancient  church  :  and  his 
sons  were  with  the  acquisition  in  the  field,  signifies  that  his  pos- 
terity were  in  their  superstitious  principle :  and  Jacob  was  silent 
until  they  came,  signifies  consultation  from  the  truths  of  faith 
appertaining  to  him  and  his  posterity :  and  Hamor  the  father  of 
Shechem  went  out  unto  Jacob  to  speak  with  him,  signifies  con- 
sultation about  the  truth  of  that  church  :  and  the  sons  of  Jacob 
came  from  the  field,  signifies  that  they  consulted  from  their  su- 
perstitious principle :  when  they  heard  it;  and  the  men  grieved, 
and  they  were  very  wroth,  siguifies  that  they  were  in  evil 
against  the  truth  of  the  church  prevailing  among  the  ancients: 
because  he  had  wrought  folly  in  Israel,  in  lying  with  the  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob,  which  thing  ought  not  to  be  done,  signifies  con- 
junction, in  their  eyes  illicit,  contrary  to  the  truth  appertaining 
to  them. 

4439.  Ver.  5.  "And  Jacob  heard  that  he  had  defiled  Dinah 
his  daughter." — That  hereby  is  signified  conjunction  not  legiti- 
mate, viz.,  with  the  affection  of  truth,  which  was  of  the  external 
church  here  represented  by  Jacob,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  defiling,  as  denoting  conjunction  not  legitimate;  for 
by  marriages  is  signified  legitimate  conjunction,  n.  4434,  hence 
by  their  defilement  is  signified  conjunction  not  legitimate,  con- 
cerning which  see  n.  4433 ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of 
Dinah,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  all  things  of  faith,  and  the 
church  thence  derived,  see  n.  4427 ;  and  (3.)  from  the  repre- 
sentation of  Jacob,  who  in  the  present  case  is  the  ancient  ex- 
ternal church.  The  ancient  external  church  is  here  signified  by 
Jacob,  because  that  church  was  to  have  been  instituted  amongst 
his  posterity ;  and  it  would  have  been  instituted,  if  his  posterity 
had  received  the  interior  truth  which  prevailed  amongst  the 
ancients.  That  church  is  here  represented  by  Jacob,  as  is  evi- 
dent also  from  the  series  of  this  chapter,  for  he  was  not  in 
counsel  with  his  sons,  that  they  should  smite  the  city,  and  slay 
Hamor  and  Shechem ;  wherefore  also  he  said  to  Simeon  and 
Levi,  "  Ye  have  troubled  me  to  make  me  to  stink  to  the  inhab- 
itant of  the  land,"  verse  30 ;  and  in  the  prophetic  enuncia- 
tion before  his  death,  "  Let  not  my  soul  come  into  their  secret; 
in  rheir  assembly  let  not  my  glory  be  united  ;  because  in  their 
anger  they  slew  a  man,  and  in  their  good  pleasure  they  unstrung 
an  ox,"  Gen.  xlix.  6;  and  moreover  in  several  passages  in  the 
Word,  the  ancient  external  church  is  represented  by  Jacob,  n.. 
422,  4286.  Jacob  represents  that  church,  because  in  the  su- 
preme sense  he  represents  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  [principle], 
vol.  v.  11) 


146 


GENESIS. 


[CiiAr.  xxx  iv. 


to  which  the  external  church  corresponds :  but  by  his  sons  are 
signified  the  posterity,  who  extinguished  in  themselves  the  truth 
which  prevailed  amongst  the  ancients,  and  thereby  destroyed 
that  which  was  of  the  church;  thus  nothing  remained  with  them 
but  the  representative  of  the  church,  n.  4281,  4288,  4289,  4303. 

4440.  "And  his  sons  were  with  his  cattle  in  the  field." — 
That  hereby  are  signified  that  his  posterity  were  in  their  super- 
stitious principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  his  sons, 
as  denoting  posterity ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  cattle,  as 
denoting  external  truths,  see  n.  1435,  4391 ;  and  (3.)  from  the 
signification  of field,  as  denoting  the  church,  see  n.  2971,  3766. 
Hence,  by  his  sons  being  with  the  cattle  in  the  field,  is  signified 
that  they  were  in  their  superstitious  principle ;  for  such  a  prin- 
ciple of  the  church  as  prevailed  amongst  them  is  to  be  called 
superstitious,  because  it  was  external  worship  without  internal. 

4441.  "And  Jacob  was  silent  until  they  came."- — That  here- 
by is  signified  consultation  from  the  truths  of  faith  appertaining 
to  him  and  his  posterity,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
being  silent,  as  denoting  to  think  and  consult  tacitly ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  until  they  came,  viz.,  his  sons,  as  denot- 
ing from  the  truths  of  faith  appertaining  to  him  and  to  his  pos- 
terity ;  that  sons  are  truths,  see  n.  489,  491,  533,  1147,  2623, 
3373,  4257:  inasmuch  as  consultation  was  made  with  his  sons, 
and  thus  with  the  truths  signified  by  the  sons  of  Jacob,  it  was 
consequently  from  the  truths  appertaining  to  him  and  his  pos- 
terity. 

4442.  Yer.  6.  "And  Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem  went 
out  unto  Jacoh  to  speak  with  him." — That  hereby  is  signified 
consultation  about  the  truth  of  that  church,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  representation  of  Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem,  as  denoting 
the  truth  of  the  ancients,  see  n.  4430,  4431 ;  (2.)  from  the  rep- 
resentation of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  ancient  external  church, 
see  just  above,  n.  4439  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  speak- 
ing with  him,  as  denoting  to  consult ;  hence  by  those  words  is 
signified  consultation  about  the  truth  of  that  church.  He  who 
does  not  know  that  by  names  in  the  Word  are  signified  tilings, 
will  wonder  that  by  these  words,  "  Hamor  the  father  of  She- 
chem went  out  unto  Jacob  to  speak  with  him,"  is  signified  con- 
sultation of  the  truth  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients  with 
the  truth  which  was  according  to  the  ancient  church  to  be 
established  anew  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob  ;  but  he  will 
not  wonder,  who  knows  that  such  is  the  internal  sense  of  the 
Word  ;  nor  indeed  will  they  wonder,  who  by  perusing  the 
books  of  the  ancients  have  made  themselves  acquainted  with 
their  customary  manner  of  writing.  For  it  was  common  with 
them  to  introduce  things  as  it  were  discoursing  together,  as 
wisdom,  intelligence,  the  sciences,  and  the  like;  and  also  to 
give  them  names,  whereby  such  things  were  signified:  this  was 


4440-  1111.] 


GENESIS. 


147 


the  origin  of  the  gods  and  demigods  of  the  old  heathens,  and 
also  of  the  persons  whom  they  feigned,  in  order  that  they  might 
describe  things  under  a  historical  form.  The  old  Sophi  derived 
this  custom  from  the  ancient  church,  which  was  dispersed  over 
a  great  part  of  the  Asiatic  world,  n.  1238,  2385 ;  for  they  who 
were  of  the  ancient  church  described  sacred  things  by  repre- 
sentatives and  signiheatives  :  but  the  ancient  church  was  initi- 
ated herein  from  the  mouth  of  the  most  ancient  people  who  were 
before  the  flood,  see  n.  920,  1409,  1977,  2896.  2S97 ;  and  these 
from  heaven,  for  they  had  communication  with  heaven,  n.  78-1, 
1114  to  1125  ;  for  the  first  heaven,  which  is  the  ultimate  of  the 
three,  is  in  such  representatives  and  significatives ;  hence  it  is 
that  the  Word  was  written  in  such  a  style.  But  the  Word  has 
this  peculiar  characteristic  above  the  writings  of  the  old  hea- 
thens, that  all  and  each  of  the  "things  contained  in  it  in  a  con- 
tinual series  represent  the  celestial  and  spiritual  tilings  of  the 
Lord's  kingdom,  and  in  the  supreme  sense,  the  Lord  Himself; 
and  that  the  historicals  themselves  are  also  thus  representative; 
and  what  is  more,  they  are  real  correspondences,  and  these 
continual  through  the  three  heavens  from  the  Lord. 

4443.  Ver.  7.  "And  the  sons  of  Jacob  came  from  the  field." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  that  they  consulted  from  their  super- 
stitious principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  the  sons 
of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  nation  which  was  from  them,  in  which 
a  representative  of  the  church  was  instituted;  and  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  field,  as  denoting  a  superstitious  principle,  see 
above,  n.  4440 ;  that  to  come  from  it,  denotes  consultation 
from  it,  follows  from  the  series  of  things  treated  of,  and  also 
from  this,  that  it  is  their  superstitious  principle  of  which  com- 
ing is  predicated. 

4444.  "  When  they  heard  it ;  and  the  men  grieved,  and 
they  were  very  wroth." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they 
were  in  evil  against  the  truth  of  the  church  prevailing  amongst 
the  ancients,  appears  from  the  signification  of  grieving,  and 
being  very  wroth,  as  here  denoting  to  be  in  evil ;  that  it  was 
against  the  truth  of  the  church  prevailing  amongst  the  ancients, 
follows  of  consequence,  because  it  was  against  Shechem  the  son 
of  Hamor,  by  whom  the  truth  prevailing  amongst  the  ancients 
is  signified,  as  was  said  above  in  n.  4430,  4431.  That  they 
were  in  evil,  is  evident  from  what  follows,  for  they  spake  in 
fraud,  verse  13 ;  and  then,  after  Shechem  and  Hamor  had 
agreed  to  their  words,  they  slew  them,  verse  26  to  29 :  hence 
it  is,  that  by  grieving  and  being  very  wroth,  is  here  signified 
that  they  were  in  evil.  It  appears  as  if  it  was  zeal,  because  he 
lay  with  their  sister,  according  to  the  words  which  immediately 
follow,  "because  he  had  wrought  folly  in  Israel  in  lying  with 
the  daughter  of  Jacob,  which  thing  ought  not  to  be  done  ;"  and 
in  the  end  of  the  chapter  they  said,  "  Shall  he  make  our  sister 


148 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


as  a  harlot  ?"  verse  31 ;  but  it  was  not  zeal,  for  zeal  cannot 
take  place  with  any  one  who  is  in  evil,  but  only  with  him  who 
is  in  good,  for  zeal  has  good  in  itself,  n.  4164.  The  superstitious 
principle  mdeed,  which  prevailed  with  their  posterity,  in  itself 
had  good,  for  all  and  each  of  the  things  thereof  represented  the 
celestial  and  spiritual  things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom ;  but  as  to 
those  who  were  in  it,  it  had  nothing  of  good,  for  they  were 
only  in  externals  without  internals,  as  was  shown  above.  The 
case  herein  is  like  that  of  the  superstitious  principle  of  that 
nation,  in  which  they  are  at  this  day,  for  they  acknowledge 
Moses  and  the  prophets,  and  thus  the  Word  :  this  principle  in 
itself  is  holy,  but  as  to  them  it  is  not  holy,  for  in  every  single 
thing  of  the  Word  they  respect  themselves,  and  thereby  they 
make  the  Word  worldly,  and  even  earthly ;  for  they  do  not 
know  that  there  is  in  it  any  thing  celestial,  nor  is  this  any 
matter  of  concern  to  them.  They  who  are  in  such  a  state,  can- 
not be  in  good  when  in  their  religious  principle,  but  in  evil, 
since  nothing  celestial  flows-in,  for  this  they  extinguish  in  them- 
selves. According  to  the  law,  known  also  in'  the  ancient 
church,  it  was  ordained,  that  he  who  forced  a  virgin,  should 
give  a  dowry,  and  should  take  her  to  wife,  agreeable  to  these 
words  in  Moses,  "  If  a  man  should  persuade  a  virgin  who  is  not 
betrothed,  and  lie  with  her,  by  dowry  he  shall  endow  her  to 
himself  for  a  wife ;  if  her  father  refusing  refuse  to  give  her 
unto  him,  he  shall  weigh  silver  according  to  the  dowry  of  vir- 
gins," Exod.  xxii.  15,  16 ;  and  in  another  place,  "  If  a  man 
find  a  damsel,  a  virgin  who  is  not  betrothed,  and  lay  hold  of 
he'r,  and  lie  with  her,  and  they  be  found,  the  man  who  lay  with 
her  shall  give  unto  the  lather  of  the  damsel  fifty  of  silver,  and 
she  shall  be  his  wife,  because  he  forced  her;  and  he  shall  not  be 
able  to  put  her  away  all  his  days,"  Deut.  xxii.  28,  29.  That 
this  same  law  was  known  to  the  ancients,  is  very  manifest  from 
Shechein's  words  to  the  father  and  brothers  of  the  damsel, 
"  Shechem  said  unto  her  father,  and  unto  her  brethren,  Let  me 
find  grace  in  your  eyes,  and  what  ye  say  unto  me,  I  will  give  ; 
multiply  upon  me  exceedingly  dowry  and  gift,  and  I  will  give 
according  as  ye  shall  say  unto  me ;  and  give  me  the  damsel  for 
a  wife,"  ver.  11, 12  ;  and  because  Shechem  was  willing  to  fulfil 
that  law,  and  the  brethren  of  Dinah  consented,  if  he  would 
become  like  them,  by  circumcising  every  male,  according  to 
the  words  which  follow,  "  Nevertheless,  in  this  will  we  consent 
unto  you,  if  ye  be  as  we  are,  to  circumcise  to  you  every  male; 
then  will  we  give  our  daughters  unto  you,  and  we  will  take 
your  daughters  to  us,  and  we  will  dwell  with  you,  and  we  will 
become  one  people,"  ver.  15,  16.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that 
they  did  not  act  from  the  law,  thus  not  from  good  ;  but  con- 
trary to  the  law,  consecpiently  from  evil.  From  the  law  indeed 
it  was  required,  that  they  should  not  enter  into  marriages  with 


GENESIS. 


149 


the  nations  ;  concerning  which  law  it  is  written  in  Moses,  "  Lest 
thon  take  of  their  (laughters  to  thy  sons,  and  their  daughters  go 
a  whoring  after  their  gods,  and  cause  thy  sons  to  go  a  whoring 
after  their  gods,"  Exod.  xxxiv.  16  :  and  in  another  place, 
"  Thon  shalt  not  contract  affinity  with  the  nations  ;  thy  daugh- 
ter thou  shalt  not  give  unto  his  son,  and  his  daughter  thou 
shalt  not  take  to  thy  son ;  because  he  will  turn  away  thy  son 
from  following  me,  that  they  may  serve  other  gods,"  Deut. 
vii.  3,  4.  But  this  law  was  enacted  concerning  the  idolatrous 
nations,  lest  by  marriages  they  should  turn  away  to  idolatrous 
worship  from  worship  truly  representative  ;  for  when  they  be- 
came idolaters,  they  could  no  longer  represent  the  celestial  and 
spiritual  things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  but  their  opposites,  such 
as  infernal  things,  since  in  this  case  they  called  forth  from  hell 
a  certain  devil  whom  they  worshipped,  and  to  whom  they 
applied  divine  representatives;  wherefore  it  is  said,  lest  they 
should  go  a  whoring  after  other  gods  ; — also  for  this  reason, 
because  by  the  nations  were  signified  evils  and  falses,  with 
which  the  goods  and  truths,  which  the  children  of  Israel  repre- 
sented, were  not  to  be  mixed  ;  consequently  diabolical  and  infer- 
nal things  were  not  to  be  mixed  with  celestial  and  spiritual,  see 
n.  3024.  But  it  was  never  forbidden  them  to  contract  wedlock 
with  the  nations  which  accepted  their  worship,  and  who,  after 
that  they  were  circumcised,  acknowledged  Jehovah;  those  they 
called  sojourners  sojourning  with  them,  concerning  whom  it  is 
thus  written  in  Moses,  ''If  a  sojourner  shall  sojourn  with  thee, 
and  will  keep  the  passover  unto  Jehovah,  every  male  shall  be 
circumcised  to  him,  and  then  he  shall  come  near  to  keep  it,  and 
shall  be  as  one  that  is  born  in  the  land ;  .  .  .  one  lav)  shall  be  to 
the  home-born  and  to  the  sojourner  who  sojourneth  in  the  midst 
of  you"  Exod.  xii.  48,  49  ;  and  in  another  place,  "  When  a 
sojourner  shall  have  sojourned  with  you,  let  him  keep  the  pass- 
over  unto  Jehovah ;  according  to  the  ordinance  of  the  passover, 
and  according  to  the  manner  thereof,  so  shall  he  do.  One  ordi- 
nance shall  be  for  you  both,  for  the  sojourner,  and  for  him  that  is 
bom  in  the  land,'''  Numb.  ix.  14.  They  were  called  sojourners 
sojourning  in  the  midst  of  them  and  with  them,  because  to 
sojourn  signified  to  be  instructed,  and  thus  a  sojourner  signified 
those  who  suffered  themselves  to  be  instructed  in  statutes  and 
doctrinals ;  that  this  is  the  signification  of  sojourning  and  of 
sojourner,  may  be  seen  in  n.  1463,  2025,  3672.  Again,  "  If  a 
sojourner  shall  have  sojourned  with  you,  who  shall  make  an 
offering  of  fire  of  an  odour  of  rest  unto  Jehovah,  as  ye  do,  so 
shall  he  do.  As  to  the  congregation,  one  ordinance  shall  be  for 
you  and  for  the  sojourner  that  sojourneth,  an  ordinance  for  evei 
in  your  generations ;  as  ye  are,  so  shall  the  sojourner  be  before 
Jehovah  ;  one  law  and  one  judgment  shall  be  for  you  and  for 
the  sojourner  sojourning  with  you"  Numb.  xv.  14  to  16.  Also 


150 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


in  another  place,  "  The  sojourner  sojourning  with  you  shall  be 
to  you  as  he  that  is  bom  among  you"  Levit.  xix  34;  " one  judg- 
ment shall  be  to  you,  as  it  is  to  the  sojourner,  so  shall  it  be  to 
the  home-bom"  xxiv.  22.  That  this  statute  was  knoAvn,  not 
only  to  Jacob  and  his  sons,  but  also  to  Shechem  and  Hamor,  is 
evident  from  their  words ;  for  the  statutes,  judgments,  and  laws, 
which  were  given  to  the  Israelitish  and  Jewish  nation,  were 
not  new,  but  were  such  as  had  previously  existed  in  the  ancient 
church,  and  in  the  other  ancient  church  which  was  called  He- 
brsean,  from  Eber,  as  has  been  shown  throughout.  That  hence 
that  law  was  known,  is  evident  from  the  words  of  the  sons  of 
Jacob,  "The  sons  of  Jacob  said  unto  Hamor  and  Shechem,  We 
cannot  do  this  thing,  to  give  our  sister  to  a  man  who  hath  a 
foreskin,  because  this  is  a  reproach  unto  us ;  nevertheless,  in 
this  will  we  consent  unto  you,  if  ye  be  as  we  are,  to  circumcise 
to  you  every  male  ;  then  will  we  give  our  daughter  unto  you, 
and  we  will  take  your  daughters  to  us,  and  we  will  dwell  with 
you,  and  we  will  become  one  people,"  ver.  14  to  16  ;  and  from 
the  words  of  Hamor  and  Shechem,  since  they  not  only  con- 
sented, but  also  caused  themselves  and  every  male  of  their  city 
to  be  circumcised,  ver.  18  to  24.  Hence  it  is  evident  that  She- 
chem was  made  such  as  the  sojourner  spoken  of  in  the  law, 
and  thus  that  he  might  have  taken  the  daughter  of  Jacob  for  a 
wife;  consequently,  that  the  slaying  them  was  a  wicked  deed, 
as  Jacob  also  testified  before  his  death,  Gen.  xlix.  5  to  7.  That 
not  only  Judah,  but  also  Moses,  and  likewise  the  kings  of  the 
Jews  and  of  the  Israelites,  besides  several  of  the  people,  mar- 
ried wives  from  the  nations,  is  evident  from  the  historicals  of 
the  Word ;  which  wives,  it  is  not  to  be  doubted,  received  their 
ordinances,  judgments,  and  laws,  and  were  acknowledged  as 
sojourners. 

4445.  "  Because  he  had  wrought  folly  in  Israel,  in  lying  witli 
the  daughter  of  Jacob,  which  thing  ought  not  to  be  done." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  conjunction,  in  their  eyes  illicit,  con- 
trary to  the  truth  appertaining  to  them,  appears  from  the  signi- 
fication of  having  wrought  folly  in  lying  with  the  daughter  of 
Jacob,  as  denoting  illicit  conjunction.  That  to  lie  with  her  and 
thereby  to  defile  her,  is  conjunction  not  legitimate,  may  be  seen 
above  in  n.  4439  ;  it  is  said,  in  Israel,  because  by  Israel  is  signi- 
fied the  internal  of  the  church  ;  and  afterwards  it  is  said,  the 
daughter  of  Jacob,  because  by  Jacob  is  signified  the  external  of 
the  church;  that  Israel  is  the  internal  of  the  church,  and  Jacob 
the  external,  see  n.  42S6,  4292,  4439.  That  in  their  eyes  it 
appeared  illicit,  although  it  was  allowable,  may  be  manifest 
from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  above,  n.  4444,  and  in 
other  places. 

4446.  Ver.  8  to  12.  And  Hamor  communed  with  them, 
saying,  Shechem  my  son,  his  soul  longcth  for  your  daughter  '} 


4AA5-4447.] 


GENESIS. 


151 


give  her,  I  pray  you,  to  him  for  a  wife.  And  join  kindred 
%oith  us  ;  give  your  daughters  unto  us,  and  take  our  daughters 
unto  you.  And  ye  shall  dwell  with  ^ls,  and  the  land  shall  be 
before  you;  dwell  ye,  wander  through  it  in  trading,  and  pos- 
sess ye  in  it.  And  Shechem  said  unto  her  father,  and  unto  her 
brethren,  Let  me  find  grace  in  your  eyes  /  and  what  ye  shall 
say  unto  me,  I  will  give.  .Multiply  upon  me  exceedingly  dowry 
and  gift,  and  I  will  give  according  as  ye  shall  say  unto  me : 
and  give  me  the  damsel  for  a  wife.  And  Humor  communed, 
■with  them,  saying,  signifies  the  good  of  the  church  amongst  the 
ancients :  Shechem  my  son,  signifies  truth  thence :  his  soul 
longeth  for  your  daughter ;  give  her,  I  pray  you,  to  him  for  a 
wife,  signifies  the  desire  of  conjunction  with  this  new  church 
which  externally  appears  like  the  ancient:  and  join  kindred 
with  us,  give  your  daughters  unto  us,  and  take  our  daughters 
unto  you,  signifies  union  of  goods  and  truths  :  and  ye  shall 
dwell  with  us,  signifies  life :  and  the  land  shall  bo  before  you, 
dwell  ye,  signifies  the  church  which  is  one  :  wander  through 
it  in  trading,  and  possess  ye  in  it,  signifies  doctrinal  tenets 
grounded  in  a  common  principle  which  would  agree  together: 
and  Shechem  said  unto  her  father  and  unto  her  brethren,  sig- 
nifies the  consultation  of  truth  from  the  ancient  divine  stock 
with  the  good  and  truth  of  this  religious  principle:  Let  me  find 
grace  in  your  eyes,  and  what  ye  shall  say  unto  me,  I  will  givn, 
signifies  if  they  had  a  like  mind  on  their  part,  as  it  was  on  his 
part :  multiply  upon  me  exceedingly  dowry  and  gift,  and  I  will 
give  according  as  ye  shall  say  unto  me,  signifies  that  he  will 
accept  those  things  which  appertain  to  them,  and  will  make 
them  his  own  :  and  give  me  the  damsel  for  a  wife,  signifies 
only  let  there  be  conjunction. 

■i-iil.  Ver.  8.  "And  Ham  or  communed  with  them,  saying." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  the  good  of  the  church  amongst  the 
ancients,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Hamor,  as  denoting 
from  the  ancients  (see  n.  4131),  viz.,  the  good  of  the  church 
from  them ;  for  the  good  of  the  church  is  the  father,  and  the 
truth  thence  derived,  which  in  this  case  is  Shechem,  is  the  son : 
hence  also  in  the  Word,  by  father  is  signified  good,  and  by  son, 
truth.  It  is  here  said  the  good  of  the  church  amongst  the  an- 
cients, but  not  the  good  of  the  ancient  church  ;  because  by  the 
church  amongst  the  ancients  is  meant  the  church  derived  from 
the  most  ancient  church,  which  was  before  the  flood  ;  and  by 
the  ancient  church  is  meant  the  church  which  was  after  the 
flood.  These  two  churches  have  been  occasionally  treated  of  in 
the  preceding  explanations,  and  it  has  been  shown,  that  the 
most  ancient  church  which  was  before  the  flood  was  celestial, 
but  the  ancient  church  which  was  after  the  flood  was  spiritual ; 
the  difference  of  each  has  also  often  been  treated  of.  The  re- 
mains of  the  most  ancient  church,  which  was  celestial,  were 


152 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


still  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  especially  amongst  those  who  were 
called  Hittites  and  Ilivites.  The  reason  why  they  did  not 
exist  elsewhere,  was,  because  the  most  ancient  church,  which 
was  called  Man  or  Adam,  n.  477,  479,  was  in  the  land  of 
Canaan,  consequently  the  garden  of  Eden  was  there,  by  which 
was  there  signified  the  intelligence  and  wisdom  of  the  men  of 
that  church,  n.  100,  1588  ;  and  by  the  trees  therein,  their  per- 
ception, n.  103,  2163,  2772,  2972  ;  and  whereas  intelligence 
and  wisdom  was  signified  by  that  garden  or  paradise,  the  church 
itself  is  likewise  meant  thereby,  and  consequently  heaven  also  ; 
and  since  heaven  is  meant,  in  the  supreme  sense  the  Lord  is 
also  meant.  Hence  it  is,  that  the  land  of  Canaan  in  the  su- 
preme sense  signifies  the  Lord  ;  in  the  respective  sense,  heaven 
and  the  church  ;  and  in  the  singular  sense,  a  man  of  the  church, 
a.  1413,  1437,  1G07,  3038,  3481,  3705.  Hence  also,  when 
the  earth  is  simply  named  in  the  Word,  it  has  a  like  significa- 
tion, n.  566,  662,  1066,  1068,  1413,  1607,  3355 ;  and  a  new 
heaven  and  a  new  earth,  is  a  new  church  as  to  its  internal  and 
external,  n.  1733,  1850,  2117,  2118,  3355.  The  most  ancient 
church  was  in  the  land  of  Canaan  (see  n.  567) ;  hence  arose 
the  representatives  of  places,  and  on  this  account  Abram  was 
ordered  to  go  thither  ;  that  land  also  was  given  to  his  posterity 
from  Jacob,  in  order  that  the  representatives  of  places  might 
be  retained,  according  to  which  the  Word  might  be  written; 
see  n.  3686.  And  hence,  all  the  places  there,  both  mountains 
and  rivers,  and  all  the  borders  round  about,  were  made  repre- 
sentative, n.  15S5,  1S66,  4240.  From  these  considerations  it 
is  evident  what  is  here  meant  by  the  church  amongst  the  an- 
cients, viz.,  the  remains  of  the  most  ancient  church :  and  as 
those  remains  existed  amongst  the  Hittites  and  Hivites,  therefore 
also  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  with  their  wives,  gained  a  place 
of  burial  with  the  Hittites  in  their  land,  Gen.  xxiii.  1  to  the 
end  ;  xlix.  59  to  32  ;  1. 13  ;  and  Joseph  with  the  Hivites,  Joshua 
xxiv.  32.  Hanior  the  father  of  Shechem  represented  the  re- 
mains of  that  church ;  wherefore  by  him  is  signified  the  good 
of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients,  consequently  the  origin  of 
interior  truth  from  a  divine  stock,  n.  4399.  The  difference  be- 
tween the  most  ancient  church  before  the  flood,  and  the  ancient 
church  after  the  flood,  may  be  seen  in  n.  597,  607,  608,  640,  641, 
765,  784,  895,  920,  1114  to  1128,  1238,  1327,  2896,  2897. 

4448.  "  Shechem  my  son." — That  hereby  is  signified  the 
truth  thence  derived,  appears  from  the  representation  of  She- 
chem,  as  denoting  interior  truth,  see  n.  4430,  thus  truth  thence 
derived,  viz.,  from  the  good  which  is  Hanior,  n.  4447 ;  for  all 
the  truth  of  the  church  is  from  its  good,  and  truth  never  exists 
from  any  other  source.  This  truth,  represented  by  Shechem, 
is  called  interior  truth,  and  in  its  essence  is  no  other  than  the 
good  of  charity  ;  for  the  most  ancient  church,  being  celestial, 


4418,  4449.] 


GENESIS. 


153 


was  in  the  good  of  love  to  the  Lord,  and  thence  in  the  percep- 
tion of  all  truth,  insomuch  that  the  men  of  that  church  were 
almost  as  the  angels ;  they  also  had  communication  with  the 
angels,  and  thence  derived  their  perception.  Consequently  they 
never  reasoned  concerning  any  truth  of  faith,  but  said,  because 
they  perceived  from  heaven,  that  it  is  so ;  and  this  in  such  a 
sort,  that  they  were  not  even  willing  to  mention  faith,  but 
charity  in  its  stead,  see  n.  202,  337,  2715,  2718,  3246.  This 
is  the  reason  Avhy  by  interior  truth  the  good  of  charity  is  here 
meant;  that  the  remains  of  that  church  were  with  Hauior  the 
llivite,  and  his  son  Shechem,  may  be  seen  just  above,  n.  4447. 
The  case  was  otherwise  with  the  ancient  church,  which  was 
spiritual;  this  church  was  not  in  love  to  the  Lord,  like  the 
most  ancient  church,  but  in  charity  towards  the  neighbour ; 
and  since  they  could  not  arrive,  at  charity,  unless  hj  the  truth 
of  faith,  of  which  they  had  no  perception,  as  the  most  ancient 
had,  therefore  they  began  to  enter  into  disquisitions  about  truth, 
whether  it  be  so.  Concerning  the  difference  between  the  celes- 
tial who  had  perception,  and  the  spiritual  who  had  not,  see  n. 
2088,  2669,  2708,  2715,  3235,  3240,  3246,  3887.  . 

4449.  "  His  soul  longeth  for  your  daughter;  give  her,  I  pray 
you,  to  him  for  a  wife." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  desire  of 
conjunction  with  this  new  church,  which  externally  appears  like 
the  ancient,  is  manifest  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  the  soul 
longing  for,  as  denoting  desire  ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of 
Dinah,  who  in  this  case  is  the  daughter,  as  denoting  the  affec- 
tion of  truth,  consequently  the  church,  for  the  church  is  such 
from  the  affection  of  truth  ;  this  is  here  meant  by  that  new 
church  ;  and  (3)  from  the  signification  of  giving  her  for  a  wife, 
as  denoting  conjunction,  see  n.  4434.  In  regard  to  the  circum- 
stance, that  this  new  church,  which  was  established  amongst 
the  posterity  of  Jacob,  appears  externally  like  the  ancient,  it 
is  to  be  noted,  that  the  ordinances,  judgments,  and  laws,  com- 
manded by  Moses  to  the  Israelitish  and  Jewish  nation,  did  not 
differ  from  those  which  existed  in  the  ancient  church,  as  those 
relating  to  betrothings  and  marriages,  to  servants,  to  the  ani- 
mals which  were  fit  or  unfit  for  food,  to  the  cleansings,  to  the 
feasts  and  tabernacles,  the  perpetual  fire,  and  several  other 
things ;  also  to  the  altars,  the  burnt-offerings,  the  sacrifices, 
the  libations,  which  were  received  in  the  other  ancient  church 
from  Eber ;  which,  it  is  very  manifest  from  the  historicals  of 
the  Word,  were  known  previous  to  their  being  commanded  to 
that  nation.  To  show  only  that  altars,  burnt-offerings,  and 
sacrifices  were  known,  it  is  related  concerning  Balaam,  that  he 
ordered  seven  altars  to  be  built,  and  burnt- offerings  and  sacri- 
fices of  bullocks  and  rams  to  be  offered  upon  them,  Numb, 
xxiii.  1,  2,  14,  15,  29  ;  and  moreover  it  is  said  in  many  places, 
concerning  the  nations,  that  their  altars  were  destroyed ;  and 


154 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


also  concerning  the  prophets  of  Baal,  whom  Elijah  slew,  that 
they  sacrificed.  Hence  it  may  clearly  appear  that  the  sacrifices, 
commanded  to  the  people  of  Jacob,  were  not  new ;  nor  were 
the  rest  of  the  ordinances,  judgments,  and  laws  ; — but  as  these 
things  had  been  rendered  idolatrous  amongst  the  nations,  espe- 
cially because  they  worshipped  some  profane  god  with  such 
forms,  and  thereby  turned  to  infernal  those  things  which  repre- 
sentee! divine  things,  besides  that  they  had  added  several  others, 
therefore  those  things  were  revoked,  in  order  that  the  represent- 
ative worship,  which  was  that  of  the  ancient  church,  might  be 
restored.  Hence  it  may  appear  manifest,  that  the  new  church, 
instituted  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  appeared  externally 
like  the  ancient  church. 

4450.  Ver.  9.  "  And  join  kindred  with  us  ;  give  your  daugh- 
ters unto  ns,  and  take  our  daughters  unto  you." — That  hereby 
is  signified  a  union  of  goods  and  truths,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  joining  kindred,  as  denoting  union,  see  n.  4434  ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  daughters,  as  denoting  affec- 
tions, thus  goods,  see  n.  489,  490,  491,  2362,  3963 ;  that  the 
union  was  with  truths,  is  signified  by  giving  unto  us  and  taking 
unto  you,  for  by  Shechem  and  by  the  sons  of  Jacob  are  signified 
truths,  as  was  shown  above.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  those 
words  is  signified  the  union  of  goods  and  truths  ;  that  is  to  say, 
by  this  union  the  new  church  would  be  like  the  ancient,  not 
only  in  its  external,  but  in  its  internal  appearance. 

4451.  Ver.  10.  "  And  ye  shall  dwell  with  us."— That  hereby 
is  signified  life,  appears  from  the  signification  of  dwelling,  as 
denoting  to  live,  see  n.  1293,  3384,  3613 ;  thus,  to  dwell  with 
us,  is  to  live  together,  and  to  make  one  church. 

4452.  "  And  the  land  shall  be  before  you,  dwell  ye."— That 
hereby  is  signified  the  church,  which  is  one,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  land,  as  denoting  the  church,  see  n.  566, 
662,  1066,  106S,  1413,  1607,  3355,  4447  ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  dwelling  with  us,  as  denoting  to  live  together, 
see  just  above,  n.  4451,  thus  that  the  church  should  be  one. 

4453.  "  Wander  through  it  in  trading,  and  possess  ye  in 
it." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  doctrinal  tenets  grounded  in 
a  common  principle  would  agree  together,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  trading,  as  denoting  to  procure  knowledges,  and 
also  to  communicate,  see  n.  2967  ;  hence,  to  wander  through  the 
land  in  trading,  is  to  enter  into  the  knowledges  of  good  and 
truth,  signified  by  Shechem  the  son  of  Hamor,  and  by  his  city  ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  possessing  in  it,  as  denoting  to 
make  one,  thus  to  agree  together ;  for  they  who  possess  the  land 
together,  make  one  and  agree  together.  The  reason  why  trad- 
ing signifies  to  procure  knowledges,  and  also  to  communicate, 
is,  because  in  heaven,  where  the  Word  is  perceived  according  to 
the  internal  sense,  there  is  not  any  trading,  for  there  is  neither 


4450—4453.] 


GENESIS. 


155 


gold  nor  silver  there,  nor  any  such  things  as  are  traded  with  in 
the  world  ;  wherefore,  when  mention  is  made  of  trading,  in  the 
"Word,  it  is  understood  in  a  spiritual  sense,  and  such  a  thing  is 
perceived  as  corresponds  thereunto;  in  general,  the  procuring 
and  communicating  knowledges,  and  specifically  that  which  is 
named ;  as  if  gold  is  named,  the  good  of  love  and  wisdom  is 
understood,  n.  113,  1551,  1552;  if  silver,  the  truth  of  intelli- 
gence and  faith  is  understood,  n.  1551,  2048,  2954;  if  sheep, 
rams,  kids,  and  lambs,  with  which  they  traded  in  old  time,  are 
mentioned,  the  things  signified  by  these  are  understood  ;  and  so 
in  other  cases.  As  in  Ezekiel,  "  Say  unto  Tyre,  O  thou  that 
inhabitest  upon  the  entrances  of  the  sea,  the  trader  of  the  people 
to  many  islands :  .  .  .  Tarshish  thy  merchant  by  reason  of  the 
multitude  of  all  riches,  with  silver,  iron,  tin,  and  lead,  they 
traded  in  thy  fail's.  Javal,  Tubal,  and  Meshech,  these  thy 
traders  in  the  soul  of  man,  and  vessels  of  brass,  they  gave  thy 
commerce.  .  .  .  The  sons  of  Dedan  were  thy  traders  y  many 
isles  were  the  merchandise  of  thine  hand.  .  Syria  was  thy 
trad  r  in  the  multitude  of  thy  works.  .  .  .  Judah  and  the  land 
of  Israel,  these  were  thy  traders  in  wheat,  minnith,  and  pannag, 
and  in  honey,  and  oil,  and  balm,  they  gave  thy  commerce. 
Damascus  was  thy  merchant  in  the  multitude  of  thy  works,  by 
reason  of  the  multitude  of  all  riches,  in  the  wine  of  Helbon  and 
the  wool  of  Zachar.  Dan  and  Javan  gave  thread  in  thy  fairs. 
Dedan  was  thy  trader  in  garments  of  freedom  for  the  chariot. 
The  Arabian  and  all  the  princes  of  Kedar,  they  were  the  mer- 
chants of  thy  land,  in  lambs,  and  rams,  and  he-goats  ;  in  these 
thy  merchants  were  traders  of  Sheba  and  Raamah,  they  were 
thy  traders  in  the  chief  of  all  spices,  and  by  every  precious  stone 
and  gold,  they  gave  thy  tradings.  Haran  and  Canneh  and  Eden, 
the  traders  of  Sheba,  Ashur,  Chilmad,  were  thy  trader.  These 
were  thy  traders  with  excellent  things,  with  foldings  of  blue, 
and  embroidered  work,  and  with  chests  of  precious  garments, 
bound  with  cords  and  made  of  cedar,  in  thy  trading  /  .  .  .  whence 
thou  hast  been  filled,  and  made  very  glorious  in  the  heart  of 
the  seas,"  xxvii.  3  to  the  end.  From  these  and  several  other 
passages  in  the  "Word,  it  appears  that  tradings,  commerces, 
merchandises,  and  wares,  are  nothing  else  than  such  things  as 
relate  to  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth ;  for  what  has  the  pro- 
phetic "Word  to  do  with  the  tradings  of  Tyre,  unless  spiritual  and 
celestial  things  are  signified  by  those  tradings  ?  And  this  being 
the  case,  it  manifestly  appears,  that  not  only  other  things  are  sig- 
nified by  wares,  but  also  that  by  the  nations  there  mentioned  are 
signified  those  to  whom  such  things  belong;  neither  can  it  be 
known  what  they  signify  except  from  the  internal  sense,  as  Avhat 
is  signified  by  Tarshish,  Javal,  Tubal,  Meshech,  the  sons  of 
Dedan,  Syria,  Judah,  Israel,  Dan,  Javan,  Dedan,  the  Arabian 
Sheba,  Baamah,  Haran,  Canneh,  Eden,  Ashur,  Chilmad ;  alsc 


156 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


what  by  their  wares,  as  silver,  iron,  tin,  lead,  vessels  of  brass, 
wheat,  minnith,  pannag,  honey,  oil,  balm,  wine  of  Helbon,  wool 
of  Zachar,  thread,  garments  of  freedom  for  the  chariot,  lambs, 
rams,  he-goats,  spices,  precious  stones,  gold,  foldings  of  blue, 
embroidered  work,  cords  tied,  and  work  of  cedar.  These  and 
similar  things  signify  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  church,  and  of 
the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  the  knowledges  thereof;  wherefore 
Tyre  is  there  treated  of,  because  by  it  are  signified  knowledges, 
n.  1201 ;  and  whereas  such  wares,  or  goods  and  truths,  are  in 
the  Lord's  church  and  kingdom,  therefore  also  the  land  of 
Canaan,  by  which  is  signified  the  Lord's  kingdom  and  church, 
was  from  the  most  ancient  time  so  named  from  wares  or  mer- 
chandises ;  for  in  the  original  tongue,  Canaan  has  this  significa- 
tion. From  these  considerations  it  is  now  evident,  what  is 
signified  by  wandering  through  the  land  in  trading. 

4154.  Ver.  11.  "  And  Shechem  said  unto  her  father  and 
unto  her  brethren." — That  hereby  is  signified  consultation  of 
truth  derived  from  the  ancient  divine  stock  with  the  good  and 
truth  of  this  religious  principle,  appeal's  (1.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  saying,  as  here  denoting  to  consult ;  (2.)  from  the  rep- 
resentation of  Shechem,  as  denoting  truth  derived  from  the 
ancient  divine  stock,  concerning  which  see  above,  n.  4147 ; 
(3.)  from  the  signification  of  father,  who  in  this  case  is  Jacob, 
as  denoting  the  good  of  truth,  n.  4273,  4337;  and  (4.)  from  the 
signification  of  brethren,  who  in  this  case  are  the  sons  of  Jacob, 
as  denoting  truths,  concerning  which  see  above.  That  Shechem 
is  truth  from  the  ancient  divine  stock,  is  evident  from  what  was 
adduced  above,  n.  4447 ;  for  Ilamor  the  Hittite,  with  his  nation 
and  family,  had  been  amongst  the  remains  of  the  most  ancient 
church,  which  was  celestial.  That  church,  above  all  churches 
in  the  universal  globe,  was  from  the  Divine  principle,  for  it  was 
in  the  good  of  love  to  the  Lord;  their  will-principle  and  intel- 
lectual made  one,  thus  one  mind,  wherefore  they  had  a  percep- 
tion of  truth  from  good,  for  the  Lord  flowed-in  by  an  internal 
way  into  the  good  of  their  will,  and  through  this  into  the  good 
of  the  understanding,  or  truth  ;  hence  it  is  that  that  church, 
in  preference  to  the  rest,  was  called  Man,  n.  477  to  479,  and 
also  the  likeness  of  God,  n.  51,  473,1013.  Hence  it  is  evident, 
win-  Ilamor  and  Shechem  are  said  to  be  from  the  ancient  divine 
stock;  as  above,  in  n.  4399.  That  the  most  ancient  church, 
which  waa  called  Man,  or  by  the  Hebrew  term  Adam,  had  been 
in  the  land  of  Canaan,  as  stated  above,  n.  4447,  is  very  mani- 
fest from  their  posterity,  who  were  called  Nephilim,  Gen.  vi. 
4 ;  and  that  these  were  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  is  mentioned  in 
Numb.  xiii.  33;  see  n.  581.  But  the  land  of  Canaan,  as  then 
called,  was  all  the  land  from  the  river  of  Egypt  to  the  river  Eu- 
phrates, Gen.  xv.  18. 

4455.  "  Let  me  find  grace  in  your  eyes,  and  what  ye  shall 


4454—4458.]  GENESIS.  157 

say  unto  me,  I  will  give." — That  hereby  is  signified,  if  they 
had  a  like  mind  on  their  part,  as  was  on  his  part,  appears  from 
the  signification  oi  finding  grace  in  the  eyes  of  any  one,  as  being 
a  form  of  speech  involving  propensity,  concerning  which  see  n. 
3980  ;  in  the  present  case,  a  propensity  to  this,  that  he  would 
give  whatsoever  they  should  say  to  him:  which  words,  as  is 
evident  from  the  series  in  the  internal  sense,  signify,  that  on  his 
part  there  was  a  mind,  if  there  was  a  like  mind  on  their  part; 
lor  to  give  what  they  say,  in  that  sense,  is  to  make  one  with 
them  as  to  truth  and  good. 

4456.  Ver.  12.  "  Multiply  upon  me  exceedingly  dowry  and 
gift,  and  I  will  give  according  as  ye  shall  say  unto  me." — That 
hereby  is  signified,  that  he  will  accept  those  things  which  apper- 
tain to  them,  and  will  make  them  his  own,  viz.,  the  external 
things  of  the  church  which  were  .theirs,  with  the  internal  which 
were  his,  and  thus  they  would  constitute  together  one  church, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  giving  according  as  ye  shall  say, 
as  denoting  to  make  one  with  them  as  to  truth  and  good,  see 
just  above,  n.  4455.  The  dowry  itself  and  gift,  which  he  said 
they  should  multiply  upon  him,  signifies  agreement  into  one  ; 
for  the  dowry,  which  was  given  to  a  virgin  about  to  be  betrothed, 
was  a  sign  denoting  agreement  or  consent  on  both  sides.  He 
says  that  they  should  multiply  upon  him  exceedingly  dowry  and 
gift ;  thus  beyond  the  statute,  which  ordained  fifty  shekels  of 
silver,  because  he  lay  with  her  before  he  received  their  religious 
principle,  and  it  was  on  the  part  of  Jacob  to  consent  or  refuse, 
according  to  the  law  known  also  to  the  ancients  (concerning 
which,  see  Exod.  xxii.  16,  17);  especially  because  conjunction 
was  desired,  of  interior  truth,  which  is  Shechem,  with  the  affec- 
tion of  exterior  truth,  which  is  Dinah.  The  dowry  was  a  sign 
of  agreement  or  consent,  and  thereby  a  confirmation  of  initiation, 
because  to  weigh  out  or  to  give  silver  was  a  sign  that  it  was  his, 
thus  that  the  virgin  was  his,  and  to  accept  it  was  reciprocal ;  thus 
the  bride  was  the  bridegroom's,  and  the  bridegroom  the  bride's. 

4457.  "And  give  me  the  damsel  for  a  wife." — That  hereby 
is  signified,  only  let  there  be  conjunction,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  giving  for  a  wife,  as  denoting  conjunction,  see  n. 
4434;  in  the  present  case  it  denotes,  only  let  there  be  conjunc- 
tion, because  it  was  not  as  yet  stipulated. 

4458.  Verses  13  to  17.  And  the  sons  of  Jacob  answered 
Shechem  and  Hamor  his  father  in  fraud,  and  spake  {because  he 
had  defiled  Dinah  their  sister) ;  and  they  said  unto  them,  We 
cannot  do  this  thing,  to  give  our  sister  to  a  man  who  hath  a  fore- 
skin •  because  this  is  a  reproach  unto  us.  Nevertheless  in  this 
will  we  consent  unto  you,  if  ye  be  as  we  are,  to  circumcise  to  you 
every  male  /  then  will  we  give  our  daughters  unto  you,  and  we 
will  take  your  daughters  to  tis:  and  we  will  dwell  with  you,  and 
we  will  become  one  people.  But  if  ye  do  not  hearken  unto  us, 


138  GENESIS.  [Chap,  xxxiv. 

to  be  circumcised,  then  we  will  take  our  daughter,  and  will  go. 
And  the  sons  of  Jacob  answered  Sliechem  and  Haraor  liis  father 
in  fraud,  signifies  evil  opinion  and  intention  concerning  the 
trut  h  and  good  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients :  and  spake, 
because  he  had  defiled  Dinah  their  sister,  signifies  that  initiation 
to  conjunction,  which  could  be  no  other,  was  made  by  acces- 
sion :  and  the}'  said  unto  them,  We  cannot  do  this  thing,  signifies 
that  they  disapproved :  to  give  our  sister  to  a  man  who  hath  a 
foreskin,  signifies  unless  they  would  place  the  truth  and  good 
of  the  church  in  representatives,  and  recede  from  those  things 
which  they  signify :  because  this  is  a  reproach  unto  us,  signi- 
fies that  it  was  contrary  to  them  :  nevertheless,  in  this  will  we 
consent  unto  you,  if  ye  be  as  we  are,  signifies  accession  to  their 
religious  principle :  to  circumcise  to  you  every  male,  signifies 
an  external  representative  alone,  and  thus  they  would  be  pure 
to  them :  then  will  we  give  our  daughters  unto  you,  and  we 
will  take  your  daughters  to  us,  signifies  their  conjunction  :  and 
we  will  dwell  with  you,  signifies  as  to  life :  and  will  become 
one  people,  signifies  as  to  doctrine :  but  if  ye  do  not  hearken 
unto  us,  to  be  circumcised,  signifies  unless  they  receded  from 
their  truths,  and  acceded  to  external  representatives:  then  we 
will  take  our  daughter,  and  will  go,  signifies  there  would  be  no 
conjunction. 

4459.  Ver.  13.  "And  the  sons  of  Jacob  answered  Shechem 
and  Hamor  his  father  in  fraud." — That  hereby  is  signified  evil 
opinion  and  intention  respecting  the  truth  and  good  of  the 
church  amongst  the  ancients,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representa- 
tion of  Shechem,  as  denoting  truth  amongst  the  ancients,  or  what 
is  the  same  thing,  truth  from  the  ancient  divine  stock,  concern- 
ing which  see  n.  4399,  4454 ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of 
Ilamor,  as  denoting  the  good  from  which  that  truth  was  de- 
rived, see  n.  4399,  4431,  4447,  4454;  and  (3.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  fraud,  as  denoting  evil  opinion  and  intention  ;  for 
fraud  in  general  involves  evil  against  another,  and  against 
those  things  which  he  speaks  and  acts ;  since  he  who  is  in 
fraud,  thinks  and  intends  differently  from  another,  which  also 
appears  from  the  effect  spoken  of  in  this  chapter.  Hence  it  is 
evident,  that  by  the  sons  of  Jacob  answering  Shechem  and 
Hamor  his  father  in  fraud,  is  meant  evil  opinion  and  intention 
respecting  the  truth  and  good  of  the  church  amongst  the  an- 
cients. The  sons  of  Jacob,  or  his  posterity,  could  have  no 
other  than  an  evil  opinion  and  intention  concerning  the  truth 
and  good  of  the  internal  man,  because  they  were  in  externals 
without  internals,  n.  4281,  4293,  4307,  4429,  4433;  and  also 
considered  internal  things  as  of  no  account,  and  therefore  alto- 
gether despised  them.  Such  also  is  that  nation  at  this  day  ; 
and  such  arc  all  they  who  are  only  in  external  things ;  they 
who  are  in  external  tilings  alone,  do  not  even  know  what  it  is 


4459.] 


(iKXESIS. 


159 


to  be  in  internal  tilings,  for  they  do  not  know  what  an  internal 
principle  is;  if  any  one  makes  mention  before  them  of  an  inter- 
nal principle,  they  either  affirm  that  it  is  so,  because  they  have 
known  it  from  doctrine  (hut  in  such  case  they  affirm  it  from 
fraud),  or  they  deny  it  with  the  mouth,  as  well  as  with  the 
heart ;  for  they  do  not  go  beyond  the  sensual  principles  which 
belong  to  the  external  man.  Hence  it  is  that  they  do  not  be- 
lieve any  life  after  death,  and  think  resurrection  impossible 
unless  the  body  is  to  rise  again  ;  on  which  account  it  has  been 
permitted  that  they  should  have  such  an  opinion  of  the  resur- 
rection, otherwise  they  would  have  no  opinion  at  all,  for  they 
place  the  all  of  life  in  the  body,  not  knowing  that  the  life  of 
the  body  is  from  the  life  of  the  spirit,  which  lives  after  death. 
They  who  are  in  external  things  alone,  cannot  have  any  other 
belief,  for  the  external  things  appertaining  to  them  extinguish 
all  thought,  consequently  all  faith  concerning  internal  things. 
As  such  ignorance  prevails  at  this  day,  it  may  be  expedient  to 
say  what  it  is  to  be  in  external  things  without  internal ;  all  they 
who  are  without  conscience,  are  in  external  things  alone,  for 
the  internal  man  manifests  himself  by  conscience;  and  all  they 
have  no  conscience,  who  think  and  do  what  is  true  and  good, 
'not  for  the  sake  of  truth  and  good,  but  for  the  sake  of  them- 
selves, on  account  of  their  own  honour  and  gain,  and  also  be- 
cause of  the  fear  of  the  law  and  of  life ;  for  if  their  reputation, 
honour,  gain,  and  life  were  not  endangered,  they  would  rush 
headlong  without  conscience  into  every  iniquity.  This  appears 
manifest  from  the  case  of  such  persons  in  another  life,  where, 
as  the  interiors  are  opened,  they  are  in  a  perpetual  endeavour 
to  destroy  others  ;  wherefore  they  are  in  hell,  and  are  kept 
bound  there  in  a  spiritual  manner.  In  order  that  it  may  be 
further  known,  what  it  is  to  be  in  external  things,  and  what  in 
internal,  and  that  they  who  are  in  external  things  alone,  can- 
not comprehend  what  internal  things  are,  consequently  cannot 
be  affected  by  them  (for  no  one  is  affected  by  those  things  which 
he  does  not  comprehend),  let  us  take  this  truth  for  an  example, 
that  to  be  the  least,  is  to  be  the  greatest  in  heaven ;  to  be  low, 
is  to  be  high ;  and  to  be  poor  and  needy,  is  to  be  rich  and 
abounding.  They  who  are  in  external  things  alone,  cannot 
comprehend  these  things,  for  they  think  that  the  least  cannot 
possibly  be  the  greatest;  nor  the  low,  high ;  nor  the  poor,  rich  ; 
nor  the  needy,  abundant :  when  yet  this  is  altogether  the  case 
in  heaven;  and  as  they  cannot  comprehend,  so  they  cannot  be 
affected  by  those  things,  and  when  they  reflect  upon  them  from 
the  corporeal  and  worldly  things  in  which  they  are,  they  hold 
them  in  aversion.  They  are  altogether  ignorant  that  such  is 
the  case  in  heaven;  and  so  long  as  they  are  in  external  things 
alone,  they  are  not  willing,  nor  indeed  are  they  able  to  know 
it;  for  in  heaven  he  who  knows,  acknowledges,  and  beJeves 


L60 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


• 

from  the  heart,  that  is,  from  the  affection,  that  nothing  of  ab'.lity 
is  from  himself,  but  that  all  the  ability  in  him  is  from  the  jLord, 
he  is  called  least,  and  yet  is  greatest,  because  lie  has  ability 
from  the  Lord :  the  case  is  similar  with  him  who  is  low  (or 
humble),  that  he  is  high  ;  for  he  who  is  low,  acknowledging 
and  believing  from  affection,  that  from  himself  he  has  nothing 
of  ability,  of  intelligence  or  wisdom,  and  of  good  and  truth, 
is  gifted  from  the  Lord  with  ability,  with  the  intelligence  of 
truth,  and  the  wisdom  of  good,  above  others.  In  like  manner 
the  poor  and  needy  is  rich  and  abounding ;  for  he  is  called  poor 
and  needy,  who  believes  from  the  heart  and  affection  that  of 
himself  he  possesses  nothing,  knows  nothing,  is  not  wise,  and 
possesses  no  ability;  and  in  heaven  he  is  rich  and  abounds,  for 
the  Lord  gives  him  all  opulence,  and  inasmuch  as  he  is  wiser 
and  richer  than  others,  he  dwells  in  most  magnificent  palaces 
(n.  1116,  1626,  1627),  and  is  in  the  treasures  of  all  the  riches 
of  heaven.  To  take  another  example :  he  Avho  is  in  external 
things  alone,  cannot  at  all  comprehend  that  heavenly  joy  con- 
sists in  loving  his  neighbour  better  than  himself,  and  the  Lord 
above  all  things,  and  that  happiness  is  according  to  the  quan- 
tity and  quality  of  this  love :  for  he  who  is  in  external  things 
alone,  loves  himself  better  than  his  neighbour;  and  if  he  loves- 
others,  it  is  because  they  favour  himself,  and  thus  he  loves  them 
for  the  sake  of  himself;  consequently  he  loves  himself  in  them, 
and  them  in  himself.  He  who  is  of  such  a  nature,  cannot  know 
what  it  is  to  love  others  better  than  himself;  yea,  he  is  not 
willing  to  know  it,  neither  is  he  able,  wherefore  when  he  is 
told  that  heaven  consists  in  such  love  (n.  548),  he  holds  it  in 
aversion :  hence  they  who  have  been  such  in  the  life  of  the 
body,  cannot  come  near  any  heavenly  society ;  and  when  they 
are  coming  near,  their  aversion  causes  them  to  cast  themselves 
down  headlong  into  hell.  Since  few  know  at  this  day  what  it  is 
to  be  in  external  things,  and  what  in  internal,  and  as  the  gen- 
erality believe  that  they  who  are  in  internal  things  cannot  be 
in  external,  and  vice  versa,  we  may  for  the  sake  of  illustration 
adduce  one  further  example,  for  instance,  the  nourishment  of 
the  body  and  the  nourishment  of  the  soul :  he  who  is  in  merely 
external  pleasures,  is  nice  about  his  person,  pampers  his  appe- 
tite, loves  to  live  sumptuously,  and  places  his  chief  pleasure  in 
the  dainties  of  the  table;  but  with  him  who  is  in  internal  things 
(although  he  also  has  a  satisfaction  in  the  above  gratifications), 
the  ruling  affection  is,  that  the  body  may  be  nourished  by  meats 
with  pleasure  for  the  sake  of  its  health,  to  the  end  that  there 
may  be  a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body,  thus  princij  ally  for  the 
sake  of  the  health  of  the  mind,  to  which  the  health  of  the  body 
serves  as  a  means.  He  who  is  a  spiritual  man  does  not  rest 
here,  but  regards  the  health  of  the  mind  or  soul  as  a  means  to 
receive  intelligence  and  wisdom,  not  for  the  sake  of  reputation. 


4460—4462.] 


GENESIS. 


1(51 


honours,  or  gain,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  life  after  death  ;  he 
who  is  spiritual  in  an  interior  degree,  regards  intelligence  and 
wisdom  as  a  mediate  end,  that  he  may  serve  as  a  useful  mem- 
ber in  the  Lord's  kingdom ;  and  he  who  is  a  celestial  man,  that 
he  may  serve  the  Lord :  to  this  latter,  corporeal  food  is  a  means 
to  enjoy  spiritual  food,  and  spiritual  food  is  a  means  to  enjoy 
celestial  food  ;  and  because  they  ought  so  to  serve,  therefore 
also  those  foods  correspond :  hence  also  they  are  called  foods. 
From  these  considerations  it  may  appear  what  it  is  to  be  in 
external  things  alone,  and  what  in  internal.  The  Jewish  and 
Israel  itish  nation,  which  is  treated  of  in  this  chapter  in  the  in- 
ternal historical  sense,  are  for  the  most  part  (with' the  exception 
of  those  who  have  died  infants)  of  the  above  description,  for 
they  are  in  external  things  above  all  other  nations,  since  they 
are  in  avarice ;  they  who  love  lucre  and  gain,  not  for  the  sake 
of  any  other  use  than  for  the  mere  sake  of  gold  and  silver,  and 
place  all  the  delight  of  their  lives  in  the  possession  thereof,  are 
in  the  outermost  or  lowest  things,  for  the  things  which  they 
love  are  altogether  earthly;  but  they  who  love  gold  and  silver 
for  the  sake  of  some  use,  elevate  themselves  out  of  earthly 
things  according  to  this  use.  The  use  itself  which  man  loves, 
determines  his  life,  and  distinguishes  him  from  others  ;  an  evil 
use  makes  him  infernal,  a  good  use  makes  him  celestial :  not 
indeed  the  use  of  itself,  but  the  love  of  the  use,  for  the  life  of 
every  one  is  in  the  love. 

4460.  "  And  spake,  because  he  had  defiled  Dinah  their  sis- 
ter."— That  hereby  is  signified,  that  initiation  to  conjunction, 
which  could  be  no  other,  was  made  by  accession,  may  appear 
from  the  explanation  of  the  words,  "He  took  her,  and  lay  with 
her,  and  compressed  her,"  by  which  was  signified,  that  he  could 
not  otherwise  be  conjoined  with  the  affection  of  truth  signified 
by  the  sons  of  Jacob,  her  brethren,  see  n.  4433 ;  the  like  is 
here  implied  in  his  defiling  her. 

4461.  Ver.  14.  "And  they  said  unto  them,  We  cannot  do 
this  thing." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they  disapproved, 
appears  without  explanation. 

4462.  "To  give  our  sister  to  a  man  who  hath  a  foreskin." — 
That  hereby  is  signified,  unless  they  would  place  the  truth  and 
good  of  the  church  in  representatives,  and  recede  from  those 
things  which  they  signify,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
foreskin,  as  denoting  an  external  representative,  a  sign  that 
they  were  of  the  church.  Hence  it  was  common  to  say,  cir- 
cumcision and  foreskin,  when  they  distinguished  between  those 
who  were  of  the  church,  and  those  who  were  not;  for  circum- 
cision signifies  the  receding  from  filthy  loves,  viz.,  from  the 
love  of  self  and  of  the  world,  and  acceding  to  heavenly  loves, 
which  are  love  to  the  Lord  and  love  towards  the  neighbour, 
thus  an  acceding  to  the  church.   Hence,  by  those  words  is  sig- 


162 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


nified  an  acceding  to  their  religions  principle ;  consequently, 
that  like  them  they  should  place  the  truth  and  good  of  the 
church  in  representatives,  by  receding  from  the  internal  things 
which  are  signified ;  for  otherwise  the}-  would  not  be  like  them, 
according  to  what  follows,  "  In  this  we  will  consent  unto  you, 
if  ye  be  as  we  are."  That  circumcision  is  a  sign  of  purification 
from  filthy  loves,  see  n.  2039,  2632 ;  and  the  uncircumcised 
(foreskinned),  they  who  are  in  those  loves,  n.  2049,  3412,  3413. 
Scarcely  any  one  knows  at  this  day  what  circumcision  specifi- 
cally signifies,  wherefore  it  may  be  expedient  to  declare  it.  By 
the  genitals  in  each  sex,  are  signified  the  things  relating  to  the 
conjunction  of  good  and  truth  ;  nor  do  they  only  signify,  but  also 
actually  correspond  to  those  things.  At  the  close  of  the  chap- 
ters it  has  been  shown,  that  all  man's  organs  and  members  have 
a  correspondence  with  spiritual  things  in  heaven ;  so  also  have 
the  organs  and  members  allotted  to  generation  ;  these  corre- 
spond to  the  marriage  of  c;ood  and  truth ;  from  this  marriage  also 
conjugial  love  descends,  see  n.  2618,  2727,  2728,  2729,"  2803, 
3132,  4434.  The  foreskin,  as  it  covers  the  genital  organ,  corre- 
sponded in  the  most  ancient  church  to  the  obscuration  of  good 
and  truth;  but  in  the  ancient  church,  to  their  defilement:  for  as 
the  man  of  the  most  ancient  church  was  an  internal  man,  good 
and  truth  might  be  obscured  with  him,  but  not  defiled  ;  where- 
as with  the  man  of  the  ancient  church,  as  he  was  respectively 
an  external  man,  good  and  truth  might  be  denied,  for  external 
things,  viz.,  external  loves,  are  what  defile;  wherefore  they  who 
were  of  the  most  ancient  church  knew  nothing  of  circumcision, 
but  only  they  who  were  of  the  ancient  church.  From  this 
church  also  circumcision  spread  abroad  among  several  nations; 
and  it  was  enjoined  to  Abraham  and  his  posterity,  not  as  any 
thing  new,  but  as  something  discontinued,  which  was  to  be 
restored,  and  it  was  made  to  his  posterity  as  a  sign  that  they 
were  of  the  church :  but  that  nation  did  not  know  what  it  sig- 
nified, neither  were  they  willing  to  know,  for  they  placed  their 
religion  in  representatives  alone,  which  are  external.  Therefore 
they  commonly  condemned  the  uncircumcised,  when  yet  cir- 
cumcision was  only  a  representative  sign  of  purification  from 
the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world  ;  from  which  love  they  who 
are  purified,  are  spiritually  circumcised,  and  are  said  to  be  cir- 
cumcised as  to  the  heart,  as  in  Moses.  "  Jehovah  God  shaU  cir- 
cumcise thy  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy  seed,  to  love  Jehovah 
thy  God  in  all  thy  heart,  and  in  all  thy  soul,"  Dent.  xxx.  6. 
Again,  "  Circumcise  the  foreskin  of  your  heart,  and  be  no  more 
stiff-necked,"  x.  16.  And  in  Jeremiah,  "Break  up  your  fallow 
ground,  .  .  .  and  take  away  the  foreskin  of  your  heart"  iv.  3.  4. 
But  they  who  are  principled  in  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world, 
are  called  uncircumcised,  although  they  were  circumcised,  as 
in  Jeremiah,  "Behold,  the  days  come,  in  which  I  will  visit  upon 


4463,  4464.] 


GENESIS. 


163 


every  one  circumcised  in  the  foreskin,  upon  Egypt,  and  upon 
Judah,  and  upon  Edom,  and  upon  the  sons  of  Amnion,  and 
Moab,  and  upon  all  that  are  cut  off  of  the  corner,  dwelling  in 
the  wilderness ;  because  all  nations  are  uncircumcised  (fore- 
skinned),  and  all  the  house  of  Israel  are  uncircumcised  in  heart" 
ix.  25,  26 :  hence  also  it  is  evident,  that  several  nations  were 
likewise  circumcised,  for  it  is  said,  I  will  visit  upon  every  one 
circumcised  in  the  foreskin ;  thus  that  it  was  not  any  thing  new, 
and  was  only  enjoined  to  the  posterity  of  Jacob  as  a  mark  of 
distinction,  as  was  said  above.  The  Philistines  were  those  who 
were  not  circumcised ;  wherefore  also  in  general  by  the  uncir- 
cumcised, the  Philistines  are  meant,  1  Sam.  xiv.  6 ;  xvii.  26, 
36 ;  xxxi.  4;  2  Sam.  i.  20;  and  in  other  places. 

4463.  "  Because  this  is  a  reproach  unto  us." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  it  was  contrary  to  them,  appears  from  the  sig- 
nification of  reproach,  as  being  something  contrary  to  their 
religious  principle,  and  thus  contrary  to  them. 

4464.  Ver.  15.  "Nevertheless,  in  this  will  we  consent,  unto 
you,  if  ye  be  as  we  are." — That  hereby  is  signified  an  acceding  to 
their  religious  principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  con- 
senting, as  denoting  an  acceding,  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  being  as  they  are,  as  denoting  that  they  were  to  be  in  external 
things  alone,  but  not  in  internal,  for  then  they  would  have  been 
as  the}r ;  see  just  above,  n.  4459,  where  it  was  shown  what  it  is 
to  be  in  external  things  alone,  and  what  in  internal.  It  shall 
here  be  shown  why  man  ought  to  be  in  internal  things  ;  it  may 
be  known  to  every  one  who  reflects,  that  man  has  communica- 
tion with  heaven  by  internal  things,  for  the  whole  heaven  is  in 
internal  things;  unless  man,  as  to  the  thoughts  and  affections 
(that  is,  as  to  the  things  appertaining  to  the  understanding  and 
to  the  will),  be  in  heaven,  he  cannot  come  thither  after  death, 
for  there  is  nothing  of  communication.  In  the  life  of  the  body, 
man  procures  to  himself  that  communication  by  the  truths  of 
the  understanding  and  the  goods  of  the  will :  and  unless  he  pro- 
cures it  to  himself  at  that  time,  it  is  not  effected  afterwards  ; 
for  if  his  mind  has  not  been  opened  towards  interior  things  in 
the  life  of  the  body,  it  cannot  be  opened  after  death.  Man 
does  not  know,  that  according  to  the  life  of  his  affection,  a 
certain  spiritual  sphere  encompasses  him,  which  is  more  per- 
ceptible to  the  angels  than  a  sphere  of  odour  is  to  the  most 
exquisite  sense  in  the  world  :  if  his  life  has  been  in  external 
things  alone,  as  in  pleasures  derived  from  hatred  against  his 
neighbour,  from  revenge  and  consequent  cruelty,  from  adultery, 
from  self-exaltation,  and  the  consequent  contempt  of  others, 
from  clandestine  rapine,  avarice,  deceit,  luxury,  and  the  like, 
the  spiritual  sphere  which  encompasses  him  is  as  foul  and  offen- 
sive as  the  sphere  of  odour  in  the  world  arising  from  dead  bodies, 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


dunghills,  stinking  filth,  and  the  like.  The  man  who  had  led 
such  a  life,  carries  this  sphere  with  him  after  death  ;  and  he- 
cause  he  is  wholly  and  entirely  in  that  sphere,  he  cannot  be 
any  where  hut  in  hell,  where  such  spheres  are.  Concerning 
spheres  in  the  other  life,  and  whence  they  are,  see  n.  1048, 
1053,  1316,  1504  to  1519, 1695,  2401,  24S9.  But  they  who  are 
in  internal  tilings,  viz.,  who  have  had  delight  in  benevolence 
and  charity  towards  their  neighbour,  and  especially  who  have 
found  blessedness  in  love  to  the  Lord,  are  encompassed  with  a 
grateful  and  pleasant  sphere,  which  is  essentially  celestial ;  and 
therefore  they  are  in  heaven.  All  the  spheres  which  are  per- 
ceived in  the  other  life,  arise  from  the  loves  and  consequent 
affections  in  which  the  spirits  had  been  principled,  consequently 
from  the  life,  for  the  loves  and  consequent  affections  make  the 
very  life  itself;  and  since  they  arise  from  loves  and  consequent 
affections,  they  arise  from  the  intentions  and  ends  for  the  sake 
of  which  man  so  wills  and  acts,  for  every  one  has  for  an  end 
what  he  loves  ;  therefore  ends  determine  man's  life,  and  consti- 
tute its  quality  ;  hence  especially  is  his  sphere  which  is  perceived 
most  exquisitely  in  heaven,  because  the  universal  heaven  is  in 
a  sphere  of  ends.  From  these  considerations,  the  quality  of 
the  man  who  is  in  internal  things,  is  manifest,  and  also  of  him 
who  is  in  external  things ;  and  why  he  ought  not  to  be  in  ex- 
ternal things  alone,  but  in  internal.  Nevertheless,  whatsoever 
be  the  acuteness  of  genius  by  which  the  man  who  is  in  external 
things  alone  may  be  distinguished  respecting  things  in  civil  life, 
and  whatsoever  reputation  of  learning  he  may  have  acquired 
from  scientifics,  he  has  no  concern  about  internal  things  ;  because 
his  quality  is  such,  that  he  believes  nothing  exists  but  what  he 
sees  with  his  eyes  and  feels  with  his  touch,  consequently  that 
there  is  neither  heaven  nor  hell ;  and  if  he  should  be  told,  that 
immediately  after  death  he  would  come  into  another  life,  and 
would  there  see,  hear,  speak,  and  enjoy  the  sense  of  touch, 
more  perfectly  than  in  the  body,  he  would  reject  the  informa- 
tion as  a  paradox  or  a  phantasy  ;  when  nevertheless  the  case  is 
actually  so  ;  in  like  manner  if  he  were  to  be  told,  that  the  soul 
or  spirit  which  lives  after  death,  is  the  man  himself,  but  not 
the  body  which  he  carries  about  with  him  in  the  world.  Hence 
it  follows,  that  they  who  are  in  external  things  alone,  have  no 
concern  about  what  is  said  concerning  internal  things,  when 
yet  these  latter  things  make  them  blessed  and  happy  in  the 
kingdom  into  which  they  are  about  to  come,  and  in  which  they 
are  to  live  to  eternity.  The  majority  of  Christians  are  in  such 
incredulity ;  which  it  has  been  given  me  to  know  from  those 
who  have  come  into  the  other  life  from  the  Christian  world, 
with  whom  I  have  discoursed;  for  in  the  other  life  they  cannot 
conceal  what  they  have  thought,  because  in  that  life  thoughts 


4465—4469.] 


GENESIS. 


165 


are  open  to  manifestation  ;  neither  can  they  conceal  what  they 
have  had  for  ends,  that  is,  what  they  have  loved,  because  this 
manifests  itself  by  a  sphere. 

4465.  "  To  circumcise  to  yon  every  male." — That  hereby  is 
signified  an  external  representative  alone,  and  thus  they  would 
be  j) nre  to  them,  appears  from  the  signification  of  circumcising 
every  male,  as  being  an  external  representative,  a  sign  that  they 
were  of  the  church,  in  the  present  case  that  they  were  of  their 
superstitious  principle,  see  above,  n.  4462.  Thus  they  would 
be  pure  in  their  eyes ;  which  follows  as  a  consequence,  for  the 
posterity  from  Jacob  did  not  place  purity  and  sanctity  in  in- 
ternal things,  but  in  external. 

4466.  Ver.  16.  "Then  will  Ave  give  our  daughters  unto  you, 
and  we  will  take  your  daughters  to  us." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied conjunction,  appears  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4434, 
concerning  marriage,  which  in  the  spiritual  sense  is  the  con- 
junction of  good  and  truth;  for  to  give  our  daughters  unto 
you,  and  to  take  your  daughters  to  us,  is  to  unite  mutually  in 
marriages. 

4467.  "  And  we  will  dwell  with  you." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified as  to  life  (viz.,  conjunction),  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  dwelling  with  you,  as  denoting  to  live  together,  see  n. 
1293,  3384,  3613,  4451. 

4468.  "And  we  will  become  one  people." — That  hereby  is 
signified  as  to  doctrine  also,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
people,  as  denoting  the  truth  of  the  church,  consequently  doc- 
trine, see  n.  1259,  1260,  3295,  3581 ;  thus  to  become  one  peo- 
ple, denotes  conjunction  by  doctrine.  There  are  two  things 
which  conjoin  the  men  of  the  church,  viz.,  life  and  doctrine : 
when  life  conjoins,  doctrine  does  not  separate  them  ;  but  if  only 
doctrine  conjoins  them,  as  at  this  day  is  the  case  within  the 
church,  then  they  mutually  separate,  and  make  as  many  churches 
as  there  are  doctrines  ;  when  yet  doctrine  is  for  the  sake  of  life, 
and  life  is  from  doctrine.  If  only  doctrine  conjoins,  they  sepa- 
rate themselves,  as  is  evident  from  this,  that  he  who  is  of  one 
doctrine,  condemns  another  person,  sometimes  to  hell ;  but  if 
life  conjoins,  doctrine  does  not  separate,  as  is  evident  from  this, 
that  he  who  is  in  goodness  of  life,  does  not  condemn  another 
who  is  of  another  opinion,  but  leaves  it  to  his  faith  and  con- 
science, and  extends  this  rule  even  to  those  who  are  out  of  the 
church ;  for  he  says  in  his  heart,  that  ignorance  cannot  con- 
demn any,  if  they  live  in  innocence  and  mutual  love,  as  infants, 
who  also  are  in  ignorance  when  they  die. 

4469.  Ver.  17.  "  But  if  ye  do  not  hearken  unto  us,  to  be 
circumcised." — That  hereby  is  signified,  unless  they  receded 
from  their  truths,  and  acceded  to  external  representatives,  ap- 
pears from  what  was  explained  above,  n.  4462.  The  things  said 
in  these  verses  by  the  sons  of  Jacob,  involve  a  sense  contrary 


166 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


to  that  which  was  understood  by  Hamor  and  Shechem,  conse- 
quently also  contrary  in  the  internal  sense,  as  is  evident  from 
the  explanations :  the  reason  is,  because  they  spake  in  fraud, 
verse  13  ;  and  he  who  speaks  in  fraud,  has  a  different  meaning 
from  him  with  whom  he  speaks,  n.  4159. 

4470.  "Then  we  will  take  our  daughter,  and  will  go." — ■ 
That  hereby  is  signified  there  would  be  no  conjunction,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  marriage,  as  denoting  the  conjunction 
of  good  and  truth,  see  above,  n.  4466  ;  hence,  to  take  a  daughter 
and  go,  denotes  not  to  give  her  in  marriage,  thus  that  there 
would  be  no  conjunction.  The  sons  of  Jacob  here  speak  as 
Jacob,  their  father ;  for  they  do  not  say,  "  we  will  take  our  sister," 
but  "  we  will  take  our  daughter ;"  the  reason  is  evident  from 
the  internal  sense,  viz.,  that  it  was  the  father's  part  to  refuse 
or  affirm,  according  to  the  law,  Exod.  xxii.  16,  17 ;  but  inas- 
much as  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  the  posterity  of  Jacob 
and  their  superstitious  principle,  that  principle  is  represented 
by  his  sons,  who  here  answer  in  the  place  of  their  father ;  Jacob 
himself  could  not  answer,  because  by  him  is  here  represented 
the  ancient  church,  n.  4439. 

4471.  Verses  18  to  24.  And  their  words  were  good  in  the 
eyes  of  Hamor,  and  in  the  eyes  of  Shechem,  Hamor'' s  son.  And 
the  young  man  defewed  not  to  do  the  toord,  because  he  had  de- 
light in  the  daughter  of  Jacob  :  and  he  was  honoured  above  all 
of  his  father's  house.  And  Hamor  and  Shechem  his  son  came 
unto  the  gate  of  their  city,  and  spake  unto  the  men  of  their  city, 
saying,  These  men  are  peaceable  tcith  us,  therefore  let  them  dwell 
in  the  land,  and  in  trading  let  them,  wander  through  it  /  and  the 
land,  lo  !  it  is  broad  in  spaces  before  them.  Let  us  take  their 
daughters  to  us  for  wives,  and  let  us  give  them  our  daughters. 
Nevertheless,  in  this  will  the  men  consent  unto  us  to  dwell  with 
us,  to  be  one  people,  that  every  male  be  circumcised  to  us,  as  they 
are  circumcised.  Their  substance,  and  their  purchase,  and  every 
beast  of  theirs,  shall  they  not  be  ours  t  Only  let  us  consent  unto 
them,  and  they  will  dwell  with  us.  And  they  hearkened  unto 
Hamor  and  unto  Shechem  his  son,  all  who  went  out  of  the  gate 
of  his  city  j  and,  they  circumcised  every  male,  all  who  went  out 
of  the  gate  of  his  city.  And  their  words  were  good  in  the  eyes 
of  Hamor,  signifies  condescension  as  to  life:  and  in  the  eyes  of 
Shechem,  Hamor's  son,  signifies  as  to  doctrine :  and  the  young 
man  deferred  not  to  do  the  word,  signifies  desire  of  acceptation  : 
because  he  had  delight  in  the  daughter  of  Jacob,  signifies  to 
the  superstitious  principle  of  that  church  :  and  he  was  honoured 
above  all  of  his  father's  house,  signifies  the  primary  from  the 
truths  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients :  and  Hamor  and 
Shechem  his  son  came  unto  the  gate  of  their  city,  signifies  the 
goods  and  truths  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients  which 
were  in  their  doctrine :  and  spake  unto  the  men  of  their  city, 


4470—4475.] 


GENESIS. 


167 


saying,  signifies  persuasion :  These  men  are  peaceable  with  us, 
signifies  agreement :  therefore  let  them  dwell  in  the  land,  signi- 
fies as  to  life  :  and  in  trading  let  them  wander  through  it,  signi- 
fies as  to  doctrine  :  and  the  land,  lo  !  it  is  broad  in  spaces  before 
them,  signifies  extension:  let  us  take  their  daughters  unto  us 
fur  wives,  and  let  us  give  them  our  daughters,  signifies  conjunc- 
tion :  nevertheless,  in  this  will  the  men  consent  unto  us  to  dwell 
with  us,  signifies  that  they  should  agree  as  to  life  :  to  be  one 
people,  signifies  as  to  doctrine  :  that  every  male  be  circumcised 
unto  us  as  they  are  circumcised,  signifies  if  they  were  initiated 
thereby  into  their  representatives  and  significatifes,  as  to  exter- 
nals alone  :  their  substance  and  their  purchase,  signifies  as  to 
their  truths :  and  every  beast  of  theirs,  signifies  as  to  their 
goods  :  shall  they  not  be  ours  ?  signifies  that  they  were  alike  and 
of  one  form  :  oidy  let  us  consent.unto  them,  and  they  will  dwell 
with  us,  signifies  if  we  condescend :  and  they  hearkened  unto 
Hamor  and  unto  Shechem  his  son,  signifies  consent :  all  who 
went  out  of  the  gate  of  his  city,  signifies  that  they  receded  from 
the  doctrine  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients  :  and  they  cir- 
cumcised every  male,  all  who  went  out  of  the  gate  of  his  city, 
signifies  acceding  to  external  things. 

4472.  Ver.  18.  "  And  their  words  were  good  in  the  eyes  of 
Hamor." — That  hereby  is  signified  condescension  as  to  life, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  words  being  good,  as  de- 
noting condescension ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Ha- 
mor, as  denoting  the  good  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients, 
see  n.  4447  ;  in  the  present  case  denoting  life,  for  life  is  of  good, 
as  doctrine  is  of  truth,  which  is  Shechem,  according  to  what 
follows.  The  reason  why  it  is  not  good,  but  life,  which  is  here 
represented  by  Hamor,  is,  because  he  condescended  to  the  ex- 
ternal things  of  the  sons  of  Jacob. 

4473.  "  And  in  the  eyes  of  Shechem,  Hamor's  son." — That 
hereby  is  signified  as  to  doctrine,  appears  from  the  representa- 
tion of  Shechem,  as  denoting  the  truth  of  the  church  amongst 
the  ancients,  which  is  from  the  good  represented  by  Hamor, 
see  n.  4454  ;  but  in  the  present  case,  Shechem  is  doctrine,  for 
the  reason  mentioned  above,  n.  4472. 

4474.  Ver.  19.  "  And  the  young  man  deferred  not  to  do  the 
word."— That  hereby  is  signified  desire  of  acceptation,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  not  deferring  to  do  that  which  is  said, 
as  denoting  a  desire  of  condescending  to  it,  thus  of  accepting. 

4475.  "  Because  he  had  delight  in  the  daughter  of  Jacob." 
— That  hereby  is  signified,  to  the  superstitious  principle  of  that 
church,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Dinah,  who  is  here 
the  daughter  of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  truth  of  the 
ancient  church,  for  this  is  represented  by  Jacob,  n.  4439.  There 
was  a  desire  of  conjunction  with  the  affection  of  the  truth  of 
this  church,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  with  this  church:  but 


168 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv 


whereas  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  that  church  (here  rep 
resented  by  his  sons,  who  spake, in  the  place  of  the  father,  n. 
4470)  was  merely  external,  and  Hamor  and  Shechem  consented 
to  receive  these  externals,  therefore  by  the  daughter  of  Jacob  is 
now  signified  the  superstitious  principle  of  that  church. 

4476.  "And  he  was  honoured  above  all  of  his  father's  house." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  the  primary  from  the  truths  of  the 
church  amongst  the  ancients,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
being  honoured  above  all,  as  denoting  that  which  is  primary. 
Honoured  above  all,  has  nearly  the  same  signification  as  prince; 
and  that  prince  denotes  the  primary,  may  be  seen  in  n.  1482, 
2089  ;  but  he  is  called  "honoured  above  all  of  his  father's  house," 
and  not  a  prince,  because  Hamor  and  Shechem  were  of  the  re- 
mains of  the  most  ancient  church,  n.  4447,  4454,  and  in  that 
church  he  was  called  honoured,  who  in  the  ancient  church  was 
a  prince.  The  primary  from  the  truths  of  the  church  amongst 
the  ancients  is  signified,  because  this  is  said  of  Shechem,  by 
whom  is  represented  the  truth  of  the  church  amongst  the  an- 
cients ;  as  may  be  seen  in  n.  4454. 

4477.  Ver.  20.  "  And  Hamor  and  Shechem  his  son  came 
unto  the  gate  of  their  city." — That  hereby  are  signified  the  goods 
and  truths  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients  which  were  in 
their  doctrine,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Hamor, 
as  denoting  the  good  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients,  see  n. 
4447  ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Shechem,  as  denoting  the 
truth  thence  derived,  see  n.  4454 ;  and  (3.)  from,  the  significa- 
tion of  the  gate  of  the  city,  as  denoting  the  doctrine  ot  truth, 
see  n.  2943. 

4478.  "  And  spake  unto  the  men  of  their  city,  saying."— 
That  hereby  is  signified  persuasion,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  speaking,  as  denoting  to  will,  and  also  to  flow  in,  see  n. 
2951,  3U37,  in  the  present  case  to  persuade,  because  he  who 
wills  is  in  persuasion,  and  he  who  thence  flows  in,  communicates 
persuasion.  The  men  of  the  city  are  they  who  are  in  truths  of 
doctrine,  in  the  present  case  in  similar  truths  with  Shechem; 
for  in  ancient  times,  a  city  was  nothing  more  than  one  family 
of  a  nation,  the  cohabitation  of  those  who  were  of  one  family 
was  called  a  city ;  and  whereas  in  the  internal  sense  a  family  is 
not  meant,  but  its  quality  as  to  life  and  doctrine,  truth  of  doc- 
trine is  signified  by  city,  and  good  of  doctrine  by  the  inhabitants, 
see  n.  402,  2268,  2449,  2451,  2712,  2943,  3216.  But  when  the 
inhabitants  of  a  city  are  called  the  men  (viri)  of  the  city,  in  this 
case  the  good  of  doctrine  is  not  signified,  but  the  truth  thereof ; 
for  in  the  Word,  men  {viri)  are  truths,  n.  3134. 

4479.  Ver.  21.  "These  men  are  peaceablo  with  us."— That 
hereby  is  signified  agreement  as  to  doctrinals,  appears  (l.)from 
the  signification  of  men,  as  denoting  truths,  see  n.  3134,  hence 
also  doctrinals,  for  the  truths  of  the  church  collected  into  one 


4476—4482.] 


GENESIS. 


169 


and  acknowledged,  are  called  doctrinals  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  peaceable,  as  denoting  that  they  agree  together ; 
for  in  the  spiritual  sense  they  are  called  peaceable,  who  agree 
together  as  to  the  doctrinals  and  dogmas  of  the  church. 

4480.  "Therefore  let  them  dwell  in  the  land."— That  hereby 
is  signified  as  to  life,  appears  from  the  signification  of  dwelling, 
as  denoting  life,  co?acerning  which  see  above,  n.  4467  ;  by  land 
is  here,  as  elsewhere,  signified  the  church,  n.  662,  1066,  1068, 
1262, 1733, 1850,  2117,  2118,  2928,  3355,  4447  ;  thus,  by  dwell- 
ing in  the  land,  is  signified  similitude  of  life  according  to  the 
things  of  the  church.  Whatsoever  is  written  in  the  Word,  is 
spiritual  in  itself  and  in  its  essence ;  that  the  Word  is  spiritual, 
is  a  known  thing,  but  its  spiritual  principle  does  not  appear  in 
the  letter,  for  in  the  letter  it  is  worldly,  especially  in  the  histor- 
ical parts :  but  when  it  is  read  by  man,  the  worldly  principle 
belonging  to  it  becomes  spiritual  in  the  spiritual  world,  that  is, 
with  the  angels;  for  they  cannot  but  think  spiritually  of  each 
thing  contained  in  it ;  thus  also  they  think  spiritually  of  dwell- 
ing in  the  land.  To  think  spiritually,  is  to  think  of  those  things 
which  are  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  consequently  of  the  things  of 
the  church. 

4481.  "  And  in  trading  let  them  w^ander  through  it."- — -That 
hereby  is  signified  as  to  doctrine,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  wandering  through  the  land  in  trading,  as  denoting  to  enter 
into  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  (see  n.  4453),  thus  into 
doctrine,  for  this  contains  and  teaches  those  knowledges. 

4482.  "  And  the  land,  lo !  it  is  broad  in  spaces  before  them." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  extension,  viz.,  of  the  truth  of  doc- 
trine, appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  land,  as  denoting  the 
church,  see  above,  n.  4480  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
broad  in  spaces,  as  denoting  extension  as  to  truths,  thus  as  to 
the  things  of  doctrine.  In  the  Word,  the  things  which  are 
described  according  to  measures,  do  not  signify  measures  in 
the  internal  sense,  but  qualities  of  state  ;  for  measures  involve 
spaces,  and  in  another  life  there  are  not  spaces,  nor  are  there 
times,  but  states  correspond  thereto,  seen.  2625,  2837,  3356,  3387, 
3404,  4321.  Consequently,  lengths,  breadths,  and  heights,  which 
have  relation  to  measured  spaces,  signify  such  things  as  relate 
to  state  ;  that  length  signifies  what  is  holy,  height  what  is  good, 
and  breadth  what  is  true,  may  be  seen  in  n.  650,  1613,  3433, 
3434  :  hence,  by  the  land  being  broad  in  spaces,  is  signified  ex- 
tension of  truth  relating  to  doctrine  in  the  church.  He  who 
dot's  not  know  that  in  the  Word  there  is  a  spiritual  signification, 
different  from  that  which  appears  in  the  literal  sense,  cannot 
but  wonder  at  hearing  it  said,  that  by  the  land  being  broad  in 
spaces,  is  signified  extension  of  truth  relating  to  doctrine  in  the 
church  :  nevertheless,  that  this  is  really  the  case,  may  appeal 
from  passages  in  the  Word,  where  mention  is  made  of  breadth  ; 


170 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


as  in  Isaiah,  "  Ashur  shall  pass  through  Judah ;  he  shall  over- 
flow and  go  over,  he  shall  reach  even  to  the  neck,  and  the 
stretchings  ont  of  his  wings  shall  be  the  fulness  of  the  breadth 
of  the  land"  viii.  8.  And  in  David,  "  Jehovah,  thou  hast  not 
shut  nie  up  in  the  hand'  of  the  enemy,  thou  hast  made  my  feet 
stand  in  a  broad  place"  Psalm  xxxi.  8.  Again,  "  Out  of  dis- 
tress I  called  upon  Jah,  he  answers  me  in  a  broad  place"  cxviii. 
5.  And  in  Habakkuk,  "  I  raise  up  the  Chaldseans,  a  bitter  and 
swift  nation,  walking  into  the  breadths  of  the  land"  i.  6.  In 
these  passages,  by  breadth  nothing  else  is  signified  than  the 
truth  of  the  church.  The  reason  why  breadth  has  this  signifi- 
cation, is,  because  in  the  spiritual  world,  or  in  heaven,  the  Lord 
is  the  centre  of  all  things,  for  He  is  the  sun  therein  ;  they  who 
are  in  a  state  of  good,  are  more  inward,  according  to  the  quality 
and  quantity  of  the  good  in  which  they  are ;  hence  altitude  is 
predicated  of  good  :  they  who  are  in  a  like  degree  of  good,  are 
also  in  a  like  degree  of  truth,  and  thereby  as  it  were  in  a  like 
distance,  or,  to  use  the  expression,  in  the  same  periphery  ;  hence 
breadth  is  predicated  of  truths.  Nothing  else,  therefore,  is  un- 
derstood by  breadth  by  the  angels  attendant  upon  man  whilst 
he  reads  the  Word  ;  as  in  its  historical  part,  when  treating  of 
the  ark,  of  the  altar,  of  the  temple,  of  spaces  out  of  cities,  states 
of  good  and  truth  are  perceived  in  the  dimensions  as  to  lengths, 
breadths,  and  heights ;  in  like  manner,  speaking  of  the  new 
earth,  the  new  Jerusalem,  and  the  new  temple,  Ezekiel  xl.  to 
xlvii.,  whereby  is  signified  a  new  heaven  and  new  church,  as 
may  appear  from  every  single  thing  contained  therein.  So 
also  in  John-,  where,  speaking  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  it  is  said 
that  it  was  quadrangular,  and  its  length  as  large  as  its  breadth, 
Ilev.  xxi.  16.  The  things  in  the  spiritual  world,  which  are 
interior,  are  described  by  superior  things  ;  and  those  which  are 
exterior,  by  inferior  things,  n.  2148 ;  for  whilst  man  is  in  the 
world,  lie  has  no  other  apprehension  of  interior  and  exterior 
things,  because  he  is  in  space  and  in  time,  and  the  things  relat- 
ing to  space  and  time  have  entered  the  ideas  of  his  thought, 
and  have  affected  most  of  them.  Hence  also  it  is  manifest, 
that  the  things  relating  to  measures,  which  are  the  limitations 
of  space,  as  heights,  lengths,  and  breadths,  are  in  the  spiritual 
sense  such  things  as  determine  the  states  of  the  affections  of 
good  and  truth. 

4483.  "  Let  us  take  their  daughters  to  us  for  wives,  and  let 
us  give  them  our  daughters." — That  hereby  is  signified  con- 
junction, appears  from  what  was  explained  above,  n.  446G, 
where  similar  words  occur. 

4484.  Ver.  22.  "  Nevertheless,  in  this  will  the  men  consent 
unto  us  to  dwell  with  us." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they 
should  agree  as  to  life,  appears  (1)  from  the  signification  of 
consenting,  as  denoting  to  agree  together;  and  (2.)  from  the 


44S3— 11S9.]  GENESIS.  171 

signification  of  dwelling,  as  denoting  life,  see  aliove,  n.  4151, 
4152. 

4485.  "  To  be  one  people." — That  hereby  is  signified  as  to 
doctrine,  appears  from  the  signification  of  people,  as  denoting 
doctrine,  see  also  above,  n.  4468. 

4486.  "That  every  male  be  circumcised  to  us,  as  they  are 
circumcised." — That  hereby  is  signified,  if  they  were  initiated 
thereby  into  their  representatives  and  significatives  as  to  exter- 
nals alone,  appears  from  the  signification  of  circumcising,  as 
denoting  an  external  representative,  a  sign  that  they  were  of  the 
church,  in  the  present  case  that  they  were  of  the  superstitious 
principle  in  which  the  posterity  of  Jacob  were,  see  n.  4162  ;  and 
whereas  they  accepted  their  superstitious  pripciple,  which  con 
sisted  in  externals  alone,  n.  1281,  1293,  1307,  therefore  it  is 
said,  "as  they  are  circumcised."  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by 
circumcising  every  male  as  they  are  circumcised,  is  signified,  if 
they  were  initiated  thereby  into  their  representatives  and  sig- 
nificatives as  to  externals  alone.  What  these  words  further 
involve,  -will  appear  from  the  sequel. 

1187.  Ver.  23.  "Their  substance  and  their  purchase." — ■ 
That  hereby  is  signified  as  to  their  truths,  appears  from  the  sig- 
nification of  substance  (or  acquisition)  and  purchase,  as  denot- 
ing truths ;  but  they  are  distinguished  in  this,  that  acquisition, 
when  it  is  also  of  cattle,  is  the  good  of  truth,  for  this  is  signified 
by  cattle,  and  the  good  of  truth  is  truth  in  will  and  act,  see  n. 
1337, 1353, 1390  :  but  purchase,  which  in  other  places  is  called 
purchase  of  silver,  is  truth.  The  former,  viz.,  the  good  of 
truth,  is  called  celestial  truth ;  but  the  latter,  spiritual  truth, 
n.  2018 :  the  former,  or  celestial  truth,  is  truth  which  is  made 
of  the  life ;  but  the  latter,  or  spiritual  truth,  is  the  truth  of 
doctrine. 

1188.  "  And  every  beast  of  theirs." — 'That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied as  to  goods,  appears  from  the  signification  of  beast,  as 
denoting  goods,  see  n.  15,  46,  142,  113,  216,  711,  715,  1823, 
2179,  2180,  2781,  3218,  3519. 

4489.  "  Shall  they  not  be  ours  ?" — That  hereby  is  signified 
that  they  were  alike  and  of  one  form,  may  appear  from  the 
series,  which  is  such,  that  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  most 
ancient  church  (which  still  remained  partially  with  Hamor 
and  Shechem  and  their  families)  agreed  with  the  goods  and 
truths,  which  from  the  ancient  church  were  amongst  the  pos- 
terity of  Jacob ;  for  the  rituals,  instituted  amongst  the  pos- 
terity of  Jacob,  were  only  external  things  representing  and 
signifying  the  internals,  which  were  of  the  most  ancient  church. 
Hence  by  the  words,  "shall  they  not  be  ours?"  or  belonging 
to  them,  is  signified  that  they  were  alike  and  of  one  form. 
But  to  illustrate  this  by  an  example :  the  altar,  on  which  they 
offered  sacrifice,  was  a  principle  representative  of  the  Lord, 


172  GEjSTESIS.  [Chap.  xxxiv 

see  n.  921,  2777,  2811,  hence  also  it  was  a  fundamental  of  wor- 
ship in  the  ancient  church,  which  was  called  Hebrsean ;  there- 
fore all  and  each  of  the  things,  of  which  the  altar  was  con- 
structed, were  representative ;  as  its  dimensions  of  height, 
breadth,  and  length,  its  stones,  its  network  of  brass,  its  horns, 
and  afterwards  the  fire  which  was  everlastingly  preserved  upon 
it,  and  likewise  the  sacrifices  and  burnt-ofterings :  the  things 
which  they  represented  were  the  truths  and  goods  that  are  of 
and  from  the  Lord.  These  were  the  internals  of  worship  ;  and 
as  they  were  represented  in  that  external,  they  were  alike  and 
of  one  form  with  the  truths  and  goods  of  the  most  ancient 
church ;  the  dimensions,  viz.,  the  height,  breadth,  and  length, 
signified  in  general  good,  truth,  and  the  holy  principle  thence 
derived,  see  n.  650,  1613,  3433,  3134,  4482 ;  the  stones  signi- 
fied specifically  inferior  truths,  n.  1298,  3720 ;  the  brass,  of 
which  the  network  about  the  altar  was  made,  signified  natural 
good,  n.  425, 1551 ;  the  horns  signified  the  power  of  truth  from 
good,  n.  2S32 ;  the  fire  upon  the  altar  signified  love,  n.  934 ; 
the  sacrifices  and  burnt-offerings  signified  celestial  and  spirit- 
ual things,  according  to  their  various  kinds,  n.  922, 1823,  2180, 
2805,  2807,  2830,  3519.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  in  those 
external  things  were  contained  internal  things,  and  that  as  to 
internals  they  were  alike :  so  also  in  the  rest.  But  they  who 
were  of  the  most  ancient  church,  were  not  concerned  about 
those  external  things,  because  they  were  internal  men ;  and 
the  Lord  flowed-in  to  them  by  an  internal  way,  and  taught 
them  what  was  good  ;  the  varieties  and  difference  of  good  were 
to  them  truths,  and  hence  they  knew  what  all  and  each  of  the 
things  in  the  world  represented  in  the  Lord's  kingdom  ;  for  the 
universal  world,  or  universal  nature,  is  a  theatre  representa- 
tive of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  see  n.  2758,  34S3.  .  But  they  who 
were  of  the  ancient  church,  were  not  internal,  but  external 
men;  wherefore  with  them  the  Lord  could  not  flow-in  and 
teach  what  was  good,  by  an  internal  way,  but  by  an  external, 
and  this  first  by  such  things  as  represented  and  signified; 
whence  arose  the  representative  church ;  and  afterwards  by 
the  doctrinals  of  good  and  truth,  which  were  represented  and 
signified ;  whence  arose  the  Christian  church.  In  its  essence, 
the  Christian  church  is  the  same  as  to  internal  form  with  the 
representative  church  ;  but  the  representatives  and  significa- 
tives  of  that  church  were  abrogated  after  the  Lord  came  into 
tho  world,  because  all  and  singular  things  represented  Him, 
and  consecpiently  those  things  which  are  of  His  kingdom,  for 
these  are  from  Him,  and,  to  use  the  expression,  are  Himself. 
But  the  difference  between  the  most  ancient  church  and  the 
Christian,  is  like  that  between  the  light  of  the  sun  by  day,  and 
the  light  of  the  moon  and  stars  by  night;  for  to  see  goods  by 
an  internal  or  prior  way,  is  like  seeing  in  the  day  by  the  light 


4490-^493.] 


GENESIS. 


175 


of  the  sun  ;  whereas  to  see  by  an  external  or  posterior  way,  is 
like  seeing  in  the  night  by  the  light  of  the  moon  or  stars. 
There  was  almost  the  same  difference  between  the  most  ancient 
church  and  the  ancient,  only  that  they  of  the  Christian  church 
might  have  been  in  a  fuller  light,  if  they  had  acknowledged 
internal  things,  or  had  believed  and  done  the  truths  and  goods 
which  the  Lord  taught.  The  good  itself  is  the  same  to  each, 
but  the  difference  consists  in  seeing  it  in  a  clear  or  in  an 
obscure  principle  ;  they  who  see  in  a  clear  principle,  see  innu- 
merable arcana,  almost  as  the  angels  in  heaven,  and  they  are 
also  affected  with  what  they  see  ;  but  they  who  see  in  an 
obscure  principle,  see  scarcely  any  thing  without  a  doubtful 
principle,  and  the  things  which  they  see  are  mixed  with  shades 
of  night,  that  is,  with  false  principles,  nor  can  they  be  interi- 
orly affected  thereby.  Now  as  good  is  the  same  to  each,  con- 
sequently truth  also,  it  is  from  this  ground  that  by  the  words, 
"shall  they  not  be  ours?"  is  signified  that  goods  and  truths 
were  alike  and  of  one  form  ;  for  Hamor  and  Shechem,  as  was 
said  above,  were  of  the  remains  of  the  most  ancient  church ; 
and  the  posterity  of  Jacob  were  from  the  ancient  church  which 
was  called  the  Hebrsean,  but  only  in  its  externals.  But  Hamor 
and  Shechem  his  son  sinned  enormously  in  receiving  circum- 
cision, as  will  be  seen  in  what  follows,  n.  4493. 

4190.  "  Only  let  us  consent  unto  them,  and  they  will  dwell 
with  us." — That  hereby  is  signified  if  we  condescend,  and  that 
thus  they  would  consociate  life,  appears  (1.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  consenting,  as  denoting  to  condescend ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  dwelling  with  us,  as  denoting  to  live  together, 
or  to  consociate  life,  see  n.  4467. 

4491.  Ver.  24.  "  And  they  hearkened  unto  Hamor  and  unto 
Shechem  his  son." — That  hereby  is  signified  consent,  appears 
without  explanation. 

4492.  "All  who  went  out  of  the  gate  of  his  city."— That 
hereby  is  signified  that  they  receded  from  the  doctrine  of  the 
church  amongst  the  ancients,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  going  out,  as  here  denoting  to  recede  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  the  gate  of  a  city,  as  denoting  doctrine,  see  n.  2943, 
4477,  in  the  present  case  the  doctrine  of  the  church  amongst 
the  ancients,  because  it  was  the  gate  of  his  city,  that  is,  of 
Shechem  ;  for  by  Shechem  is  represented  the  truth  of  the  church 
amongst  the  ancients,  n.  4454.  By  the  church  amongst  the 
ancients  is  meant  that  which  was  from  the  most  ancient,  as  was 
also  said  above.  How  these  things  are,  will  be  manifest  from 
what  now  follows. 

4493.  "  And  they  circumcised  every  male,  all  who  went  out 
of  the  gate  of  his  city." — That  hereby  is  signified  acceding  to 
external  things,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  circumcis- 
ing every  male,  as  denoting  to  be  initiated  thereby  into  the  rep 


174 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


resentatives  and  significatives  of  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  as  to 
external  things  alone,  n.  4486 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  going  otit  of  the  gaU  of  his  city,  as  denoting  to  recede  from 
the  doctrine  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients,  see  n.  4492  ; 
and  whereas  receding  from  doctrine,  and  acceding  to  external 
things,  is  signified,  therefore  it  is  twice  said,  "  going  out  of 
the  gate  of  his  city,"  but  not  also  at  the  same  time,  as  else- 
where, going  into  it ;  for  by  going  in,  is  signified  acceding 
to  doctrine,  and  receding  from  external  things ;  bnt  in  the 
present  case,  the  contrary.  It  may  be  expedient  to  show  how 
this  case  is.  The  men  {homines)  of  the  most  ancient  church, 
of  the  remains  of  which  were  Hamor  and  Shechem  with  their 
families,  were  of  a  genius  and  temper  altogether  different  from 
the  men  (viri*)  of  the  ancient  chnrch ;  for  the  men  of  the 
most  ancient  church  had  a  will-principle  in  which  was  integ- 
rity, but  not  so  the  men  of  the  ancient  church  ;  wherefore 
with  the  men  of  the  most  ancient  church  the  Lord  could 
flow-in  through  the  will-principle,  consequently  by  an  internal 
way ;  but  not  with  the  men  of  the  ancient  church,  for  in  theso 
the  will-principle  was  destroyed,  but  the  Lord  flowed-in  to  their 
intellectual  principle,  thus  not  by  an  internal  way,  but  by  an 
external,  as  was  said  above,  n.  44S9.  To  flow-in  through  the 
will-principle,  is  to  flow-in  through  the  good  of  love,  for  all  good 
appertains  to  the  will  part ;  but  to  flow-in  through  the  intel- 
lectual principle  is  to  flow-in  through  the  truth  of  faith,  for  all 
truth  appertains  to  the  intellectual  part ;  in  this  part,  viz.,  the 
intellectual,  the  Lord  formed  a  new  will  in  the  men  of  the  an- 
cient church,  when  he  regenerated  them.  That  goods  and  truths 
were  implanted  in  the  will  part  of  the  men  of  the  most  ancient 
church,  may  be  seen  in  n.  895,  927  ;  but  they  were  implanted 
in  the  intellectual  part  of  the  men  of  the  ancient  church, 
see  n.  863,  875,  895,  927,  2124,  2256,  4328;  that  a  new  will 
is  formed  in  the  intellectual  part,  see  n.  928,  1023,  1043,  1044, 
4328  ;  that  there  is  a  parallelism  between  the  Lord  and  the  good 
appertaining  to  man,  but  not  between  the  truth,  n.  1831,  1832, 
2718,  3514  ;  and  hence  that  the  men  of  the  ancient  church  were 
respectively  in  an  obscure  principle,  n.  2708,  2715,  2935,  2937, 
3246,  3833.  From  these  considerations  it  may  appear,  that  the 
men  of  the  most  ancient  church  were  of  a  genius  and  temper 
altogether  different  from  the  men  of  the  ancient  church.  Hence 
it  was,  that  they  who  were  of  the  most  ancient  church,  were 
internal  men,  and  had  no  externals  of  worship  ;  and  that  they 
who  were  of  the  ancient  church,  were  external  men,  and  had 
externals  of  worship ;  for  the  former  saw  externals  through  in- 
ternals as  from  the  light  of  the  sun  by  day,  and  the  latter 
saw  internals  through  externals  as  in  the  light  of  the  moon  and 

*  See  note  above,  n.  4287,  concerning  the  distinction  between  the  Latin  teruif 
homo  and  vir. 


4494.] 


GENESIS. 


175 


stars  by  night ;  wherefore  the  Lord  also  appears  in  heaven  to 
the  former  as  a  sun,  but  to  the  latter  as  a  moon,  n.  1521,  1529, 
i:>:;o,  2+41,  2495,  4060  ;  in  these  explanations,  the  former 

are  called  celestial,  but  the  latter  spiritual.  In  order  to  illus- 
trate the  nature  of  the  difference  between  them,  the  following 
example  may  suffice.  If  a  man  of  the  most  ancient  church  had 
read  the  historic  or  prophetic  Word,  he  would  have  seen  its 
infernal  sense  without  any  previous  instruction  or  explanation  ; 
and  this  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  celestial  and  spiritual  things 
winch  belong  to  the  internal  sense,  would  instantly  have  oc- 
curred, and  scarcely  any  thing  which  is  in  the  sense  of  the 
letter;  thus  the  internal  sense  would  have  been  in  clearness  to 
him,  but  the  sense  of  the  letter  in  obscurity,  and  he  would  be 
as  one  who  hears  another  speaking,  and  only  imbibes  the  sense, 
out  does  not  attend  to  the  expressions  of  the  speaker.  Whereas 
if  a  man  of  the  ancient  church  had  read  the  Word,  he  would 
not.  have  been  able  to  see  its  internal  sense  without  previous  in- 
struction or  explanation  ;  so  that  the  internal  sense  would  have 
been  in  obscurity  to  him,  but  the  sense  of  the  letter  in  clearness, 
and  he  would  be  as  a  person  who  hears  another  speaking,  and  in 
his  thought  is  intent  on  the  expressions,  and  in  the  mean  time 
does  not  attend  to  the  sense  ;  in  consequence  whereof  the  sense 
is  lost  upon  him.  But  when  a  man  of  the  Jewish  church  reads 
the  Word,  he  comprehends  nothing  but  the  sense  of  the  letter ; 
he  does  not  know  that  there  is  any  internal  sense,  and  he  also 
denies  it.  The  case  is  the  same  at  this  day  with  the  men  of  the 
Christian  church.  From  these  considerations  it  may  appear, 
what  was  the  difference  between  those  represented  by  Hamor 
and  Shechem  (who,  as  being  of  the  remains  of  the  most  ancient 
church,  were  in  internal  things  and  not  in  external),  and  between 
those  signified  by  the  sons  of  Jacob,  who  were  in  external  things 
and  not  in  internal ;  and  it  may  further  appear,  that  Hamor 
and  Shechem  could  not  accede  to  external  things,  and  accept 
those  which  appertained  to  the  sons  of  Jacob,  without  closing 
their  internals ;  and  if  these  had  been  closed,  they  would  have 
perished  eternally.  This  is  the  seci-et  reason  why  Hamor  and 
Shechem  with  their  families  were  slain,  which  would  not  other- 
wise have  been  permitted.  Neverheless,  this  does  not  excul- 
pate the  sons  of  Jacob,  or  lessen  the  guilt  of  the  enormity  which 
they  committed ;  they  knew  nothing  of  that  arcanum,  nor  re- 
garded it  as  their  end,  and  every  one  is  judged  according  to 
his  end  or  intention ;  that  their  intention  was  fraudulent,  is 
said  expressly,  ver.  13 ;  and  when  any  such  thing  is  permitted 
by  the  Lord,  it  is  effected  by  the  wicked  and  by  infernals  who 
infuse  it  ;  but  all  the  evils  which  the  wicked  intend  and  do  to 
the  good,  the  Lord  turns  into  good ;  as  in  the  present  case,  that 
Hamor  and  Shechem  with  their  families  might  be  saved. 

4494.  Verses  25  to  29.    And  it  came  to  p  xss  an  the  third 


176 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


day,  when  they  were  in  pain,  that  two  of  the  sons  of  Jacob, 
Simeon  and  Levi,  the  brethren  of  Dinah,  took  each  his  sword, 
and  came  upon  the  city  confidently,  and  slew  every  male.  And 
they  slew  Heimor  and  Shechem  his  son  with  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
and  took  Dinah  out  of  the  house  of  Shechem,  and  departed. 
The.  so?is  of  Jacob  came  upon  those  who  ivere  thrust  through, 
and  spoiled  the  city,  because  they  had  defiled  their  sister. 
Their  flocks  and  their  herds,  and  their  asses,  and  whatsoever 
was  in  the  city,  and  whatsoever  was  in  the  field,  they  took  •  all 
their  wealth,  and  every  infant  of  theirs,  and  their  females 
they  took  captive,  and  spoiled,  and  all  that  was  in  the  house. 
And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  signifies  what  is  con- 
tinuous* even  to  the  end :  when  they  were  in  pain,  signifies 
lusts :  that  two  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  Simeon  and  Levi,  signi- 
fies faith  and  love :  the  brethren  of  Dinah,  signifies  the  truths 
and  goods  of  that  church:  took  each  his  sword,  signifies  what 
is  false  and  evil :  and  came  upon  the  city  confidently,  and  slew 
every  male,  signifies  that  they  extirpated  the  truths  of  doctrine 
of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients  :  and  they  slew  Hamor  and 
Shechem  his  son  with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  signifies  the  church 
itself:  and  took  Dinah  out  of  the  house  of  Shechem,  and  de- 
parted, signifies  that  they  took  away  the  affection  of  truth  :  the 
sons  of  Jacob  came  upon  those  who  were  thrust  through,  and 
spoiled  the  city,  signifies  that  all  that  posterity  destroyed  doc- 
trine :  because  they  had  defiled  their  sister,  signifies  that  they 
polluted  the  truth  of  faith  :  their  flocks  and  their  herds,  signi- 
fies that  they  destroyed  rational  and  natural  good :  and  their 
ases,  signifies  truths  thence  derived:  and  whatsoever  was  in  the 
city,  and  whatsoever  was  in  the  field,  they  took,  signifies  every 
truth  and  good  of  the  church:  and  all  their  wealth,  signifies  all 
the  scientific^  which  they  acquired  to  themselves:  and  every 
infant  of  theirs,  signifies  all  innocence:  and  their  females,  sig- 
nifies charity  :  they  took  captive  and  spoiled,  signifies  that  they 
deprived  and  perverted  them:  and  all  that  was  in  the  house, 
signifies  every  thing  of  the  church. 

4495.  Ver.  25.  "  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  what  is  continuous  even  to  the  end, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  the  third  day,  as  denoting 
what  is  complete  from  beginning  to  end,  see  n.  2788,  thus  also 
what  is  continuous.  That  the  third  day  has  this  signification, 
can  scarcely  be  believed  by  those  who  suppose  the  historicals 
of  the  Word  to  be  only  worldly  historicals,  and  to  be  holy  for 
no  other  reason  than  because  they  are  contained  in  the  sacred 
code :  but  it  has  been  shown  in  the  preceding  explanations, 
that  not  only  the  historicals  of  the  Word  themselves,  but  also 

*  For  the  proper  sense  of  the  word  continuous,  ns  litre  mid  in  other  places 
used  by  the  author,  see  the  Glossary  to  the  English  translation  of  the  Treatise  on 
Conjugial  Love. 


ter.  That  this  is  really  the  case,  will,  by  the  divine  mercy  of 
the  Lord,  still  better  appear  in  the  propheticals,  which  do  not 
so  keep  the  mind  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  as  to  the  series,  as 
the  historical.  But  it  cannot  but  be  manifest  to  every  one 
who  searches  the  Word  as  to  its  interiors,  that  the  number 
three,  as  also  the  number  seven,  and  likewise  the  number 
twelve,  involve  arcana;  and  if  those  involve  arcana,  it  follows 
that  there  is  an  arcanum  also  in  the  rest  of  the  numbers  which 
occur  in  the  Word,  for  the  Word  is  holy  throughout.  Occasion- 
ally, when  I  have  been  discoursing  with  the  angels,  numbers 
have  been  seen,  as  it  were  written  before  the  eyes,  like  those 
seen  on  paper  in  clear  day;  and  it  was  perceived  that  the 
things  themselves,  which  were  the  subject  of  the  discourse,  fall 
into  such  numbers;  from  which  experience  also  it  was  given  me 
to  know  that  every  number  in  the  A\rord  contains  some  arca- 
num. This  may  be  seen  evidently  from  the  following  passages 
in  the  Apocalypse  :  "  He  measured  the  wall  of  the  holy  Jerusa- 
lem, an  hundred  forty  and  four  cubits,  which  is  the  measure 
of  a  man,  that  is,  of  an  angel,"  xxi.  17 ;  and  in  another  place, 
"  He  who  hath  intelligence,  let  him  count  the  number  of  the 
beast,  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man  ;  and  his  number  is  six  hun- 
dred three  score  and  six"  xiii.  18.  That  the  former  number, 
144-,  is  from  the  twelve  multiplied  into  itself,  and  that  the 
number  606  is  from  the  numbers  three  and  six,  is  evident;  but 
what  holy  principle  they  involve,  may. appear  from  the  holy 
principle  of  the  number  twelve,  see  n.  577,  2089,  2129,  2130, 
3272,  3858,  3913,  and  from  the  holy  principle  of  the  number 
three,  see  n.  720,  901,  1825,  2788,  4010.  As  the  number  three 
signified  what  is  complete  even  to  the  end,  thus  one  period, 
great  or  small,  it  was  therefore  received  in  the  representative 
church,  and  was  applied  as  often  as  s;ich  a  thing  was  signified  ; 
also  in  the  Word,  in  which  all  and  each  of  the  things  have  a 
signification,  as  may  appear  from  the  following  passages: 


18 ;  v.  3.  They  should  be  ready  against  the  third  day, 
because  on  the  third  day  Jehovah  would  come  down  upon 
Mount  Sinai,  Exod.  xix.  11,  15,  16,  18.  Nothing  should  be 
left  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  to  the  third  day,  Levit.  vii.  16, 
17,  18  ;  xix.  6,  7.  Water  of  separation  should  be  sprinkled  on 
the  unclean  on  the  third  day,  and  on  the  seventh  day,  Numb, 
xix.  11  to  the  end;  and  they  who  touched  one  that  was  slain 
in  battle,  should  be  cleansed  on  the  third  day  and  on  the  sev- 
enth day,  Numb.  xxxi.  19  to  25.  Joshua  commanded  the 
people,  that  within  three  days  they  should  pass  over  Jordan, 
Joshua  i.  11 ;  iii.  2.  Jehovah  called  Samuel  three  times,  and 
Sanmel  ran  three  times  to  Eli ;  and  at  the  third  time  Eli  per- 

VOL.  T.  J  2 


They  should 


sacrifice,  Exod.  iii. 


178 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


ceived  that  Jehovah  called  Samuel,  1  Sam.  iii.  1  to  8.  David 
said  unto  Jonathan,  that  he  would  hide  himself  in  a  held  unto 
the  third  evening ;  and  that  Jonathan  should  send  to  him  on 
the  third  morrow,  and  reveal  the  mind  of  his  father :  and 
Jonathan  then,  shot  three  arrows  on  the  side  of  the  stone :  and 
after  that,  David  bowed  himself  three  times  to  the  earth  before 
Jonathan,  1  Sam.  xx.  5,  12,  19,  20,  35,  36,  41.  Three  tilings 
were  proposed  to  David,  that  he  should  choose  one  of  them, 
either  that  seven  years  of  famine  should  come,  or  that  he  should 
flee  three  months  before  his  enemies,  or  that  there  should  be 
three  days  pestilence  in  the  land,  2  Sam.  xxiv.  11,  12,  13. 
Rehoboam  said  unto  the  assembly  of  Israel,  who  sought  to  be 
eased  of  his  father's  yoke,  that  they  should  depart  three  days 
and  return:  and  they  came  to  Rehoboam  on  the  third  day,  as 
the  king  had  appointed,  saying,  "  Return  to  me  on  the  third 
day"  1  Kings  xii.  5,  12.  Elijah  measured  himself  upon  the 
widow's  son  three  times,  1  Kings  xvii.  21.  Elijah  said,  that 
they  should  pour  water  upon  the  burnt-offering  and  the  wood 
a  third  time /  and  they  did  it  a  third  time,  1  Kings  xviii.  34. 
Jonah  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  whale's  belly, 
Jonah  i.  17 ;  Matt.  xii.  40.  The  Lord  spake  of  a  man  who 
planted  a  vineyard,  that  he  sent  servants  three  times,  and  after- 
wards his  son,  Mark  xii.  2  to  6  ;  Luke  x.  12,  13.  He  spake  of 
Peter,  that  he  should  deny  him  thrice,  Matt.  xxvi.  34 ;  John 
xiii.  3S.  He  said  unto  Peter  three  times,  "  Lovest  thou  me?"  John 
xxi.  15,  16,  17.  From  these  and  several  other  passages  in  the 
Word,  it  may  appear  manifestly,  that  there  was  an  arcanum  in 
the  number  three,  and  that  hence  this  number  was  received 
amongst  the  significatives  in  the  ancient  churches ;  that  it  sig- 
nifies an  entire  period  of  the  church  and  of  the  things  in  the 
church,  thus  a  great  or  small  period,  is  evident,  consequently 
it  signifies  what  is  complete  and  also  continuous  even  to  the 
end  ;  as  is  manifest  from  these  words  in  Hosea,  "  Jehovah  will 
revive  us  after  two  days,  and  on  the  third  day  he  will  raise  us 
up,  and  we  shall  live  before  him,"  vi.  2. 

4496.  "  When  they  were  in  pain." — That  hereby  are  signi- 
fied lusts,  appears  from  the  signification  of  pain  after  circum- 
cision, as  denoting  lust.  Pain  after  circumcision  denotes  lust, 
because  circumcision  signifies  purification  from  the  love  of  self 
and  of  the  world,  n.  2039,  2044,  2049,  2632,  3412,  3413,  4462, 
and  the  lust  of  the  flesh  is  from  those  loves,  hence  pain  signifies 
this  lust;  for  whilst  man  is  purifying  from  those  loves,  as  is  the 
case  whilst  he  is  regenerating,  he  is  in  pain  and  anxiety ;  the 
lusts,  which  are  at  that  time  wiping  away,  being  what  grieve 
and  suffer  torment.  When  any  arcanum  is  represented  by  a 
ritual,  each  single  thing  of  that  ritual,  until  it  is  completed, 
involves  something  in  that  arcanum;  as  the  little  daggers  oi 
knives,  with  which  circumcision  was  performed,  being  ot  stone, 


4496—4500.] 


GENESIS. 


179 


n.  2039,  2046,  2799,  the  blood  on  the  occasion,  the  manner, 
and  so  also  the  state.  This  may  further  appear  from  the  pro- 
cesses of  the  eleansings,  inaugurations,  sanctitications,  and  other 
ceremonies.  In  the  present  case,  by  pain  after  circumcision,  is 
signified  the  lust  of  Hamor,  of  Shechem,  and  of  the  men  of  his 
city,  in  their  desire  towards  the  external  things  in  which  the 
posterity  of  Jacob  were  immersed,  see  above,  n.  4493. 

4497.  "That  two  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  Simeon  and  Levi." 
— That  hereby  are  signified  faith  and  love,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
representation  of  Simeon,  as  denoting  faith  in  the  will,  see  n. 
3S69  to  3872  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Levi,  as  de- 
noting spiritual  love  or  charity,  see  n.  3875,  3877.  In  the 
genuine  sense,  those  things  are  signified  by  Simeon  and  Levi, 
and  also  by  the  tribes  named  after  them ;  but  in  the  opposite 
sense,  the  false  and  the  evil  are'signified,  for  the  false  is  oppo- 
site to  the  truth  of  faith,  and  the  evil  to  the  good  of  charity ; 
these  latter  are  represented  by  Simeon  and  Levi  in  respect  to 
the  Jewish  nation  which  had  extinguished  in  itself  every  prin- 
ciple of  faith  and  of  charity,  which  were  the  internals  of  wor- 
ship ;  as  may  better  appear  from  what  follows,  where  it  is  said, 
that  they  slew  Hamor,  Shechem,  and  the  men  of  the  city, 
and  that  the  sons  of  Jacob  came  upon  those  who  were  thrust 
through,  and  despoiled  them  of  eveiy  thing.  The  reason  why 
Simeon  and  Levi  did  this,  was,  that  it  might  be  represented 
that  the  truth  of  faith,  and  the  good  of  charity,  were  made 
false  and  evil ;  for  when  the  truth  is  made  false,  and  the  good 
is  made  evil  in  the  church,  the  church  is  at  an  end. 

4498.  "  The  brethren  of  Dinah." — That  hereby  are  signi- 
fied the  truths  and  goods  of  that  church,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  brethren,  as  denoting  truths  and  goods,  or  faith 
and  charity,  see  n.  367,  3303,  3803,  3815,  4121,  4191,  4267 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Dinah,  as  denoting  the 
affection  of  truth,  consequently  the  church,  see  n.  3963,  3964, 
4427. 

4499.  "  Took  each  his  sword." — That  hereby  is  signified 
what  is  false  and  evil,  appears  from  the  signification  of  sword, 
as  denoting  truth  combating,  and  hence  the  defence  of  truth ; 
and  in  the  opposite  sense,  the  false  combating,  and  hence  the 
vastation  of  truth,  see  n.  2799.  The  reason  why  sword  like- 
wise denotes  evil,  is,  because  it  was  also  the  sword  of  Levi,  by 
whom  was  represented  charity,  thus  good ;  and  when  this  be- 
comes evil,  it  combats  by  the  false  grounded  in  evil,  and  then 
what  it  does  is  evil. 

4500.  "And  came  upon  the  city  confidently,  and  slew  every 
male." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they  extirpated  the  truths 
of  doctrine  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  city,  as  denoting  doctrine  of  the  church, 
see  3i.  402;  2449,  2943,  3216,  4478  ;  in  the  present  case,  of 


ISO 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxx:'v. 


the  church  amongst  the  ancients,  because  that  church  is  repre- 
sented by  Hamor  and  Shechem,  whose  the  city  was ;  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  confidently,  as  denoting  from  confidence,  in 
the  present  case  from  the  confidence  of  evil  and  false;  and  (3.) 
from  the  signification  of  male,  as  denoting  truth,  see  n.  749, 
2046,  4005.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  their  coming  upon 
the  city  confidently,  and  killing  every  male,  is  signified  that 
from  the  confidence  of  evil  and  false  they  extirpated  the  truth 
of  doctrine  of  the  church  amongst  the  ancients.  It  was  the 
church  amongst  the  ancients,  derived  from  the  most  ancient 
church,  which  was  to  have  been  established  anew  amongst  the 
posterity  descended  from  Jacob,  because  the  ancient  church 
began  to  perish ;  but,  as  is  here  described  in  the  internal  sense, 
they  extinguished  amongst  themselves  all  the  truth  of  faith  and 
good  of  charity,  thus  every  internal  principle  of  worship,  and 
in  consequence  thereof  no  church  could  be  established  with  that 
posterity ;  whence  it  came  to  pass  that,  because  they  were  ob- 
stinately urgent,  only  the  representative  of  a  church  was  insti- 
tuted amongst  them,  see  n.  4281,  42SS,  42S9,  4290,  4293,  4307, 
4314,  431G,  4317,  4429,  4433,  4444. 

4501.  Ver.  26.  ''And  they  slew  Hamor  and  Shechem  his 
son  with  the  edge  of  the  sword." — That  hereby  is  signified  the 
church  itself,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Hamor, 
as  denoting  the  church  amongst  the  ancients  as  to  good,  see  n. 
4447  ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Shechem,  as  denoting  the 
church  amongst  the  ancients  as  to  truth,  see  n.  4454,  4472, 
4473  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
as  denoting  the  false  and  evil  in  a  state  of  combat,  see  n.  4499, 
thus  denoting  those  things  whereby  they  extinguished  the 
church  amongst  themselves. 

4502.  "And  took  Dinah  out  of  the  house  of  Shechem,  and 
departed." — That  hereby  is  signified,  that  they  took  away  the 
affection  of  truth,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Dinah, 
as  denoting  the  affection  of  truth,  see  above,  n.  4498.  It  is 
according  to  the  proximate  internal  sense,  that  they  took  away 
the  affection  of  truth  from  those  who  were  of  the  remains  of 
the  most  ancient  church,  because  it  is  said,  "  out  of  the  house 
of  Shechem,"  for  by  the  house  of  Shechem  is  signified  the  good 
of  truth  of  that  church;  but  whereas  the  subject  treated  of  is 
concerning  the  extirpation  of  truth  and  good  amongst  the  pos- 
terity of  Jacob,  who  are  here  signified  by  his  sons,  and  as  all 
things  are  to  be  considered  in  application  to  the  subject  treated 
of,  therefore  by  the  house  of  Shechem  is  here  signified  simply 
the  good  of  truth,  such  as  it  had  been  witli  the  man  of  the  mosl 
ancient  church,  thus  that  this  was  extinguished  in  the  nation 
descended  from  Jacob ;  for  in  the  internal  sense  of  the  "Word, 
expressions  and  names  signify  things  in  the  way  of  predication 
to  their  subject.    At  the  same  time  also  is  signified  the  i'^frao- 


4501—4503.] 


GENESIS. 


181 


tion  of  good  and  truth  by  Ilamor  and  Shechcm,  and  his  family, 
because  they  acceded  to  external  things,  as  was  shown,  n.  4493. 
That  such  is  the  case  in  regard  to  what  has  been  hitherto  ex- 
plained concerning  Simeon  and  Levi,  may  appear  from  these 
words  in  the  prophetics  of  Jacob  before  his  death,  "Simeon 
and  Levi  are  brethren ;  instruments  of  violence  are  their  dag- 
gers. Let  not  my  soul  come  into  their  secret,  in  their  assembly 
■  let  not  my  glory  be  united ;  because  in  their  anger  they  slew  a 
man,  and  in  their  good  pleasure  they  unstrung  an  ox.  Cursed 
he  their  anger,  for  it  was  vehement :  and  their  wrath,  for  it 
was  hard :  L  icill  divide,  them  in  Jacob,  and  scatter  them  in 
Lsrael,"  Gen.  xlix.  5,  6,  7.  By  Simeon  and  Levi  is  signified 
the  truth  of  faith,  which  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob  was 
changed  into  the  false,  and  the  good  of  charity  into  evil,  as 
mentioned  above,  n.  4499,  4500  \.  they  are  called  brethren,  be- 
cause good  is  the  brother  of  truth,  or  charity  of  faith,  n.  4498  : 
instruments  of  violence  being  their  daggers  or  swords,  signifies 
falses  and  evils,  as  offering  violence  to  truths  and  goods,  n. 
4499 :  let  not  my  soul  come  into  their  secret,  and  in  their  as- 
sembly let  not  my  glory  be  united,  signifies  disjunction  as  to 
life  and  doctrine,  for  in  the  Word  soul  is  predicated  of  life,  n. 
1000,  1040,  1742,  3299,  and  glory  of  doctrine:  because  in  their 
anger  they  slew  a  man  (vir),  and  in  their  good  pleasure  they 
unstrung  an  ox,  signifies  that  in  proposed  evil  they  extinguished 
the  truth  and  good  of  the  church ;  man  (vir)  is  the  truth  of 
the  church,  n.  3134,  and  ox  is  its  good,  n.  2180,  2566,  2781  : 
cursed  be  their  anger,  for  it  was  vehement,  and  their  wrath, 
for  it  was  hard,  signifies  the  punishment  of  aversion  from  truth 
and  good  ;  to  curse,  is  to  avert  oneself,  and  also  on  that  ac- 
count to  be  punished,  n.  245,  379,  1423,  3530,  3584;  anger  is 
receding  from  truth,  and  wrath,  from  good,  n.  357,  36l4  :  I 
will  divide  them  in  Jacob,  and  scatter  them  in  Israel,  signifies 
that  goods  and  truths  will  no  longer  be  in  the  external  and  in- 
ternal of  their  church ;  to  divide  and  scatter,  is  to  separate 
and  extirpate  from  them,  n.  4424;  Jacob  is  the  external  of  the 
church,  and  Israel  the  internal,  n.  4286.  These  things  were 
said  in  that  prophetical  enunciation  concerning  Simeon  and 
Levi,  because  by  them  is  signified  in  general  the  truth  and 
good  of  the  church ;  and  when  these  principles  decay,  and  espe- 
cially when  falses  and  evils  succeed  in  their  place,  then  the 
church  is  extinct.  That  nothing  else  is  involved  in  the  above 
propheticals,  may  appear  manifest  from  this  consideration,  that 
the  tribes  of  Simeon  and  Levi  were  not  cursed  above  the  rest 
of  the  tribes ;  for  the  tribe  of  Levi  was  taken  into  the  priest- 
hood, and  the  tribe  of  Simeon  was  amongst  the  rest  of  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  as  one  of  thein. 

4503.  Ver.  27.  "The  sons  of  Jacob  came  upon  those  who 
were  thrust  through,  and  spoiled  the  city."-  -That  hereby  is 


182 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


signified  that  all  that  posterity  destroyed  doctrine,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  pos- 
terity from  Jacob,  concerning  which  see  above ;  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  spoiling,  as  denoting  to  destroy ;  ana  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  city,  as  denoting  doctrine  of  the  church, 
see  n.  4500.  That  after  Simeon  and  Levi  had  slain  every  male 
in  the  city,  and  Hamor  and  Shechem,  they  departed,  and  that 
afterwards  the  sons  of  Jacob  came  upon  those  who  were  thrust 
through,  and  spoiled  the  city,  is  an  arcanum  which  is  only  dis- 
coverable from  the  internal  sense.  The  arcanum  is  this  :  after 
the  truth  and  good  of  the  church,  which  are  represented  by 
Simeon  and  Levi,  were  extinct,  and  the  false  and  the  evil  were 
in  their  place,  there  were  next  superadded  falses  and  evils, 
which  in  the  opposite  sense  are  signified  by  the  rest  of  the  sons 
of  Jacob.  By  each  son  of  Jacob  some  common  or  general  prin- 
ciple of  faith  and  charitv  was  represented,  as  was  shown  in  n. 
2129,  3858,  3913,  3926,  3939,  1060 ;  what  was  represented  by 
Reuben,  may  be  seen  in  n.  3861,  3866,  3870 ;  what  by  Judah, 
n.  38S0,  3881 ;  by  Dan,  n.  3921  to  3923  ;  by  Naphtali.  n.  3927, 
3928 ;  by  Gad,  n.  3931,  3935 ;  by  Asher,  n.  3938,  3939 ;  by 
Issachar,  n.  3956,  3957  ;  by  Zebulun,  n.  3960,  3961.  These 
common  principles  of  faith  and  charity,  which  were  repre- 
sented by  them,  become  falses  and  evils  of  that  genus,  when 
once  the  truth  and  good  of  the  church  are  extinguished,  and  in 
such  case  [the  falses  and  evils]  are  superadded ;  for  falses  and 
evils  have  a  continual  growth  in  the  church  once  perverted  and 
extinct.  These  things  are  signified  by  the  sons  of  Jacob  com- 
ing upon  those  who  were  thrust  through,  and  spoiling  the  city, 
after  Simeon  and  Levi  had  slain  every  male  in  the  city,  and 
Hamor  and  Shechem,  and  had  taken  away  Dinah,  and  departed. 
That  by  those  who  are  thrust  through,  extinct  truths  and  goods 
are  signified  in  the  Word,  may  appear  from  the  following  pas- 
sages :  "  Thou  art  cast  out  of  thy  grave,  like  an  abominable 
brand,  the  raiment  of  those  that  are  slain,  thrust  through  with 
the  sword,  going  down  to  the  stones  of  the  pit,  as  a  carcass 
trodden  under  foot,"  Isaiah  xiv.  19  ;  speaking  of  Babel ;  they 
who  are  thrust  through  with  the  sword,  denote  those  who  have 
profaned  the  truths  of  the  church.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet, 
"  The  thrust  through  of  them  also  shall  be  cast  out,  and  the 
stink  of  their  carcasses  shall  come  up,"  xxxiv.  3  ;  speaking  of 
the  falses  and  evils  which  infest  the  church,  and  which  are  de- 
noted by  those  who  are  thrust  through.  So  in  Ezekiel,  "  The 
violent  of  the  nations  shall  draw  the  sword  against  the  beauty 
of  thy  wisdom,  and  they  shall  defile  thy  brightness  ;  they  shall 
bring  thee  down  into  the  pit,  and  thou  shalt  die  by  the  deaths 
of  the  thrust  through  in  the  midst  of  the  seas,"  xxviii.  7,  8 ; 
speaking  of  the  prince  of  Tyre,  by  whom  are  signified  the  pri- 
maries of  the  knowledges  of  truth  and  good  ;  to  die  by  the 


4503.] 


GENESIS. 


183 


deaths  of  the  thrust  through  in  the  midst  of  the  seas,  denotes 
those  who  by  scientifics  bring  forth  falses,  and  thence  dehle 
the  truths  of  the  church.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "These 
also  shall  go  down  with  them  into  hell  unto  them  who  are  thrust 
through  loith  the  sword ;  .  .  .  when  thou  shalt  be  brought  down 
with  the  trees  of  Eden  into  the  nether  parts  of  the  earth,  thou 
shalt  lie  in  the  midst  of  the  uncircumcised  with  those  who  are 
thrust  through  with  the  sword"  xxxi.  17,  18.  Again,  in  the 
same  prophet,  "Go  down  and  lie  with  the  uncircumcised,  they 
shall  tall  in  the  midst  of  them  who  are  thrust  through  with  the 
sword"  xxxii.  19,  20,  21 ;  speaking  of  Pharaoh  and  Egypt;  the 
thrust  through  with  the  sword,  denote  those  who  by  sciences 
grow  insane  as  to  the  faith  of  truth  appertaining  to  the  church, 
and  thus  extinguish  it  in  themselves.  So  in  David,  "  I  am 
counted  with  them  that  go  down  into  the  pit,  I  am  become  as 
a  man  (vir)  that  hath  no  strength  ;  neglected  amongst  the 
dead,  as  they  who  are  thrust  through  lying  in  the  grave,  whom 
thou  rememberest  no  more,  and  who  are  cut  off  from  thy 
hand,"  Psalm  lxxxviii.  4,  5  ;  they  who  are  thrust  through  in 
hell,  in  the  pit,  and  in  the  grave,  denote  those  who  have  de- 
stroyed truths  and  goods  in  themselves  by  falses  and  evils  ; 
every  one  may  know  that  they  are  not  in  hell,  merely  on 
account  of  being  thrust  through  with  a  sword.  So  in  Isaiah, 
"  The  city  of  tumults,  the  exulting  city,  thine  who  are  thrust 
through  are  not  thrust  through  with  the  sword,  nor  slain  in  war ; 
.  .  .  all  who  are  found  in  thee  are  bound  together,  they  are  fled 
from  far,"  xxii.  2,  3  ;  speaking  of  fallacies  arising  from  sensual 
things,  whereby  the  truths  of  the  church  cannot  be  seen,  con- 
cerning which  therefore  they  are  in  a  doubtful  negative  princi- 
ple, and  are  said  to  be  thrust  through,  but  not  with  a  swTord. 
And  in  Ezekiel,  "  I  bring  the  sword  upon  thee,  and  will  cause 
your  high  places  to  perish;  and  your  altars  shall  be  destroyed, 
and  your  images  shall  be  broken,  and  I  will  make  them  who 
are  thrust  through  of  you  to  lie  down  before  your  idols ;  when 
they  who  are  thrust  through  shall  fall  in  the  midst  of  you,  ye 
shall  know  that  I  am  Jehovah  :  then  ye  shall  acknowledge, 
when  they  who  are  thrust  through  shall  be  in  the  midst  of  their 
idols,  round  about  their  altars,"  vi.  3,  4,  7,  13  ;  they  who  are 
thrust  through,  denote  those  who  are  in  falses  of  doctrine. 
Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  Defile  the  house,  and  fill  the 
courts  with  the  thrust  through.  They  have  gone  forth,  and 
have  smitten  in  the  city,"  ix.  7 ;  this  was  a  prophetic  vision  ; 
to  defile  the  house,  and  to  fill  the  courts  with  the  thrust 
through,  denotes  to  profane  goods  and  truths.  Again,  in  the 
same  prophet,  "Ye  have  multiplied  those  of  yours  who  are 
thrust  through  in  this  city,  and  ye  have  filled  its  streets  with 
him  that  is  thrust  through.  Wherefore  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah, 
They  of  yours  who  are  thrust  through,  whom  ye  have  placed 


184 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


iu  the  midst  thereof,  they  are  the  flesh,  and  this  city  is  the 
cauldron ;  and  he  will  lead  you  out  of  the  midst  of  it,"  xi.  6,  7. 
Inasmuch  as  by  the  thrust  through  were  signified  those  who 
have  extinguished  in  themselves  the  truths  of  the  church  by 
falses  and  evils,  therefore  also  in  the  representative  church, 
they  who  touched  one  who  was  thrust  through,  were  unclean  ; 
concerning  whom  it  is  thus  written  in  Moses,  "  Every  one 
who  hath  touched  on  the  surface  of  a  field  one  thrust  through 
with  a  sword,  or  a  dead  body,  or  the  bone  of  a  man,  or  a  grave, 
shall  be  unclean  seven  days,"  Numb.  xix.  16,  18 ;  and  on  this 
account  inquisition  and  expiation  was  made  by  a  heifer,  as  it  is 
thus  written,  "If  one  thrust  through  be  found  lying  in  a  field, 
and  it  be  not  known  who  smote  him,  then  the  elders  of  the  city 
and  the  judges  shall  go  forth,  and  shall  measure  towards  the 
cities  which  are  round  about  h\m  who  is  ihrust  through;  it  shall 
be,  at  the  city  nearest  unto  him  xoho  is  thrust  through,  the  elders 
of  that  city  shall  take  a  heifer,  which  hath  clone  no  labour, 
which  hath  not  drawn  in  the  yoke,  and  shall  lead  it  down  to  a 
river  or  valley,  and  shall  there  strike  off  the  heifer's  neck ;  .  .  . 
and  they  shall  wash  their  hands  over  the  heifer  whose  neck  is 
stricken  off,  and  shall  say,  Our  hands  have  not  shed  blood,  and 
our  eyes  have  not  seen ;  expiate  thy  people  Israel,  O  Jehovah, 
neither  lay  innocent  blood  in  the  midst  of  thy  people.  And  the 
blood  shall  be  purged  from  them,"  Deut.  xxi.  1  to  8.  That 
these  laws  were  enacted,  because  by  one  that  is  thrust  through 
is  signified  the  perversion,  destruction,  and  profanation  of  the 
truth  of  the  church  by  the  false  and  evil,  is  manifest  from  every 
single  thing  contained  therein  in  the  internal  sense;  mention  is 
made  of  him  that  is  thrust  through  lying  in  a  field,  because  by 
a  field  is  signified  the  church,  see  n.  2971,  3310,  3766 ;  by  the 
heifer,  whereby  no  labour  has  been  done,  is  signified  the  inno- 
cence of  the  external  man,  which  consists  in  ignorance.  If  these 
things  were  not  made  known  from  the  internal  sense,  it  must 
needs  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  every  one,  that  such  an  expia- 
tory process  should  have  been  commanded. 

4504.  "  Because  they  had  defiled  their  sister." — That  here- 
by is  signified  that  they  polluted  the  truth  of  faith,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  defiling,  as  denoting  to  pollute;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  sister,  as  denoting  truth,  see  n. 
1495,  2508,  2524,  2556,  3386,  in  the  present  case  the  truth  of 
faith,  because  by  Dinah,  who  is  here  the  sister,  is  signified  the 
affection  of  all  things  of  faith,  n.  4427.  The  reason  why  by 
Shechem  polluting  their  sister,  is  signified  that  they  defiled  the 
truth  of  faith,  is,  because  by  her  is  represented  the  affection  of 
all  truths,  thus  the  church  itself,  n.  3963,  3964;  and  whereas 
she  was  not  given  by  her  brethren  to  Shechem  for  a  wife,  but 
remained  polluted  amongst  them,  therefore  afterwards  the  op- 
posite principle  was  represented  by  her,  as  by  her  brethren, 


4504—4511.]  GENESIS.  185 

viz.,  the  affection  of  all  falses,  thus  the  church  corrupted.  Hence 
it  is,  that  by  defiling  their  sister,  is  signified  that  they  defiled 
the  truth  of  faith. 

4505.  Ver.  28.  "  Their  flocks  and  their  herds."— That  here- 
by is  signitied  that  they  destroyed  rational  and  natural  good, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  oijlocks,  as  denoting  rational 
good,  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  herds,  as  denoting  natural 
good,  see  n.  25G5. 

4506.  "And  their  asses." — That  hereby  are  signified  truths 
thence  derived,  viz.,  from  natural  and  rational  good,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  asses  [he-asses],  also  of  the  colts  of  a 
she-ass,  and  likewise  of  mules,  as  denoting  truth  of  the  natural 
and  rational  principle,  see  n.  2781. 

4507.  "And  whatsoever  was  in  the  city,  and  whatsoevex 
was  in  the  field,  they  took."— That  hereby  is  signified  every 
truth  and  good  of  the  church,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  city,  as  denoting  doctrinal,  thus  the  truth  of  the  church,  see 
i).  402,  2268,  2449,  2712,  2943,  3216,  4492,  4493  ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  field,  as  denoting  the-  church  as  to  good, 
thus  the  good  of  the  church,  see  n.  2971,  3310,  3766,  4440, 
4443.  Hence,  whatsoever  was  in  the  city,  and  whatsoever  was 
in  the  field,  denotes  every  truth  and  good  of  the  church. 

4508.  Ver.  29.  "And  all  their  wealth."— That  hereby  is 
signified  all  the  scientifics  which  they  acquired  to  themselves, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  wealth,  as  denoting  scientifics, 
as  may  be  manifest  from  several  passages  in  the  Word.  Spir- 
itual wealth,  or  wealth  understood  in  a  spiritual  sense,  is  no- 
thing else ;  it  consists  of  scientifics,  so  far  as  they  are  known, 
which,  in  the  Lord's  kingdom,  consequently  in  the  church,  are 
instead  of  wealth ;  as  will  be  elsewhere  confirmed  from  the 
Word,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord. 

4509.  "  And  every  infant  of  theirs." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied all  innocence,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  infant, 
as  denoting  innocence,  see  n.  430,  2126,  3183. 

4510.  "  And  their  females." — That  hereby  is  signified  char- 
ity, appeal's  from  the  signification  of  females,  of  women,  and  of 
wives,  as  denoting  the  affections  of  truth  and  of  good ;  the  af- 
fections of  truth  when  mention  is  made  of  a  conjugial  partner 
and  of  a  husband  ;  and  the  affections  of  good  when  no  mention 
is  made  of  a  conjugial  partner,  but  of  a  man  (vir),  see  n.  915, 
1468,  2517,  3236.  In  the  present  case  the  affections  of  good, 
because  the  females  were  those  of  the  men  of  the  city,  by  whom 
truths  were  signified,  n.  4478  ;  and  the  city  is  every  where 
called  Shechem's,  by  whom  was  represented  the  truth  of  the 
church  amongst  the  ancients,  n.  4454.  The  affection  of  spir- 
itual good  is  the  same  as  charity,  therefore  charity  is  here  rep- 
resented by  the  females. 

4511.  "They  took  captive  and  spoiled." — That  hereby  ;s 


136 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


signified  that  they  deprived  and  perverted  them,  appears  from 
the  series  of  the  tilings  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense. 

4512.  "  And  all  that  was  in  the  house." — That  hereby  is 
signified  every  thing  of  the  church,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  house,  as  denoting  the  church  as  to  good,  see  n.  1795, 
3720,  thus  every  thing  of  the  church ;  it  is  by  reason  of  this 
signification,  that  it  is  named  last. 

4513.  Verses  30,  31.  And  Jacob  said  to  Simeon  and  Levi, 
ITe  have  troubled  me,  to  make  me  to  stink  to  the  inhabitant  of 
the  land,  the  Canaanite  and  the  Perizzite  /  and  I  {am)  mor- 
tals of  number  /  and  they  will  gather  themselves  together 
against  me,  and  will  smite  me,  and  I  shall  be  destroyed,  and 
my  house.  And  they  said,  Shall  he  make  our  sister  as  a  har- 
lot? And  Jacob  said,  signifies  the  ancient  external  church: 
to  Simeon  and  Levi,  signifies  the  representative  of  spiritual 
and  celestial  things :  Ye  have  troubled  me,  to  make  me  to 
stink  to  the  inhabitant  of  the  land,  signifies  that  they  who 
were  of  the  ancient  church  would  abominate :  the  Canaanite 
and  the  Perizzite,  signifies  who  were  in  good  and  truth  *  and 
I  (am)  mortals  of  number,  signifies  easily  :  and  they  will  gather 
themselves  together  against  me,  and  smite  me,  and  I  shall  be 
destroyed,  signifies  that  thereby  the  ancient  church  would  per- 
ish :  I  and  my  house,  signifies  as  to  truth  and  good :  and  they 
said,  signifies  reply :  Shall  he  make  our  sister  as  a  harlot?  sig- 
nifies that  they  had  no  affection. 

4514.  Ver.  30.  "  And  Jacob  said." — That  hereby  is  signified 
the  ancient  external  church,  appears  from  the  representation 
of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  ancient  church,  see  n.  4439 ;  and 
whereas  the  ancient  church,  like  every  other  church,  was  exter- 
nal and  internal,  the  external  church  is  represented  in  the  Word 
by  Jacob,  and  the  internal  by  Israel. 

4515.  "  To  Simeon  and  Levi." — That  hereby  is  signified  the 
representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  representation  of  Simeon,  as  denoting  faith,  but  in  the  op- 
posite sense,  the  false  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Levi, 
as  denoting  love,  but  in  the  opposite  sense,  evil,  see  n.  4497, 
4502,  4503;  in  the  present  case  therefore  the  representative 
of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  because  the  tilings  of  faith  are 
called  spiritual,,  and  the  things  of  love  celestial.  It  is  said 
that  Simeon  and  Levi  signify  the  representative  of  those  things, 
because  to  represent  them  is  not  to  be  them ;  for  repesenta- 
tions  do  not  respect  the  person,  but  the  thing,  n.  665,  1097; 
thus  it  was  unimportant  what  the  quality  of  the  person  was 
who  represented,  n.  3670.  That  the  representative  of  a  church 
might  have  been  instituted  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  of 
whatsoever  quality  they  were,  provided  they  had  strictly  ob- 
served the  statutes  in  the  external  form,  see  n.  3147,  4206, 
4281,  4293,  4311,  4444  ;  hence  it  is  that  by  Simeon  and  Levi 


4512—4519.] 


GENESIS. 


187 


is  here  signified  the  representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial 
things. 

4516.  "  Ye  have  troubled  me,  to  make  me  to  stink  to  the  in- 
habitant of  the  land." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they  who 
'were  of  the  ancient  church  would  abominate,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  troubling  me  to  malce  me  to  stink,  as  denoting 
to  cause  them  to  abominate  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
the  inhabitant  of  the  land,  as  here  denoting  those  who  were  of 
the  ancient  church ;  for  by  land  is  signified  the  church,  n.  566, 
662,  1066,  1068,  1262,  1733,  1850,  2117,  2118,  2928,  3355, 
4447  ;  thus  by  the  inhabitant  of  the  land,  are  signified  those 
who  were  of  the  church,  in  the  present  case  of  the  ancient 
church,  because  this  yet  remained  with  some  nations  in  the 
land  of  Canaan.  The  representative  of  a  church  was  not  insti- 
tuted amongst  the  people  descended  from  Jacob,  until  this 
ancient  church  had  altogether  perished  ;  which  is  also  signified 
by  this  circumstance,  that  the  posterity  descended  from  Jacob 
were  not  admitted  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  until  the  iniquity 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  was  consummated,  Gen.  xv.  16  ; 
for  no  new  church  is  begun  to  be  established,  until  the  former 
has  been  vastated. 

4517.  "The  Canaanite  and  the  Perizzite." — That  hereby  are 
signified  they  who  are  in  good  and  truth,  appears  from  the  sig- 
nification of  Canaanite,  as  here  denoting  those  who  are  in  the 
good  of  the  church ;  and  of  the  Perizzite,  as  denoting  those 
who  are  in  the  truth  of  the  church.  The  Canaanite  and  the 
Perizzite  have  this  signification,  because  as  yet  the  ancient 
church  was  there  amongst  them,  as  was  said  above,  n.  4516 ; 
for  there  were  in  that  land  they  who  were  of  the  most  ancient 
church,  see  n.  4447,  4454 ;  and  there  were  they  who  were  of 
the  ancient  church,  especially  of  that  which  Avas  called  the 
Hebrtean  church,  wherefore  they  who  were  from  the  land  of 
Canaan  were  in  general  called  Hebrews  (Gen.  xl.  15),  and 
they  also  had  altars  and  sacrificed;  on  which  account,  after 
they  became  idolaters,  it  was  so  often  commanded  that  their 
altars  should  be  destroyed.  So  long,  therefore,  as  the  church 
or  any  thing  of  the  church  remained  amongst  them,  the  good 
of  the  church  is  signified  by  Canaanite,  and  the  truth  of  the 
church  by  Perizzite ;  but  when  every  thing  of  the  church  was 
consummated  amongst  them,  then  by  Canaanite  was  signified 
evil,  and  by  Perizzite,  the  false,  n.  1573,  1574. 

4518.  "And  I  (am)  mortals  of  number." — That  hereby  is 
signified  easily,  appears  from  the  signification  of  mortals  of 
number,  as  denoting  few ;  but  when  quality  instead  of  quantity 
is  meant  in  the  internal  sense  according  to  the  series,  then  is 
signified  easily  ;  for  a  few  are  easily  destroyed,  when  many  are 
gathered  together  against  them,  as  it  follows. 

4519.  "And  they  will  gather  themselves  together  againn 


188 


GENESIS. 


[Chat,  xxxiv. 


me,  and  will  smite  me,  and  I  shall  be  destroyed." — That  here- 
by is  signified  that  thus  the  ancient  church  would  perish, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  gathering  together,  being  smit' 
ten  and  destroyed,  as  denoting  to  perish.  The  reason  why  the 
ancient  church  is  meant,  is,  because  Jacob  says  these  things  of 
himself  and  of  his  house ;  that  Jacob  in  this  case  is  the  ancient 
church,  see  above,  n.  4514. 

4520.  "  I  and  my  house." — That  hereby  is  signified  as  to 
truth  and  good,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Jacob, 
who  in  this  case  is  I,  as  denoting  the  church,  specifically  the 
church  as  to  truth,  as  may  be  concluded  from  what,  has  been 
shown  concerning  the  representation  of  Jacob,  in  n.  3305,  3509, 
3525,  3546,  3576,  3599,  3775,  4234,  4337,  viz.,  that  he  repre- 
sents the  Lord  as  to  Divine  Natural  truth.  With  representa- 
tions, the  case  is  this  :  he  who  in  the  supreme  sense  represents 
the  Lord  as  to  Divine  truth  of  the  natural  principle,  also  repre- 
sents the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  as  to  Divine  truth  therein,  con- 
sequently the  church  as  to  truth,  for  they  correspond  ;  since  all 
truth  is  the  Lord's  in  His  kingdom  and  church.  (2.)  From  the 
signification  of  house,  as  denoting  the  church  as  to  good,  see  n. 
2233,  3720. 

4521.  Ver.  31.  "  And  they  said." — That  hereby  is  signified 
reply,  appears  without  explanation. 

4522.  "  Shall  he  make  our  sister  as  a  harlot?" — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  they  had  no  affection,  may  appear  from  the 
representation  of  Dinah,  after  she  was  defiled  and  made  as  a 
harlot,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  falses,  thus  the  church  cor- 
rupted ;  consequently  they  had  no  longer  any  affection  of  truth  ; 
see  n.  4540. 


CONTINUATION  OF  THE  CORRESPONDENCE  OF  THE  EYE  AND  OF 
LIGHT  WITH  THE  GRAND  MAN. 

4523.  EVERY  one,  who  knows  any  thing  of  the  air  and 
sound,  may  know  that  the  ear  is  altogether  formed  to  the  nature 
of  their  modifications,  and  thus,  as  to  its  corporeal  and  material 
principle,  corresponds  thereto  •  he,  also,  who  has  imbibed  any 
thing  of  science  respecting  the  ether  and  light,  knows  that  the 
eye,  as  to  its  corporeal  and,  material  princwle,  is  formed  corre- 
spondently  to  their  modifications  :  and  this  in  such  a  sort,  that 
whatsoever  secret  properties  are  hidden  in  the  nature  of  air  and 
sound,  and  in  that  of  ether  and  light,  are  respectively  inscribed 
on  the  organism  of  the  ear  and,  of  the  eye.  Consequently,  he 
who  is  skilled  in  anatomy  and  at  the  same  time  tn  physics, 
may  know  by  diligent,  search,  that  not  only  the  organs  of  sense, 
but  also  the  organs  of  motion,  and  likexoise  all  the  viscera,  as  to 


4520—4625.]  GENESIS.  189 

their  corporeal  and  material  parts,  correspond  to  those  things 
which  are  in  the  nature  of  the  world  y  and  thus  that  the  whole 
bod;/  is  an  organ  composed  of  the  most  concealed  things  of  all 
th  at  are  in  the  nature  of  the  world,  and  according  to  their  secret 
powers  of  acting  and  wonderful  modes  of  flowing.  Hence  it  is, 
that  man  zoas  called  by  the  ancients  a  little  world  or  microcosm. 
He  who  is  acquainted  with  these  things  may  also  know,  that 
whatsoever  is  tn  the  world  and  its  nature,  does  not  exist  from 
itself,  but  from  something  prior  to  itself;  and  that  this  prior 
thing  cannot  exist  from  itself,  but  from  that  which  is  prior  to 
itself,  and  so  on  even  to  the  f  irst,  from  Whom  the  things  which 
follow  exist  in  order  y  and  because  they  thence  exist,  they  also 
thence  subsist,  for  subsistence  is  perpetual  existence.  Hence  it 
follows,  that  all  things,  and  each  of  them,  even  to  the  ultimates 
of  nature,  not  only  existed  from  the  First,  but  also  subsist  from 
thence;  for  unless  they  perpetually  existed,  and  unless  there  was 
a  continual  connection  from,  and  thereby  with,  the  First,  they 
would  in  a  moment  fall  to  pieces  and  perish. 

4524.  JVow  whereas  all  and  each  of  the  things  which  are  in 
the  world  and  its  nature,  exist  and  perpetually  exist,  that  is, 
subsist,  from  things  prior  to  themselves,  it  follows  that  they  exist 
and  subsist  from  a  world  which  is  above  nature,  and  which  is 
called  the  Spiritual  World y  and  since  there  must  be  a  continual 
connection  with  that  world,  in  order  that  they  may  subsist  or 
perpetually  exist,  it  follows  that  the  purer  or  interior  things  in 
nature,  and  consequently  those  in  man,  are  from  thence  y  also, 
that  the  purer  or  interior  things  are  such  forms  as  can  receive 
influx.  And  whereas  there  can  only  be  one  single  fountain  of 
life,  as  in  nature  there  is  but  one  single  fountain  of  light  and 
heat,  it  is  evident  that  all  life  is  from  the  Lord,  Who  is  the  First 
of  life  y  and  this  being  the  case,  that  all  and  each  of  the  things 
in  the  spiritual  world,  consequently  all  things  in  man,  corre- 
spond to  Him,  for  man  is  a  little  spiritual  world  in  its  least 
effigy.   Hence  also  the  spiritual  man  is  an  image  of  the  Lord. 

4525.  From  these  considerations  it  is  evident  that  there  is  a 
correspondence  of  all  things  with  the  spiritual  world,  especially 
in  man,  and  that  without  such  a  correspondence  he  cannot  sub- 
sist a  moment  y  for  without  correspondence  nothing  would  be 
continued  from  the  very  Esse  of  life,  that  is,  from  the  Lord  ; 
thus  it  woidd  be  unconnected,  and  what  is  unconnected  is  dissi- 
pated as  a  thing  of  nought.  The  reason  why  correspondence  is 
more  immediate  and  thence  closer  in  man,  is  because  he  was 
created  to  apply  to  himself  life  from  the  Lord,  and  hence  into 
the  ability,  that  as  to  his  thoughts  and  affections  he  can  be  ele- 
vated by  the  Lord  above  the  natural  world,  and  thence  think 
about  God,  and  be  affected  with  the  Divine,  and  thereby  be  con- 
joined to  LLim  y  which  is  not  the  case  with  the  animals  of  the 
earth  y  and  they  who  are  capable  of  thus  being  conjoined  to 


190 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


the  Divine,  do  not  die  when  corporeal  things,  which  are  of  the 
world,  are  separated  ;  for  the  interior  things  remain  conjoint  d. 

4526.  As  to  the  co despondence  of  the  sight  of  th  e  eye,  which 
was  begun  to  he  treated  of  at  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapter, 
it  is  to  be  noted  that  its  correspondence  is  with  the  things  apper- 
taining to  the  understanding j  for  the  understanding  is  intk  rnal 
sight,  and  this  internal  sight  is  in  a  light  which  is  above  the 
light  of  the  world.  The  reason  why  man  can  procure  to  himself 
intelligence  through  those  things  which  appear  to  him  in  the 
light  of  the  world,  is,  because  a  superior  light,  which  is  the  light 
of  heaven,  flows  into  the  objects  that  are  from  the  light  of  the 
world,  and  causes  them  to  appear  representativdy  and  corrc- 
spondently.  For  the  light,  which  is  above  the  light  of  the  world, 
proceeds  from  the  Lord,  Who  illuminates  the  universal  heaven  • 
the  essential  intelligence  and  wisdom,  which  is  from  the  Lord, 
appeal's  there  as  light :  this  light  it  is  which  constitutes  the  un- 
derstanding or  interned  sight  of  man  '  when  itfiows-in  through 
the  und>  rstanding  into  the  objects  which  are  from  the  light  of 
the  world,  it  causes  them  to  appear  representatively  and  corrc- 
spondently,  and  thus  intellectually.  And  whereas  the  sight  of 
the  eye,  in  the  natural  world,  corresponds  to  the  sight  of  the 
understanding 'in  the  spiritual  world,  therefore  the  former  sight 
corresponds  to  the  truths  of  faith,  these  being  [constituent]  of 
genuine  understanding,  for  truths  constitute  all  the  understand- 
ing of  man,  inasmuch  as  all  thought  is  employed  in  determining 
whether  a  thing  be  so  or  notj  that  is,  whether  it  be  true  or  not 
true.  That  the  sight  of  the  eye  corresponds  to  the  truths  and 
goods  of  faith,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  4410. 

4527.  /  have  discoursed  with  some  within  a  few  days  after 
their  decease,  and  because  they  were  at  that  time  but  recently 
come  into  the  world  of  spirits,  they  were  in  a  degree  of  light 
therein  which  differed  but  little  in  their  sight  from  the  light  of 
the  world ;  and  vihercas  the  light  had  such  an  appea/rancc  to 
them,  they  doubted  whether  they  had  light  from  any  other  source. 
They  ivere  therefore  taken  up  into  the  first  limit  of  heaven,  where 
the  light  was  shll  brighter,  and  from  thence  they  discoursed  with 
me,  saying  that  they  had  never  before  seen  such  a  light ;  and 
this  vms  done  when  the  sun  was  already  set.  They  then  expressed 
their  surprise,  that  spirits  had  eyes  by  which  they  saw,  when  yet 
in  the  life  of  the  body  they  believed'  that  the  life  of  spirits  loos 
merely  thought,  and  this  abstractedly  without  a  subject,  because 
they  had  not  been  able  to  think  of  any  subject  of  thought,  as  they 
had  not  seen  any:  this  being  the  case,  they  had  perceived  no 
otherwise  at  that  time,  than  that  it  ivas  dissipated,  together  with 
the  body  in  which  it  was,  as  being  mere  thought  alone  ;  in  the 
same  way  as  any  air  or  fire  would  be  dissipated,  unless  if  was 
miracidously  to  be  kept  together  and  subsist  from  the  Lord  ; 
and  they  saw  then  how  easily  the  learned  may  fall  into  error 


4526,  4527.] 


GENESIS. 


191 


concerning  the  life  after  death  ,'and  have  less  belief  than  the  rest 
of  mankind  in  things  which  they  do  not  see.  They  were  there- 
fore surprised  now  to  find  that  they  had  not  only  thought,  but 
also  sight,  and  the  rest  of  the  senses  }  and  especially  thai  they 
appear  to  themselves  altogether  as  men,  that  they  mutually  see 
and  hear  each  other,  discourse  together,  feel  their  own  members 
by  the  touch,  and  this  more  exquisitely  than  in  the  life  of  the 
body.  Hence  they  were  amazed  that  man  is  altogether  ignorant 
of  this,  during  his  life  in  the  world;  and  they  pitied  the  human 
race,  because  they  know  nothing  of  such  things,  inasmuch  as 
they  believe  nothing,  and  more  especially  they  who  are  in  su- 
perior light,  viz.,  they  who  are  within  the  church,  and  have 
the  Word.  Some  of  them  had  believed  no  otherwise,  than  that 
m,en  after  death  would  be  like  phantoms  ;  in  which  opinion 
they  had  confirmed  themselves  f  rom  the  spectres  of  which  they 
had  been  told  ;  but  hence  they  had  drawn,  no  other  conclusion, 
than  that  a  spectre  toas  some  gross  vital  principle,  which  at  first 
is  exhaled  from  the  life  of  the  body,  but  falls  back  again  to  the 
carcass,  and  is  thereby  extinguished.  But  some  had  believed 
that  they  were  first  to  rise  again  at  the  time  of  the  last  judg- 
ment, when  the  world  toas  to  perish,  and  that  they  should  then, 
rise  again  with  the  body,  which,  though  fallen  into  dust,  would 
be  collected  together,  and  thus  they  would  rise  again  with  bone 
and  flesh  ;  and  whereas  mankind  have  for  several  ages  in  vain 
expected  that  last  judgment  or  destruction  of  the  world,  they 
have  fallen  into  the  error  that  they  should  never  rise  again  : 
thinking  nothing  of  that  which  they  have  learnt  from  the  Word, 
and  from  which  they  have  also  occasionally  so  expressed  them- 
selves in  discourse,  that  when  man  dies,  his  soul  is  in  the  hand 
of  God,,  amongst  the  happy  or  unhappy,  according  to  the  life  to 
which  he  had  accustomed  himself  y  neither  thinking  at  ail  of 
what  the  Lord  said  concerning  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus.  But 
they  were  instructed  that  every  one's  last  judgment  is  when  he 
dies,  and  that  then  he  appears  to  himself  endowed  with  a  body 
as  in  the  world,  an  d  to  enjoy  the  exercise  of  every  sense  as  in  the 
world;  but  more  pure  and  exquisite,  inasmuch  as  no  hinder- 
ance  arises  from  corporeal  things,  and  the  things  appertaining 
to  the  light  of  the  world  do  not  overshadow  those  which  apper- 
tain to  the  light  of  heaven;  thus  that  they  are  hi  a  body  as  it  were 
purified  ;  and  that  after  death,  the  body  cannot  possibly  par- 
take of  bony  and  fleshy  substances,  such  as  it  had  in  the  world, 
because  this  would  be  to  be  again  encompassed  with  terrestrial 
dust.  L  discoxirsed  on  this  subject  with  some  on  the  same  day 
that  their  bodies  were  entombed,  who  saw  through  my  eyes  their 
own  carcass,  the  bier,  and  the  ceremony  of  burial ;  and  they 
said,  that  they  reject  that  carcass,  it  having  served  them  for  uses 
in  the  world  in  which  they  had  been,  and  that  they  now  live  in 
a  body  which  serves  them  for  uses  in  the  world  in  which  they 


192 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


noio  are.  They  ivere  also  desirous  that  I  should  tell  this  fact  to 
their  relations  who  were  in  mourning  f  out  it  was  given  me  to 
reply,  that  if  I  should  tell  them,  they  would  mock  at  it,  because 
vjhat  they  cannot  themselves  see  with  their  own  eyes,  they  believe 
to  be  nothing  j  and  thus  they  would  reckon  the  information 
amongst  illusory  visions.  For  they  cannot  be  brought  to  believe, 
that  as  men  see  each  other  with  their  eyes,  so  spirits  see  each 
other  toith  theirs  /  or  that  man  can  see  spirits  with  the  eyes  of 
his  spirit,  and  that  he  sees  them  when  the  Lord  opens  the  inter- 
nal sight,  as  was  the  case  with  the  prophets,  who  saw  spirits  and 
angels,  and  several  objects  of  heaven  also.  Whether  they  who 
live  at  this  day  would  have  believed  those  things,  if  they  had 
lived  at  that  time,  there  is  room  to  doubt. 

4528.  The  eye,  or  rather  its  sight,  corresponds  especially  to 
those  societies  in  the  other  life  which  are  in jxiradisiaeal  scenery  / 
these  appear  above  in  front,  a  little  to  the  right,  where  there  are 
presented  gardens  in  living  view,  with  trees  and  flowers  of  so 
many  genera  and  species,  that  those  which  grow  throughout  the 
whole  earth  bear  but  a  small  proportion  to  them  in  number.  In 
each  single  object  contained  in  those  paradises,  there  is  some- 
thing of  intelligence  and  wisdom  which  beams  forth  /  so  that 
you  would  say,  that  the  inhabitants  dwell  together  in  paradises 
of  intelligence  and  wisdom  /  these  principles  are  what  affect  tin 
inhabitants  from  the  interiors,  and  thereby  not  only  gladden  the 
sight,  but  the  understanding  also  at  the  same  time.  This  para- 
disiacal scenery  is  in  the  first  heaven,  in  the  very  entrance  to 
the  interiors  of  that  heaven:  it  consists  of  representatives  which 
descend  from  the  superior  heaven,  when  the  angels  of  the  supe- 
rior heaven  discourse  intellectually  with  each  other  about  the 
truths  of  faith.  The  discourse  of  the  angels  in  that  heaven  is 
effected  by  spiritual  and  celestial  ideas,  which  to  them  are  forms 
of  expressions,  and  continually  by  series  of  representations  of 
such  beauty  and  pleasantness,  as  it  is  impossible  to  express  ; 
these  beauties  and  pleasantnesses  of  their  discourse  are  what  are 
represented  as  paradisiacal  things  in  the  inferior  heaven.  This 
heaven  is  distinguished  into  several  heavens,  to  which  all  the 
things  in  the  cameras  of  the  eye  correspond  ;  there  is  a  heaven 
in  which  are  the  paradisiacal  gardens  spoken  of  above  y  there  is 
a  heaven  in  which  are  atmospheres  oj  different  colours,  where 
the  universal  aura  glitters  as  if  it  consisted  of  gold,  silver, 
pearls,  precious  stones,  flowers  in  their  least  forms,  and  of  in- 
numerable things  besides  /  there  is  a  rainbow-heavi  n,  where  are 
most  beautiful  rainbows  great  and  small,  variegated  with  most 
splendid  colours.  Each  of  these  things  exists  by  the  light  from 
Die  Lord,  in  which  is  intelligence  and  wisdom  ;  hence  there  is 
in  every  single  object  of  that  heaven  somewhat  of  the  intelligence 
of  truth  and  of  the  wisdom  of  good,  which  is  thus  representa- 
tively exhibited.    They  who  have  not  had  any  idea  concerning 


4528,  4529.] 


GENESIS. 


193 


heaven,  nor  concerning  the  light  therein,  can  hardly  he  brought 
to  believb  that  such  things  are  there  ;  wherefore  if  they  who 
bring  this  incredulity  with  them  into  the  other  life,  have  been 
principled  in  the  truth  and  good  of  faith,  they  are  conveyed  by 
the  angels  into  those  things,  and  when  they  see  them,  they  are 
astonished.  Concerning  paradisiacal  scenery,  atmospheres,  and 
rainbows,  see  v)hat  was  said  above  from  experience,  n.  1619  to 
1G26,  2290,  3220;  and  that  in  the  heavens  there  are  continual 
representations,  n.  1807,  1808,  1971,  1980,  1981,  2299,  2763, 
3213,  3216,  3217,  3218,  3222,  3350,  3475,  3485. 

4529.  A  certain  person  who  had  been  distinguished  in  the 
learned  -world,  and  held  in  high  reputation  for  his  skill  in  the 
science  of  botany,  after  his  decease  was  informed  in  the  other 
life,  that  flowers  and  trees  are  there  also  presented  to  the  view  ; 
at  this  he  vms  amazed,  and  as  it  had  been  the  delight  of  his  life, 
he  was  inflamed  with  a  desire  of  seeing  -whether  it  was  so.  He 
was  therefore  taken,  up  into  paradisiacal  scenes,  where  he  saw 
most  beautiful  shrubberies  and  exquisite  flower-gardens  of  im- 
mense extent',  and  as  he  then  came  into  the  ardour  of  his  delight 
from  affection,  it  was  allowed  him  to  wander  through  the  plain, 
and  not  only  to  see  them  singly,  but  also  to  gather  them  and  bring 
them  close  to  his  eye,  and  to  examine  whether  the  case  was  so. 
He  entered,  into  discourse  with  me  from  thence,  and  said  that 
heretofore  he  did  not  at  all  believe  this,  and  that  if  in  the  world 
they  had  heard,  of  such  things,  they  should  have  accounted  them, 
paradoxes  I  and  he  further  related,  that  in  those  scenes  there  are 
vegetable  flowers  in  immense  abundance,  such  as  were  never  seen 
in  the  world,  and  scarcely  comprehensible  by  any  worldly  per- 
ception, and  that  each  glitters  by  reason  of  an  i?icomprehe?isible 
splendour,  because  they  are  from  the  light  of  heaven.  He  could 
not  as  yet  perceive  that  the  glittering  was  from  a  spiritual 
origin,  viz.,  that  in  each  there  was  something  of  intelligence  and 
wisdom,  relating  to  truth  and  good,  from  which  -principles  the 
glitter  was  derived.  He  said  further,  that  the  men  of  the  earth 
would  in  nowise  believe  this,  because  there  are  but  few  who  believe 
that  there  is  any  heaven  and  hell  •  and  they  who  believe  only 
know  that  in  heaven  there  is  joy,  and  few  amongst  them  know 
that  there  are  in  heaven  such  things  as  the  eye  has  never  seen, 
nor  the  ear  heard,  and-  of  which  the  mind  has  never  been  able  to 
form  any  conception  /  and  this,  notwithstanding  they  know 
from  the  Word,  that  stupendous  things  were  seen  by  the  pro- 
phets,  and  several  were  seen  by  John,  cos  related  in  the  Apoca- 
lypse y  which  howevr  were  nothing  but  representatives  which 
continually  exist  in  heaven,  and  which  appeared  when  the 
internal  sight  was  opened  to  him.  But  these  things  are  respect- 
ively of  small  account  •  they  v)ho  are  principled  in  the  intelli- 
gence and  wisdom  in  which  those  things  originate,  are  in  such  a 
state  of  happiness,  that  the  things  mentioned  above  are  esteemed 
VOL.  v.  13 


191 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxiv. 


by  them  as  of  but  little  importance.  Some  also,  ivho.  whilst  in 
the  paradisiacal  scenery,  had  said  that  it  exceeded  every  degree 
of  happiness,  were  on  that  account  taken  up  into  a  heaven  more 
towards  the  right,  which  shone  with  still  greater  brightness,  and 
at  length  to  that  in  which  the  blessed  principle  of  intelligence 
and  wisaom  contained  in  such  scenery  was  likewise  perceived  ; 
and  when  they  were  in  that  heaven,  entering  into  discourse  with 
me,  they  said  that  what  they  had  before  seen  was  respectively 
as  nothing.  At  length  they  were  taken  up  to  that  heaven  where, 
on  account  of  the  satisfaction  derived  from  interior  affection, 
they  could  scarcely  subsist  y  for  it  penetrated  into  the  medulla- 
ries,  which  being  as  it  were  melted  thereby,  they  began  to  fall 
into  a  holy  swoon. 

1530.  Colours  are  also  seen  in  the  other  life,  which  in  splen- 
dour and  brilliancy  so  far  exceed  the  brightness  of  colours  in  the 
world,  thai  they  scarcely  admit  of  any  comparison  .  They  origi- 
nate in  the  variegation  of  light  and  shade  in  the  other  life  •  and 
as  in  that  life  it  is  intelligence  and  wisdom  from  the  Lord, 
which  appears  as  light  before  the  eyes  of  angels  and  spirits, 
and  at  the  same  time  inwardly  illuminates  their  understanding, 
therefore  colours  in  the  other  life  are  in  their  essence  the  varia- 
tions or  modifications  of  intelligence  and  wisdom.  In  the  other 
life,  colours  {not  only  those  with  xcliich  the  flowers  are  decorated, 
the  atmospheres  illustrated,  and  the  rainboios  varied,  but  those 
also  which  are  exhibited  discrete  in  other  forms)  have  been  so 
often  seen  by  me,  that  it  would  be  scarcely  possible  to  enumerate 
all  the  different  times:  they  derive  their  splendour  from  the 
truth  of  intelligence,  and  their  brilliancy  from  the  good  of  wis- 
dom, and  the  colours  themselves  are  from  the  bright  white  and 
obscurity  of  those  principles ;  thus  they  are  from  light  and 
shade,  like  colourings  in  the  world.  Hence  it  is  that  the  colours 
mentioned  in  the  Word,  as  the  colours  of  the  precious  stones  in 
Aaron's  breast-plate,  upon  the  garments  of  his  sanctity \  in  the 
curtains  of  the  tent  where  the  ark  was,  and  those  in  the  stones 
of  the  foundation  of  the  J¥ew  Jerusalem  described  by  John  in 
the  Apocalypse,  ana  elsewhere,  represented  such  things  as  relate 
to  intelligence  and  wisdom.  But  what  each  of  them  represents, 
by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  will  be  shown  in  the  explana- 
tions. In  general,  so  far  as  colours  in  the  other  life  partake  of 
splendour,  and  are  derived  from  bright  white,  so  far  they  are 
derived  from  the  truth  of  intelligence  ;  and  so  far  as  they  par- 
take of  brilliancy  and  are  derived  frompu>ple,sofar  they  are 
derived  from  the  good  of  wisdom.  Those  which  hence  d<  rim 
their  origin,  belong  also  to  the  provinces  of  the  eyes. 

1531.  Inasmuch  ax  it  is  intelligence  and  wisdom  from  the 
Lord,  which  appears  as  light  in  heave?),  and  the  angels  are  hence 
called  angels  of  light,  so  folly  and  insanity,  which  originate  in 
the  prop rium,  reign  in  hell,  and  hence  its  inhabitants  take  their 


4530—1533.] 


GENESIS. 


195 


name  from  darkness  /  in  hell  indeed  there  is  not  darkness,  hut  an 
obscure  and  gloomy  light,  like  that  which  proceeds  from  a  coal 
fire,  in  which  they  see  each  other,  otherwise  they  would  not  be 
able  to  live.  This  light  has  its  rise  with  them  from  the  light 
of  heaven,  which  undergoes  such  a  change,  when  it  falls  into 
their  wild  notions,  that  is,  into  falsities  and  lust.  The  Lord  is 
evi  ry  where  present  with  light,  even  in  the  hells,  otherwise  the 
inhabitants  would  not  have  any  facidty  of  thinking  and  thence 
of  speaking  ;  but  it  is  made  light  according  to  reception.  This 
infernal  light  is  what  is  called  in  the  Word  the  shadow  of 
death,  and  is  compared  to  darkness  ;  it  is  also  turned  to  them 
into  darkness,  when  they  approach  the  light  of  heaven,  and  when 
th<  1/  are  in  darkness  they  are  in  infatuation  and  stupidity. 
Hence  it  may  be  manifest,  that  as  light  corresponds  to  truth,  so 
darkness  corresponds  to  the  false'',  and  that  they  who  are  in 
falses,  are  said  to  be  in  blindness. 

4532.  '  They  who  believe  that  of  themselves  they  understand 
good  and  truth,  and  thence  trust  to  themselves  alone,  and  there- 
by suppose  themselves  wiser  than  all  others,  when  yet  they  are  in 
ignorance  of  good  and  truth,  especially  they  who  are  not  willing 
to  understand  good  and  truth,  and  thence  are  in  falses,  are  some- 
times in  the  other  life  let  into  a  state  of  darkness  ;  and  when  they 
are  in  it,  they  discourse  foolishly ,  for  they  are  in  stupidity.  It 
has  been  told  me,  that  there  are  several  such  spirits,  and  amongst 
them  those  who  believed  themselves  to  be  established  in  the  greatest 
light,  and  likewise  appeared  so  to  others. 

4533.  Amongst  the  wonderful  things  which  exist  in  the  other 
life,  this  also  is  one,  that  when  the  angels  of  heaven  look  into 
evil  spirits,  these  latter  have  altogether  another  appearance  tint  a. 
when  seen  amongst  themselves.  When  the  evil  sjnrits  and  gen  ii 
are  amongst  themselves,  and  in  their  infatuated  light,  such  as  is 
derived  from  a  coal  fire,  as  was  said  above,  they  appear  to  them- 
selves in  a  human  form,  and  also  according  to  their  phantasies, 
not  without  beauty  /  but  when  the  same  spirits  are  looked  into 
by  the  angels  of  heaven,  that  light  is  instantly  dissipated,  and 
they  appear  with  entirely  different  faces,  each  according  to  his 
genius  ;  some  dusky  and  black  as  devils,  some  with  pale  ghastly 
faces  like  carcasses,  some  almost  %oithout  a  face,  and  in  its  place 
something  hairy,  some  like  grates  of  teeth,  some  like  skeletons  • 
and  what  is  more  wonderful,  some  like  monsters,  the  deceitful 
like  serpents,  and  the  most  deceitful  like  vipers,  and  others  in 
different  forms.  But  as  soon  as  the  angels  remove  their  sight 
from  them,  they  appear  in  their  former  form,  which  they  have 
in  their  own  light.  The  angels  look  into  the  wicked,  as  often  as 
they  observe  that  they  struggle  to  rise  out  of  their  hells  into  the 
world  of  spirits,  with  a  view  to  do  mischief  to  others  ;  hence 
they  are  detected  and  cast  back  again.  Angelic  sight  has  in  h 
such  efficacy,  because  there  is  a  correspondence  between  intellec- 


196  GEXESIS.  [Chap.  XXXV 

tual  and  ocular  sight  /  hence  there  is  in  the  sight  of  the  angels 
a  perspicacity,  whereby  the  infernal  light  is  dissipated,  and  the 
infernals  appeal'  in  such  a  form  and  genius  as  they  really  are. 

4534.  The  subject  of  the  Grand  Man  and  correspondence 
will  be  continued  at  the  close  of  the  following  chapter. 


GENESIS. 

CHAPTER  THE  THIRTY-FIFTH. 


4535.  AS  a  preface  to  the  preceding  chapters  from  chap, 
xxvi.  unto  this,  an  explanation  has  been  given  of  what  the  Lord 
had  foretold  concerning  His  coming,  or  concerning  the  con- 
summation of  the  age,  and  it  was  therein  frequently  shown, 
that  by  His  coming,  or  the  consummation  of  the  age,  is  sig- 
nified the  last  time  of  the  church,  which  in  the  Word  is 
also  called  the  Last  Judgment.  They  who  do  not  see  beyond 
the  literal  sense,  cannot  know  any  other  than  that  the  last 
judgment  is  the  destruction  of  the  world;  and  this  especially 
from  the  Apocalypse,  where  it  is  said  that  "John  saw  a  new 
Jteaven  and  a  new  earth,  for  the  former  heaven  and  the  former 
earth  were  passed  away  ;  and  there  was  no  longer  a  sea." 
Moreover,  that  he  "  saw  the  holy  city,  the  ISTew  Jerusalem,  com- 
ing down  from  God  out  of  heaven,"  xxxi.  1,  2.  And  also  from 
the  prophecies  of  Isaiah,  where  similar  words  occur,  "  Behold, 
I  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  j  therefore  the  former 
shall  not  be  mentioned,  nor  come  upon  the  heart.  Be  ye  glad 
and  exult  for  ever  in  that  which  I  create.  Behold,  I  am  about 
to  create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicing,  and  her  people  a  joy,"  lxv. 
17,  18  ;  lxvi.  22.  They  who  do  not  see  beyond  the  literal 
sense,  have  no  other  conception  than  that  the  universal  heaven 
with  this  earth  is  to  fall  into  nothing,  and  that  then  first  the 
dead  will  rise  again,  and  will  dwell  in  the  new  heaven  and 
upon  the  new  earth ;  but  that  in  these  passages  the  Word  is 
not  so  to  be  understood,  may  appear  from  several  other  pas- 
sages therein,  where  mention  is  made  of  heavens  and  earths. 
They  who  have  any  faith  respecting  the  internal  sense,  can  see 
manifestly,  that  by  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  is  meant  a 
new  church,  which  succeeds  when  the  former  passes  away,  see 
n.  1733,  1850,  3355,  and  that  heaven  is  its  internal,  and  earth 
its  external.  This  last  time  of  a  former  church,  and  first  of  a 
new  church,  is  what  is  also  called  the  consummation  of  the 


4534,  4535.] 


GENESIS. 


197 


age  (of  which  the  Lord  spake  in  Matthew,  chap,  xxiv.),  and 
iiis  coming,  for  then  the  Lord  recedes  from  the  former  church, 
and  comes  to  the  new.  That  the  consummation  of  the  age  has 
this  meaning,  may  appear  also  from  other  passages  in  the 
Word,  as  in  Isaiah,  "  In  that  day  the  remains  shall  return,  the 
remains  of  Jacob  unto  the  powerful  God  ;  for  although  thy  peo- 
ple Israel  be  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  remains  shall  return  out  of 
them  ;  consummation  defined,  justice  inundated  ;  for  the  Lord 
Jehovih  Zebaoth  maketh  consummation  and  definition  in  the 
whole  land"  x.  21,  22,  23.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  Now 
therefore  be  ye  not  mockers,  lest  perhaps  your  punishments  pre- 
vail, because  I  have  heard  a  consummation  and  decision  from 
the  Lord  Jehovih  Zebaoth  upon  the  whole  earth"  xxviii.  22. 
And  in  Jeremiah,  "Thus  haul  Jehovah  said,  The  whole  land 
shall  be  a  desolation,  yet  will  I  not  make  a  consummation"  iv. 
27.  And  in  Zephaniah,  "  I  will  reduce  men  to  distress,  and  they 
shall  walk  like  blind  men,  because  they  have  sinned  against 
Jehovah,  and  their  blood  shall  be  poured  out  as  dust,  and  their 
flesh  as  dung;  .  .  .  because  Jehovah  will  make  even  a  speedy 
consummation  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land"  i.  17,  18.  In 
these  passages,  consummation  is  the  last  time  of  the  church, 
and  the  land  is  the  church,  as  is  evident  from  each  of  the  things 
contained  therein.  The  reason  why  the  land  denotes  the  church, 
is,  because  the  land  of  Canaan  was  the  country  wherein  the 
church  was  from  the  most  ancient  times,  and  afterwards  the 
representative  of  the  church  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob: 
when  this  land  or  earth  is  said  to  be  consummated,  it  is  not  the 
nation  therein  which  is  meant,  but  the  holy  priniple  of  wor- 
ship prevailing  with  the  nation  where  the  church  is ;  for  the 
Word  is  spiritual,  and  the  earth  itself  is  not  spiritual,  neither 
the  nation  dwelling  in  it,  but  that  which  is  of  the  church.  That 
the  land  of  Canaan  was  the  place  where  the  church  was  from 
the  most  ancient  times,  may  be  seen  in  n.  563,  3686,  4447,  4454, 
4516,  4517  ;  and  this  being  the  case,  by  land  or  earth  in  the 
Word  is  signified  the  church,  n.  566,  662,  1066,  1068,  1262, 
3355,  4447;  hence  it  is  evident  what  is  meant  in  Isaiah  by  mak- 
ing a  consummation  in  the  whole  land ;  and  in  Zephaniah,  by 
a  speedy  consummation  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land :  that 
the  Jewish  nation,  which  was  the  inhabitant  of  that  land,  was 
not  consummated,  but  that  the  holy  principle  of  worship  amongst 
them  was  consummated,  is  a  known  thing.  That  this  is  the 
meaning  of  consummation,  is  still  more  evident  in  Daniel,  "  Sev- 
enty weeks  are  decided  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  thy  city  of 
holiness,  to  consummate  prevarication,  and  to  seal  up  sins,  and 
to  expiate  iniquity,  and  to  bring  the  justice  of  the  age,  and 
to  seal  up  the  vision  and  the  prophet,  and  to  anoint  the  holy 
of  holies.  ...  In  the  midst  of  the  week  he  shall  cause  the  sacri- 
fice and  the  oblation  to  cease.    At  length  upon  the  bird  of  des 


198 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


olations  sliall  be  desolation,  and  even  to  the  consummation  and 
decision,  it  shall  drop  upon  the  devastation,"  ix.  24,  27.  Hence 
now  it  may  be  seen,  that  by  the  consummation  of  the  age,  con- 
cerning which  the  disciples  said  to  the  Lord,  "What  is  the  sign 
of  thy  coming,  and  of  the  consummation  of  the  age?"  xxiv.  3, 
nothing  else  is  signified  than  the  last  time  of  the  church ;  and 
also  by  these  words  of  the  Lord,  which  are  the  last  in  the  same 
evangelist,  "  Jesiis  said  to  the  disciples,  Teaching  keep  ye  all 
things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you ;  and  lo !  I  am  with 
you  always,  even  unto  the  consummation  of  the  age"  xxviii. 
20 ;  it  is  said  by  the  Lord  that  He  would  be  with  His  disciples 
even  unto  the  consummation  of  the  age,  because  similar  things 
are  signified  by  the  Lord's  twelve  disciples  as  by  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel,  viz.,  all  the  things  of  love  and  faith,  consequent- 
ly all  things  of  the  church,  see  n.  3354,  3488,  3858 ;  that  these 
things  are  signified  by  the  twelve  tribes,  see  n.  3858,  3926,  3939, 
4060.  That  the  consummation  of  the  church  is  when  there  is 
no  longer  any  charity  therein,  and  consequently  no  longer  any 
faith,  has  been  occasionally  shown  before.  That  in  this  church, 
which  is  called  Christian,  there  is  scarcely  any  thing  of  charity, 
and  consequently  of  faith  remaining,  thus  that  the  consumma- 
tion of  its  age  is  now  at  hand,  will,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the 
Lord,  be  shown  in  the  following  pages. 


1.  AND  God  said  unto  Jacob,  Arise,  go  up  to  Bethel,  and 
tarry  there ;  and  make  there  an  altar  unto  the  God  who  ap- 
peared unto  thee,  when  thou  fleddest  from  before  Esau  thy 


2.  And  Jacob  said  unto  his  household,  and  to  all  who  were 
with  him,  Put  away  the  gods  of  the  stranger  which  are  in  the 
midst  of  you,  and  be  ye  purified,  and  change  your  garments: 

3.  And  let  us  arise,  and  go  up  to  Bethel;  and  I  will  mako 
there  an  altar  unto  God  who  answered  me  in  the  clay  of  my 
distress,  and  was  with  me  in  the  way  which  I  walked. 

4.  And  they  gave  unto  Jacob  ail  the  gods  of  the  stranger 
which  were  in  their  hand,  and  the  ear-rings  which  were  in  their 
cars ;  and  Jacob  hid  them  under  the  oak  which  is  near  She- 
chem. 

5.  And  they  journeyed :  and  the  terror  of  God  was  upon 
the  cities  which  were  round  about  them,  and  they  did  not  pur- 
sue after  the  sons  of  Jacob. 

6.  And  Jacob  came  to  Luz,  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaar 
(this  is  Bethel),  he  and  all  the  people  which  were  with  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


4535.] 


GENESIS. 


199 


7.  And  lie  built  there  an  altar,  and  called  the  place  El- 
bethel  ;  because  there  the  gods  were  revealed  unto  him,  when 
he  tied  from  before  his  brother. 

8.  And  Deborah  the  nurse  of  Rebekah  died,  and  was  buried 
from  beneath  Bethel  under  an  oak :  and  he  called  the  name 
thereof  Allon- b ac hu th . 

9.  And  God  appeared  unto  Jacob  again,  when  he  came  out 
of  Fadan-aram,  and  blessed  him. 

10.  And  God  said  unto  him,  Thy  name  is  Jacob  :  thy  name 
shall  no  longer  be  called  Jacob,  but  Israel  shall  be  thy  name  _ 
and  he  called  his  name  Israel. 

11.  And  God  said  unto  him,  I  am  God  Schaddai ;  be  fruit- 
ful and  multiply:  a  nation,  and  a  company  of  nations,  shall  bs 
from  thee,  and  kings  shall  come  forth  from  thy  loins : 

12.  And  the  land,  which  I  gave  to  Abraham  and  Isaac,  to 
thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee  will  I  give  the 
land. 

13.  And  God  went  up  from  above  him,  in  the  place  in 
which  he  spake  with  him. 

14.  And  Jacob  set  a  statue  in  the  place  in  which  he  spake 
with  him,  a  statue  of  stone ;  and  he  offered  upon  it  a  drink- 
offering,  and  poured  oil  upon  it. 

15.  And  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place  where  God 
spake  with  him,  Bethel. 

16.  And  they  journeyed  from  Bethel :  and  there  was  yet  a 
tract  of  land  to  come  to  Ephrath :  and  Rachel  travailed,  and 
she  suffered  hard  things  in  her  labour. 

17.  And  it  came  to  pass,  in  her  suffering  hard  things  in 
her  labour,  that  the  midwife  said  unto  her,  Fear  not ;  for  thou 
hast  this  son  also. 

18.  And  it  came  to  pass,  in  her  soul  going  forth,  that  she 
was  about  to  die ;  and  she  called  his  name  Benoni :  but  his 
father  called  him  Benjamin. 

19.  And  Rachel  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  way  to  Eph- 
rath, this  is  Bethlehem. 

20.  And  Jacob  set  a  statue  over  her  grave  :  this  is  the  statue 
of  Rachel's  grave,  even  to  this  day. 

21.  And  Israel  journeyed,  and  spread  his  tent  from  beyond 
the  tower  Eder. 

22.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Israel  dwelt  in  this  land, 
that  Reuben  went  and  lay  with  Bilhah  his  father's  concubine : 
and  Israel  heard  it.    And  the  sons  of  Jacob  were  twelve. 

23.  The  sons  of  Leah ;  Reuben,  Jacob's  first  born,  and 
Simeon,  and  Levi,  and  Judah,  and  Issachar,  and  Zebulun. 

24.  The  sons  of  Rachel;  Joseph,  and  Benjamin. 

25.  And  the  sons  of  Bilhah,  Rachel's  handmaid ;  Dan,  and 
Naphtali. 

26.  And  the  sons  of  Zilrah,  Leah's  handmaid;  Gad,  and 


200 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


Asher.  These  are  the  sons  of  Jacob,  which  were  born  to  him 
in  Padan-aram. 

27.  And  Jacob  came  nnto  Isaac  his  father,  nnto  Mamrc 
Kiriath  Arba,  this  is  Hebron,  where  Abraham  and  Isaac  so- 
journed. 

28.  And  the  days  of  Isaac  were  an  hundred  years  and  eighty 
years. 

29.  And  Isaac  expired  and  died,  and  was  gathered  to  his 
people,  old  and  full  of  days ;  and  his  sons  Esau  and  Jacob 
buried  him. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

4536.  THE  subject  treated  of  in  this  chapter  in  the  internal 
sense  is,  that  the  remainder  in  the  Lord's  Natural  principle  was 
made  Divine.  The  interior  things  of  the  Natural  principle, 
which  were  made  Divine,  are  here  Israel.  The  progress  towards 
things  still  more  inward,  where  the  Rational  principle  is,  is 
described  by  the  birth  of  Benjamin ;  and  next  by  the  coming 
of  the  sons  of  Jacob  to  Isaac. 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

4537.  VERSES  1,  2,  3,  4.  And  God  said  unto  Jacob,  A?'ise, 
go  up  to  Bethel,  and  tarry  there :  and  make  there  an  altar  unto 
the  God  who  appeared  unto  thee,  when  thou  fleddest  from  before 
Emu  thy  brother.  And  Jacob  said  unto  his  household,  and  to 
all  who  were  with  him,  Put  away  the  gods  of  the  stranger  xchich 
are  in  the  midst  of  you,  and  be  ye  purified,  and  change  your 
garments:  and  let  us  arise  and  go  up  to  Bethel:  and  I  xcill 
make  there  an  altar  unto  God,  who  answered  me  in  the  day  of 
my  distress,  and  was  with  me  in  the  way  which  I  walked.  A  nd 
they  gave  unto  Jacob  all  the  gods  of  the  stranger  which  icere  in 
their  hand,  and  the  ear-rings  which  were  in  their  cars ;  and 
Jacob  hid  them  under  the  oak  which  is  near  Shcchem.  And 
God  said  unto  Jacob,  signifies  the  natural  principle's  percep- 
tion of  good,  such  as  Jacob  now  is,  from  the  Divine  principle: 
Arise,  go  up  to  Bethel,  signifies  respecting  the  Divine  Natu- 
ral principle :  and  tarry  there,  signifies  lite  :  and  make  there 
an  altar  unto  the  God  who  appeared  unto  thee,  signifies  a 
holy  principle  there :  when  thou  fleddest  from  before  Esau  thy 
brother,  signifies  when  tiuth  was  preferred  to  good:  and  Jacob 


4536—4538.] 


GENESIS. 


201 


said  unto  his  hcmseliold,  and  to  all  who  were  with  him,  signi- 
fies arrangement  in  natural  good,  such  as  it  then  was  :  Put 
away  the  gods  of  the  stranger  w  hich  are  in  the  midst  of  you, 
signifies  that  falses  should  be  rejected:  and  be  ye  purified,  and 
change  your  garments,  signifies  holiness  to  be  put  on:  and  let 
us  arise,  and  "'o  up  to  Bethel,  signifies  the  Divine  Natural 
principle :  and  I  will  make  there  an  altar  unto  God,  signifies  the 
holy  principle  in  which  interior  things  terminate:  who  answered 
me  in  the  day  of  my  distress,  signifies  in  the  state  of  preference 
of  truth  above  good  :  and  was  with  me  in  the  way  which  I 
walked,  signifies  His  Divine  Providence :  and  they  gave  unto 
Jacob  all  the  gods  of  the  stranger  which  were  in  their  hand, 
signifies  that  he  rejected  all  falses  as  much  as  possible:  and 
the  ear-rings  which  were  in  their  ears,  signifies  tilings  actual : 
and  Jacob  hid  them  under  the  oak  which  is  near  Shechem,  sig- 
nifies eternal  rejection  ;  the  oak  near  Shechem  is  the  fallacious 
natural  principle. 

4538.  Ver.  1.  "And  God  said  unto  Jacob."— That  hereby 
is  signified  the  natural  principle's  perception  of  good,  such  as 
Jacol)  now  is,  from  the  Divine  principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  saying,  in  the  historical  of  the  Word,  as  denot- 
ing to  perceive,  see  n.  1602,  1791,  1815,  1822, 1898, 1919,  2061, 
2080,  2238,  2260,  2619,  2862,  3395,  3509;  hence  it  is  that  by 
"  God  said,"  is  denoted  perception  from  the  Divine  principle  ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Jacob,  as  here  denoting,  in 
the  supreme  sense,  the  Lord  as  to  natural  good.  In  the  preced- 
ing pages  it  has  been  shown  what  Jacob  represents  in  the 
Word  ;  and  as  he  represents  various  things,  it  may  be  expe- 
dient briefly  to  show  how  the  case  is.  In  the  supreme  sense, 
-Jacob  in  general  represents  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle ; 
but  whereas,  when  the  Lord  glorified  His  Natural  principle, 
it  was  otherwise  in  the  beginning  than  in  the  progress  and 
end,  therefore  Jacob  represented  various  things ;  viz.,  in  the 
beginning,  the  Lord's  Natural  principle  as  to  truth  ;  in  the  pro- 
gress, the  Lord's  Natural  principle  as  to  the  good  of  truth ;  and 
in  the  end,  as  to  good.  For  the  Lord's  glorification  proceeded 
from  truth  to  the  good  of  truth,  and  finally  to  good,  which  has 
been  frequently  shown  in  the  foregoing  pages.  Now,  inasmuch 
as  it  is  in  the  end,  Jacob  represents  the  Lord  as  to  natural 
good ;  see  what  has  been  shown  above  on  this  subject,  viz., 
that  Jacob,  in  the  supreme  sense,  represents  the  Lord's  Divine 
Natural  principle  ;  in  the  beginning  as  to  truth,  n.  3305,  3509, 
3525,  3546,  3576,  3599;  in  the  progress,  the  Lord's  Divine 
Natural  principle  as  to  the  good  of  truth,  n.  3659,  3669,  3677, 
4234,  4273,  4337 ;  the  reason  why  he  now  represents  the  Lord's 
Divine  Natural  principle  as  to  good,  is,  because  now  it  is  in 
the  end,  as  was  observed.  The  above  process  took  place  when 
the  Lord  made  His  Natural  principle  Divine ;  a  similar  process 


202 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxx^ 


also  takes  place  when  the  Lord  regenerates  man  ;  for  it  pleased 
the  Lord  to  make  His  Human  principle  Divine  in  that  order 
by  which  He  makes  man  new ;  hence  it  has  occasionally  been 
said,  that  the  regeneration  of  man  is  an  image  of  the  glorifica- 
tion of  the  Lord,  n.  3138,  3212,  3296,  3190,  4402.  When  the 
Lord  makes  man  new,  He  first  instructs  him  in  the  truths  of 
faith  ;  for  without  these  truths  he  does  not  know  what  the  Lord 
is,  what  heaven  is,  and  what  hell,  nor  even  that  they  exist ;  still 
less  does  he  know  the  innumerable  things  relating  to  the  Lord, 
to  His  kingdom  in  heaven,  and  to  His  kingdom  on  earth,  that 
is,  in  the  church ;  also  what  and  of  what  quality  are  the  things 
of  hell,  which  are  opposite  to  these.  Before  he  acquires  this 
knoAviedge,  he  cannot  know  what  good  is ;  by  good  is  not  meant 
civil  and  moral  good,  for  these  are  learnt  in  the  world  by  laws 
and  statutes,  and  by  reflections  on  the  manners  of  men ;  whence 
it  is,  that  the  nations,  which  are  out  of  the  church,  also  know 
such  things  ;  but  by  good  is  meant  spiritual  good,  which  in  the 
Word  is  called  charity,  and  in  general  consists  in  willing  and 
doing  good  to  another,  without  any  view  to  self,  but  from  the 
delight  of  affection.  This  good  is  spiritual  good  ;  which  it  is 
impossible  for  any  man  to  attain  except  through  the  truths  of 
faith,  which  are  taught  by  the  Lord  through  the  Word  and  its 
discourses.  When  man  has  been  instructed  in  the  truths  of 
faith,  he  is  next  led  by  the  Lord  gradually  to  will  truth ;  and 
from  willing,  to  do  it:  this  truth  is  called  the  good  of  truth  ; 
for  the  good  of  truth  is  truth  in  will  and  act,  and  it  is  so  called, 
because  truth,  which  was  of  doctrine,  becomes  in  this  case  truth 
of  the  life.  At  length,  when  man  perceives  a  delight  in  willing 
good,  and  thence  in  doing  it,  it  is  no  longer  called  the  good  of 
truth,  but  good  ;  for  in  this  case  the  man  is  regenerated,  and 
no  more  wills  and  does  good  from  truth,  but  truth  from  good, 
and  the  truth  which  he  then  does  is  also  as  it  were  good :  for  it 
takes  its  essence  from  its  origin,  which  is  good.  From  these 
considerations  it  is  evident  how  and  whence  Jacob,  in  the  su- 
preme sense,  represents  the  Lord's  Natural  principle  as  to 
good.  The  reason  why  Jacob  here  represents  this  good,  is,  be- 
cause now  in  the  internal  sense  a  further  progression  is  treated 
of,  viz.,  towards  the  interior  things  of  the  natural  principle, 
which  are  Israel,  see  n.  453G.  No  one,  who  is  regenerated  of 
the  Lord,  can  be  brought  to  interior  things,  until  the  truth  ap- 
pertaining to  him  is  made  good. 

4539.  "  Arise,  go  up  to  Bethel." — That  hereby  is  signified 
respecting  the  Divine  Natural  principle  (viz.,  perception),  ap- 
pears (l.j  from  the  signification  of  arising,  as  involving  eleva- 
tion, see  n.  2401,  2785,  2912,  2927,  3171,  4103;  in  the  present 
case  elevation  of  the  natural  principle  to  the  Divine  ;  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  going  up,  as  denoting  towards  more  interior 
things,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently  ;  and  (3.)  from  the 


4539.] 


GENESIS. 


203 


signification  of  Bethel,  as  denoting  the  Divine  in  the  natiu-;  I 
principle,  or  in  the  ultimate  of  order,  see  n.  4089.  In  the  ori- 
ginal tongue,  Bethel  signifies  the  house  of  God,  and  as  the 
house  of  God  is  where  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  are, 
therefore  by  Bethel,  in  the  proximate  sense,  are  signified  those 
knowledges  ;  as  was  shown  above,  n.  1453.  But  as  interior 
things  terminate  and  are  bounded  in  the  ultimates  of  order, 
and  are  together  there,  and  cohabit  as  in  one  house,  and  as  the 
natural  principle  appertaining  to  man  is  the  ultimate  with  him, 
in  which  interior  things  terminate,  therefore  by  Bethel  or  the 
house  of  God  is  properly  signified  the  natural  principle  (n. 
3729,  4089),  and  indeed  the  good  in  that  principle,  for  house, 
in  the  internal  sense,  is  good,  see  n.  2233,  3720,  3729  ;  know- 
ledges also  are  in  the  natural  principle,  or  in  the  ultimate  of 
order.  The  reason  why  to  go  up  denotes  towards  interior  things, 
is,  because  interior  things  are  what  are  called  superior,  n.  2148 
therefore  when  progress  towards  interior  things  is  treated  of  in 
the  internal  sense,  mention  is  made  of  going  up,  as  from  Egypt 
to  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  in  the  land  of  Canaan  itself  to  the 
interiors  of  the  land,  and  in  the  interiors  from  all  sides  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  in  Jerusalem  to  the  house  of  God  therein.  From 
Egypt  to  the  land  of  Canaan,  in  Moses,  "Pharaoh  said  to 
Joseph,  Go  up  and  bury  thy  father ;  .  .  .  and  Joseph  went  up 
.  .  .  and  with  him  went  up  all  the  servants  of  Pharaoh,  and 
there  went  up  with  him  chariots  and  horsemen,"  Gen.  1.  6  to  9 ; 
and  in  the  book  of  Judges,  "The  angel  of  Jehovah  went  up 
from  Gilgal  to  Bochim,  and  said,  /  make  you  to  go  up  out  of 
Egypt,"  ii.  1 ;  for  by  Egypt,  in  the  internal  sense,  is  signified 
the  scientific  principle,  which  is  to  serve  for  receiving  the  things 
of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  by  the  land  of  Canaan  is  signified 
the  Lord's  kingdom;  and  whereas  scientifics  are  inferior  things, 
or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  exterior,  and  the  things  of  the  Lord's 
kingdom  are  superior,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  interior, 
therefore  it  is  said  to  go  up  from  Egypt  to  the  land  of  Canaan ; 
and  on  the  other  hand  to  go  down  from  the  land  of  Canaan  to 
Egypt,  as  in  Gen.  xlii.  2,  3;  xliii.  4,  5,  15,  and  in  other  places. 
In  the  land  of  Canaan  itself,  to  its  interiors,  in  Joshua,  "  Joshua 
said,  Go  ye  up  and  explore  the  land.  And  the  men  went  up  and 
explored  Ai ;  and  they  returned  to  Joshua,  and  said  unto  him, 
Let  not  all  the  people  go  up  •  let  there  go  up  about  two  thousand 
men,  or  about  three  thousand  men.  Wherefore  there  went  up 
of  the  people  about  three  thousand  men,"  vii.  2,  3,  4;  inasmuch 
as  the  land  of  Canaan  signifies  the  Lord's  kingdom,  therefore 
those  places,  which  were  more  remote  from  the  ultimate  bound- 
aries, signified  interior  things  ;  hence  mention  is  here  made  of 
going  up.  In  like  manner  from  the  places  around  about  in  all 
directions  to  Jerusalem  ;  and  in  Jerusalem  to  the  house  of  God, 
1  Kings  xii.  27,  28 ;  2  Kings  xx.  5,  8 ;  Matt.  xx.  18 ;  Mark  x.  33  \ 


204 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


Luke  xviii.  31,  and  frequently  in  other  places ;  for  Jerusalem 
was  the  inmost  of  the  land,  because  by  it  was  signified  the 
Lord's  spiritual  kingdom ;  and  the  house  of  God  was  the  inmost 
of  Jerusalem,  because  by  it  was  signified  the  Lord's  celestial 
kingdom,  and  in  the  supreme  sense  the  Lord  Himself:  hence 
mention  is  made  of  going  up  to  them.  From  these  considera- 
tions it  is  evident  what  is  signified  by  arising  and  going  up  to 
Bethel ;  viz.,  by  going  up,  is  signified  progression  towards  inte- 
rior things,  which  progression  is  treated  of  in  this  chapter,  n.  4536. 

4540.  "  And  tarry  there." — That  hereby  is  signified  life, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  tarrying,  or  dwelling,  as  denot- 
ing life,  see  n.  1293,  3384,  3613,  4451. 

4541.  "  And  make  there  an  altar  unto  the  God  who  appeared 
unto  thee." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  holy  principle  there, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  altar,  as  being  the  principal 
representative  of  the  Lord,  see  n.  921,  2777,  2811,  4489  ;  and 
this  being  the  case,  the  holy  principle  of  worship  is  signified 
by  making  an  altar  unto  God. 

4542.  "  When  thou  fleddest  from  before  Esau  thy  brother." 
-That  hereby  is  signified  when  truth  was  preferred  to  good, 

appears  from  the  representation  of  Esau,  as  denoting  the  Divine 
Good  of  the  Divine  Natural  principle  of  the  Lord  ;  see  n.  3322, 
3394,  3504,  3576,  3599.  That  it  denotes  when  truth  was  pre- 
ferred to  good,  may  appear  from  what  was  explained  concern- 
ing Jacob,  when  he  fled  before  Esau,  Gen.  xxvii. ;  for  the  cause 
of  the  flight  was,  because  Jacob  took  away  the  primogeniture 
from  Esau  ;  by  which  is  signified,  that  truth  preferred  itself  to 
good,  for  Jacob  there  represents  the  truth  of  the  Lord's  Natural 
principle,  and  Esau  the  good  thereof.  The  reason  why  truth 
preferred  itself  to  good  was,  because  whilst  man  is  regener- 
ating, truth  is  apparently  in  the  first  place,  but  when  man  is 
regenerated,  good  is  in  the  prior  place  and  truth  in  the  poste- 
rior ;  concerning  which,  see  n.  3324,  3539,  354S,  3556,  3563, 
3570,  3576,  3603,  3610,  3701,  4243,  4244,  4247,  4337.  Hence 
it  is,  that  by  "  when  thou  fleddest  from  before  Esau  thy  bro- 
ther," is  signified  when  truth  was  preferred  to  good. 

4543.  Ver.  2.  "And  Jacob  said  unto  his  household,  and  to 
all  who  were  with  him." — That  hereby  is  signified  arrangement 
from  natural  good,  such  as  it  was  at  that  time,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  saying  unto  his  household,  and  to  all  who 
were  with  him,  as  denoting  arrangement ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  Jacob,  as  here  denoting  natural  good,  see 
above,  n.  4538.  The  reason  why  arrangement  is  denoted  by 
saying  to  his  house  and  to  all  who  were  with  him,  is,  because 
in' what  follows  in  the  internal  sense  the  arrangement  of  truths 
from  good  is  treated  of:  for  when  the  spiritual  good,  spoken 
of  above  (n.  4538),  begins  to  act  as  principal  in  the  natural 
mind,  it  arranges  into  order  the  truths  which  aro  there. 


4540—4545.] 


GENESIS. 


205 


4544.  "Put  away  the  gods  of  the  .stranger  which  are  in  the 
midst  of  you." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  falses  should  be 
rejected,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 'putting  away,  as 
denoting  to  reject ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  gods 
of  the  stranger,  as  denoting  falses ;  for  by  gods,  in  the  Word, 
are  signified  truths,  and  in  the  opposite  sense  falses,  n.  4402. 
They  were  called  strangers  who  were  out  of  the  church,  conse- 
quently who  were  in  falses  and  evils,  see  n.  2049,  2115 ;  hence 
the  gods  of  the  stranger  are  falses. 

4545.  "And  be  ye  purified,  and  change  your  garments." — ■ 
That  hereby  is  signified  holiness  to  be  put  on,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  being  purified,  or  cleansed,  as  denoting  to 
be  sanctified,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  changing  garments,  as  denoting  to  put  on; 
in  the  present  case  to  put  on  holy  truths;  for  by  garments,  in 
the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  are  signified  truths.  That 
changing  the  garments  was  a  representative  received  in  the 
church,  is  very  manifest ;  but  what  it  represented  no  one  can 
know,  unless  he  knows  what  garments  signify  in  the  internal 
sense ;  that  they  signify  truths,  may  be  seen  in  n.  2576.  In- 
asmuch as  the  subject  here  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense  is 
the  rejection  of  falses,  and  the  arrangement  of  truths  in  the 
natural  principle  from  good,  therefore  it  is  mentioned  that 
Jacob  commanded  that  they  should  change  their  garments. 
That  changing  the  garments  was  a  representative  that  holy 
truths  were  to  be  put  on,  may  also  appear  from  other  passages 
in  the  Word,  as  in  Isaiah,  "Awake,  awake,  O  Jerusalem,  put 
on  thy  strength,  O  Zion,  put  on  the  garments  of  thy  graceful- 
ness, O  Jerusalem,  the  holy  city,  for  henceforth  there  shall  no 
longer  come  into  thee  the  uncircumcised  and  unclean"  lii.  1. 
As  Zion  is  the  celestial  church,  and  Jerusalem  the  spiritual 
church,  and  the  celestial  church  is  in  good  from  love  to  the 
Lord,  and  the  spiritual  church  is  in  truth  from  faith  and  char- 
ity, therefore  strength  is  predicated  of  Zion,  and  garments  of 
Jerusalem  ;  and  that  thereby  they  should  be  clean.  So  in 
Zechariah,  "  Joshua  was  clothed  in  polluted  garments,  and  thus 
stood  before  the  angel ;  and  he  answered,  and  spake  unto  those 
that  stood  before  him,  saying,  Take  away  the  polluted  garments 
from  upon  him ;  and  he  said  to  him,  See,  I  have  caused  thine 
iniquity  to  pass  from  tipon  thee,  in  clothing  thee  with  change 
of  garments"  iii.  3,  4 ;  hence  also  it  is  manifest,  that  removing 
the  garments  and  putting  on  change  of  garments,  represented 
purification  from  falses,  for  it  is  said,  "  I  have  caused  thine  ini- 
quity to  pass  from  upon  thee."  It  was  also  on  this  account 
that  they  had  changeable  garments,  whereof  mention  is  made 
in  the  Word  throughout,  and  they  were  called  changeable, 
because  by  them  representations  were  presented.  Inasmuch 
as  such  things  were  represented  by  changes  of  garments,  there- 


206 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


fore  where  a  new  temple  is  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense  in 
Ezekiel  (by  which  a  new  church  is  signified),  it  is  said,  "  When 
the  priests  enter,  they  shall  not  go  out  of  the  holy  place  into 
the  outer  court,  but  they  shall  there  lay  aside  their  garments 
in  which  they  ministered,  because  they  are  holiness  ;  and  shall 
put  071  other  garments,  and  shall  approach  to  those  things  which 
are  for  the  people,"  xlii.  14.  And  again,  "  When  they  shall 
go  forth  into  the  outer  court  to  the  people,  they  shall  put  off 
their  garments  in  which  they  ministered,  and  shall  lay  them 
aside  in  the  chambers  of  holiness,  and  they  shall  put  on  other 
garments,  and  shall  sanctify  the  people  with  other  garments" 
xliv.  19.  Every  one  may  see  that  by  the  new  temple  and  by 
the  city  and  holy  land,  spoken  of  by  the  prophet  in  this  and  in 
the  preceding  and  subsequent  chapters,  is  not  meant  any  new 
temple,  nor  a  new  city  or  new  lane! ;  for  mention  is  made  of 
sacrifices  and  rituals  to  be  established  anew,  which  yet  were 
abrogated ;  mention  is  also  made  by  name  of  the  tribes  of 
Israel,  which  were  to  portion  out  the  land  into  inheritances 
amongst  them,  which  tribes,  however,  were  dispersed,  and 
never  returned.  Hence  it  is  manifest  that  by  the  rituals  there 
mentioned,  the  spiritual  and  celestial  things  appertaining  to 
the  church  are  signified ;  in  like  manner  as  by  the  change  of 
garments  when  Aaron  ministered,  thus  described  in  Moses, 
"When  he  is  about  to  make  a  burnt-offering,  he  shall  put  on 
his  clothing,  the  breeches  of  linen,  the  ashes  he  shall  place  near 
the  altar.  Afterwards  he  shall  put  off  his  garments,  and  put 
on  other  garments,  and  shall  carry  forth  the  ashes  into  a  clean 
place  out  of  the  camp,  and  thus  shall  make  a  bnrnt-offering," 
Levit.  vi.  9,  10,  11.  That  to  be  cleansed  denotes  to  be  sancti- 
fied, is  evident  from  the  cleansings  which  were  commanded,  as 
that  they  should  cleanse  their  flesh  and  their  garments,  and  be 
sprinkled  with  the  waters  of  separation.  Every  one  who  has 
any  knowledge  concerning  the  spiritual  man,  may  know  that 
no  one  is  sanctified  by  such  things  ;  for  what  have  iniquity  and 
sin  in  common  with  the  garments  with  which  man  is  clothed? 
And  yet  it  is  sometimes  said,  that  after  they  have  cleansed 
themselves,  they  should  be  holy  ;  hence  also  it  is  evident,  that 
the  rituals  enjoined  to  the  Israelites  had  no  other  source  of 
holiness  than  this,  that  they  represented  holy  things ;  conse- 
quently they  who  represented  were  not  hence  made  holy  as  to 
their  persons,  but  the  holiness  represented  abstractedly  from 
them  affected  the  spirits  attendant  upon  them,  and  thence  the 
angels  in  heaven,  see  n.  4307.  For  there  must  of  necessity  be 
a  communication  of  heaven  with  man,  in  order  that  mankind 
may  exist,  and  this  through  the  church  ;  otherwise  they  would 
become  as  beasts  without  internal  and  external  bonds,  and  thus 
would  rush  headlong  without  restraint  to  the  destruction  of 
each  other,  and  would  mutually  extinguish  each  other;  and  as 


4546-4550.] 


GENESIS. 


at  that  time  no  communication  could  be  given  through  any 
church,  it  was  provided  by  the  Lord  that  it  should  be  miracu- 
lously effected  by  representatives.  That  sanctification  was 
represented  by  the  ritual  of  washing  and  cleansing,  is  manifest 
from  several  passages  in  the  Word  ;  as  when  Jehovah  came 
down  upon  Mount"  Sinai,  He  said  to  Moses,  " Sanctify  them 
co-day  and  to-morrow,  and  let  them  wash  their  garments,  and 
be  ready  against  the  third  day,"  Exod.  xix.  10,  11.  And  in 
Ezekiel,  "I 'will  sprinkle  upon  you  clean  waters,  and  ye  shall 
be  cleansed  from  all  your  uncleanness,  and  I  %oill  cleanse  you 
from  all  your  idols,  and  I  will  give  you  a  new  heart,  and  I 
will  give  you  a  new  spirit  in  the  midst  of  you,"  xxxvi.  25,  26  ; 
where  it  is  manifest  that  the  sprinkling  clean  waters  repre- 
sented purification  of  the  heart,  thus  that  cleansing  denotes 
being  sanctified. 

4546.  Ver.  3.  "And  let  us  arise,  and  go  up  to  Bethel." — ■ 
That  hereby  is  signified  the  Divine  Natural  principle,  appears 
from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4539,  where  the  same  words 
occur. 

4547.  "And  I  will  make  there  an  altar  unto  God." — That 
hereby  is  signified  the  holy  principle  in  which  interior  things 
terminate,  appears  from  the  signification  of  making  an  altar 
unto  God,  as  denoting  the  holy  principle  of  worship,  see  above, 
n.  4541.  The  reason  why  it  is  said  that  interior  tilings  ter- 
minate therein,  is,  because  he  was  to  make  it  in  Bethel,  which 
i<  in  this  passage  denoted  by  there,  and  because  by  Bethel  is 
signified  the  natural  principle  in  which  interior  things  termi- 
nate ;  see  above,  n.  4539. 

4548.  "Who  answered  me  in  the  day  of  my  distress." — ■ 
That  hereby  is  signified  in  a  state  when  lie  preferred  truth  to 
good,  appears  from  the  signification  of  day,  as  denoting  state, 
see  n.  23,  487,  488,  493,  893,  2788,  3462,  3785 ;  that  by  the 
day  of  my  disfress  is  signified  the  state  when  he  preferred  truth 
to  good,  may  appear  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4542 ;  for 
the  day  of  distress  in  this  passage  involves  the  same  thing  as 
the  words  in  the  former  passage,  "When  thou  fleddest  from 
before  Esau  thy  brother." 

4549.  "And  was  with  me  in  the  way  which  I  walked." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  His  Divine  Providence,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  being  with  any  one  in  the  way  which  he 
walks,  when  predicated  of  the  Divine,  or  the  Lord,  as  denoting 
His  Divine  Providence;  for  to  provide  is  properly  to  be  at 
hand  to  any  one,  and  to  defend  from  evils. 

4550.  Ver.  4.  "And  they  gave  unto  Jacob  all  the  gods  of 
the  stranger  which  were  in  their  hand/' — That  hereby  is  sig 
nified  that  he  rejected  all  falses  as  much  as  possible,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  the  gods  of  the  stranger,  as  denot- 
ing falses,  see  n.  4544  ;  and  (2.)  fisom  the  signification  of  which 


208 


GENESIS 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


were  in  their  hand,  as  denoting  as  much  as  possible,  for  the 
hand  signifies  ability,  n.  878,  3387 ;  hence,  what  is  in  the  hand 
denotes  what  is  in  the  ability,  or  as  much  as  possible.  By  their 
giving  them  to  Jacob,  is  denoted  that  good  rejected  them ;  for 
in  this  chapter  by  Jacob  is  represented  the  good  of  the  natural 
principle,  n.  4538. 

4551.  "And  the  ear-rings  which  were  in  their  ears." — That 
hereby  are  signified  things  actual,*  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  ear-rings,  as  being  insignia  representative  of  obedience  ; 
because  the  ears  signify  obedience  (n.  2542,  3869),  and  the 
things  appertaining  to  obedience  are  things  actual,  for  to  obey 
involves  to  do  in  act ;  things  actual  are  here  predicated  of  the 
falses  which  were  to  be  rejected.  It  may  be  expedient  to  make 
a  few  observations  as  to  the  rejection  of  falses  even  actual, 
which  is  here  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense.  Before  man  comes 
to  good  through  regeneration  from  the  Lord,  and  from  good 
does  truth,  he  has  very  many  falses  mixed  with  truths,  for  he 
is  introduced  through  the  truths  of  faith,  concerning  which 
truths  he  had  in  his  first  age  no  other  ideas  than  those  of 
infancy  and  childhood  ;  and  as  these  ideas  exist  from  external 
things,  which  are  of  the  world,  and  from  sensual  things,  which 
are  of  the  body,  they  must  needs  be  amongst  fallacies,  and  con- 
secpiently  amongst  falses :  these  also  become  actual,  for  the 
things  which  a  man  believes,  he  likewise  does.  These  falses 
are  what  are  here  meant,  and  they  remain  with  man  until  he 
is  regenerated,  that  is,  until  he  acts  from  good ;  in  which  case 
good,  that  is,  the  Lord  through  good,  reduces  to  order  the 
truths  which  he  had  heretofore  imbibed ;  when  this  is  the  case, 
falses  are  separated  from  truths,  and  removed.  Man  is  alto- 
gether ignorant  of  these  things,  but  still  there  is  such  a  removal 
and  rejection  of  falses,  from  nis  first  childhood  even  to  his  last 
age ;  and  this  with  every  man,  but  especially  with  him  who  is 
regenerated :  yet  with  him  who  is  not  regenerated,  there  is  a 
similar  process,  for  when  he  becomes  an  adult,  and  his  judg- 
ment arrives  at  maturity,  he  regards  the  judgments  of  his 
childhood  as  trifling  and  ludicrous,  and  thereby  as  further 
removed  from  him.  But  the  difference  in  this  case  between 
the  regenerate  man  ami  the  unregenerate  is,  that  the  regener- 
ate man  regards  those  things  as  removed  from  him,  which  do 
not  agree  with  the  good  of  faith  and  charity,  whereas  the  unre- 
generate man  regards  those  things  as  removed  from  him,  which 
do  not  agree  with  the  delight  of  the  love  in  which  he  is  princi- 
pled ;  the  latter  therefore  for  the  most  part  regards  truths  as 
falses,  and  falses  as  truths.  As  to  the  ear-rings,  they  were  of 
two  sorts;  the  one  kind  were  applied  above  the  nose  to  the 
forehead,  and  the  other  to  the  ears ;  the  former  were  badges 

*  By  things  actual  are  meant  such  spiritual  principles  and  persuasions  as  are 
brought  into  act  or  deed. 


4551,  4552.] 


GENESIS. 


209 


representative  of  good,  and  are  called  rnonilia  (ornaments  of 
the  nose),  concerning  which  see  n.  3103 ;  but  the  latter  were 
badges  representative  of  obedience,  and  are  ear-rings ;  but  in 
the  original  tongue  they  are  expressed  by  the  same  term. 

4552T  "  And  "Jacob  hid  them  under  the  oak  which  is  near 
Shechem." — That  hereby  is  signitied  eternal  rejection,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  hiding,  as  denoting  to  reject  and 
to  bury  as  dead  things  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  under 
an  oak,  as  denoting  for  ever ;  for  as  the  oak  is  a  tree  which 
grows  to  the  greatest  age,  therefore  when  any  thing  was  hid 
under  it,  it  signitied  perpetually  ;  and  it  also  signitied  what 
was  perplexed,  and  moreover  fallacious  and  false,  since  the 
lowest  of  the  natural  principle  is  respectively  perplexed  and 
fallacious,  so  far  as  it  derives  its  scientific  and  pleasurable  prin- 
ciple from  the  sensual  things  of  the  body,  and  thus  from  falla- 
cies :  for  by  the  oak  is  specifically  signitied  the  lowest  of  the 
natural  principle,  consequently  in  a  good  sense  the  truths  and 
goods  therein,  and  in  an  opposite  sense  the  evils  and  falses. 
When  falses  are  removed  in  the  regenerate  man,  they  are  re- 
jected to  the  lowest  of  the  natural  principle ;  wherefore,  when 
seen  by  interior  sight,  as  is  the  case  when  man  becomes  of  mature 
and  clear  judgment,  and  especially  when  he  becomes  intelligent 
and  wise,  they  appear  further  removed;  for  truths,  in  the  regen- 
erate man,  are  in  the  inmost  of  his  natural  principle  near  the 
good,  which  is  there  like  a  little  sun  ;  the  truths,  dependent  on 
those  truths,  are  distant  thence  according  to  the  degrees  of  their 
consanguinity  and  affinity  with  the  good;  fallacious  truths  are 
towards  the  more  outward  peripheries,  and  falses  are  rejected 
to  the  outermost.  These  things  remain  for  ever  with  man,  but 
they  are  in  the  above  order  when  man  suffers  himself  to  be  led 
by  the  Lord,  for  that  order  is  celestial  order,  inasmuch  as  heaven 
itself  is  in  such  order.  But  when  man  does  not  suffer  himself 
to  be  led  by  the  Lord,  but  by  evil,  he  is  then  in  the  opposite 
order ;  in  which  case  evil  with  falses  is  in  the  midst,  truths  are 
rejected  to  the  peripheries,  and  the  very  essential  divine  truths 
to  the  ultimate  peripheries;  this  order  is  infernal,  for  in  such 
order  hell  is ;  the  outermost  peripheries  are  the  lowest  things 
of  the  natural  principle.  The  oak  denotes  the  lowest  things  of 
the  natural  principle,  because  in  the  ancient  church,  when  ex- 
ternal worship  was  representative  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  all 
trees  of  whatsoever  kind  signified  some  spiritual  or  celestial 
principle;  thus  the  olive  and  thence  oil  signitied  those  things 
which  are  of  celestial  love,  the  vine  and  thence  wine  those  of 
charity  and  of  faith  from  charity,  and  so  on  of  the  rest  of  the 
trees,  as  the  cedar,  the  fig-tree,  the  poplar,  the  beech,  and  the 
oak,  the  significations  of  which  have  been  shown  in  the  above 
explanations  throughout.  Hence  it  is  that  in  the  Word  such 
frequent  mention  is  made  of  them,  and  also  in  general  of  gar- 

vol.  v.  14 


210 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


dens,  grc  .  es,  and  forests,  and  that  worship  was  celebrated  there- 
in under  certain  trees;  but  inasmuch  as  that  worship  became 
idolatrouu,  and  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  amongst  whom  the  rep- 
resentative of  a  church  was  established,  was  prone  to  idolatry, 
and  in  consequence  thereof  placed  so  many  idols  therein,  there- 
fore they  were  forbidden  to  perform  worship  in  gardens  and 
groves ;  yet  still  the  trees  retained  their  signification.  Hence 
now  it  is,  that  not  only  the  more  noble  trees,  as  olives,  vines, 
and  cedars,  but  also  the  poplar,  beech,  and  oak,  are  significative, 
when  mentioned  in  the  Word,  each  as  in  the  ancient  church. 
That  in  a  good  sense,  oaks  signify  the  lowest  truths  and  goods  of 
the  natural  principle,  and  in  an  opposite  sense  falses  and  evils, 
appears  from  those  passages  in  the  "Word  (understood  in  the 
internal  sense)  where  mention  is  made  of  them ;  as  in  Isaiah, 
"  They  who  forsake  Jehovah  shall  be  consumed,  for  they  shall 
be  ashamed  of  the  oaks  which  ye  have  desired.  .  .  .  And  ye  shall 
be  as  an  oak  which  casteth  off  its  leaves,  and  as  a  garden  which 
hath  no  waters,"  i.  28,  29,  30.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet, 
"The  day  of  Jehovah  Zebaoth  is  upon  every  one,  proud  and 
low;  and  upon  all  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  and  upon  all  the  oaks 
of  JBashan,  ii.  12,  13;  every  one  may  know,  that  the  day  of 
Jehovah  shall  not  be  upon  cedars  and  oaks,  but  upon  those  who 
are  signified  by  them.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  He  who 
formeth  a  god,  heweth  him  down  cedars,  and  taketh  the  leech 
and  the  oak,  and  strengthened!  to  himself  in  the  trees  of  the 
forest,"  xliv.  11.  And  in  Ezekiel,  "Ye  shall  acknowledge  that 
I  am  Jehovah,  when  they  who  are  thrust  through  shall  be  in 
the  midst  of  their  idols  round  about  their  altars,  upon  every 
high  hill,  in  all  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  and  under  every  green 
tree,  and  under  every  entwisted  oak,  the  place  where  they  have 
given  an  odour  of  rest  to  all  their  idols,"  vi.  13 ;  for  the  ancients 
worshipped  upon  hills  and  mountains,  because  hills  and  moun- 
tains signitied  celestial  love ;  but  when  worship  was  performed 
by  idolaters,  as  in  the  present  case,  they  signify  the  love  of  self 
and  of  the  world,  n.  795,  796,  1430,  2722,  4210 ;  and  under 
trees,  because  they  were  significative  according  to  their  species, 
as  was  said  above ;  under  the  entwisted  oak  here  denotes  from 
falses,  which  are  the  lowest  things  of  the  natural  principle,  for 
they  are  in  what  is  entwisted,  see  n.  2831.  So  in  Hosea,  "They 
sacrifice  upon  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  they  burn  incense  upon 
the  hills,  under  the  oak,  the  poplar,  and  the  strong  oak,  because 
the  shade  thereof  is  good  ;  therefore  your  daughters  commit 
whoredom,  and  your  daughters-in-law  commit  adultery, *'  iv.  13; 
to  commit  whoredom  is  to  falsity  truths,  and  to  commit  adultery 
is  to  pervert  goods,  see  n.  2466,  2729,  3399.  And  in  Zechariah, 
"  Open  thy  gates,  0  Lebanon,  and  let  the  fire  devour  the  cedars, 
because  the  magnificent  are  laid  waste  ;  howl,  ()  ye  oaks  of 
Bashan,  for  the  "forest  of  Bazar  is  come  down,"  xi.  1,  2. 


4553—4555.] 


GENESIS. 


211 


4553.  Verses  5  to  7.  And  they  journeyed :  and  the  terror 
of  God  was  xipon  the  cities  tohich  were  round  about  them,  and 
they  did  not  pursue  after  the  sons  of  Jacob.  And  Jacob  came 
to  Luz,  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan  (this  is  Bethel),  he  and 
all  the  people  which  was  with  him.  And  he  built  there  an  altar, 
and  called  the  place  El-Bethel j  because  there  the  gods  were  re- 
vealed unto  him,,  when  he  fled  from  before  his  brother.  They 
journeyed,  signifies  what  is  continuous :  and  the  terror  of  God 
was  upon  the  cities  round  about,  and  they  pursued  not  after  the 
sons  of  Jacob,  signifies  that  falses  and  evils  could  not  accede  : 
and  Jacob  came  to  Luz,  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  signi- 
fies the  natural  principle  in  a  prior  state :  this  is  Bethel,  signi- 
fies the  Divine  Natural  principle:  he  and  all  the  people  which 
was  with  him,  signifies  with  all  things  in  that  principle  :  and 
built  there  an  altar,  signifies  by  sanctification :  and  called  the 
place  El-Bethel,  signifies  a  holy  natural  principle  :  because 
there  the  gods  were  revealed  unto  him,  signifies  holy  truths : 
when  he  fled  from  before  his  brother,  signifies  when  truths 
were  preferred  to  good. 

4554.  Ver.  5.  "And  they  journeyed." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified what  is  continuous,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
journeying,  as  denoting  what  is  successive,  see  n.  4375,  thus 
continuous  progression  towards  interior  things. 

4555.  "And  the  terror  of  God  was  upon  the  cities  which 
were  round  about  them,  and  they  did  not  pursue  after  the 
sons  of  Jacob." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  falses  and  evils 
could  not  accede,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  the  ter- 
ror of  God,  as  denoting  protection,  of  which  we  shall  speak 
presently;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  cities  v)hich  were 
round  about,  as  denoting  falses  and  evils;  for  cities,  in  the 
genuine  sense,  are  truths  of  doctrine,  and  in  the  opposite  sense 
falses  of  doctrine,  n.  402,  2449,  2943,  3216,  4478,.4492,  4493; 
evils  also  are  here  signified  by  cities,  because  the  inhabitants 
are  also  understood,  which  in  the  genuine  sense  are  goods,  thus 
in  the  opposite  sense  evils,  n.  2268,  2451,  2712 ;  and  (3.)  from  the 
signification  of  not  pursuing  after  them,  as  denoting  not  to  be 
able  to  accede.  That  "the  terror  of  God"  denotes  protection, 
may  be  illustrated  from  those*  things  which  occur  in  another 
life :  there  the  hells  cannot  possibly  accede  to  heaven,  nor  evil 
spirits  to  any  heavenly  society,  because  they  are  in  the  terror 
of  God ;  for  when  evil  spirits  approach  any  heavenly  society, 
they  suddenly  fall  into  anxieties  and  torments,  and  they  who 
have  occasionally  fallen  thereinto,  dare  not  approach.  Their 
not  daring  is  what  is  meant  in  the  internal  sense  by  the  terror 
of  God ;  not  that  God  or  the  Lord  terrifies  them,  but  because 
they  are  in  falses  and  evils,  thus  in  the  opposite  to  gocds  and 
truths,  and  the  falses  and  evils  themselves  cause  them  to  feel 
agony  and  torment,  when  they  approach  near  goods  and  truths 


212 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxt 


4556.  Yer.  6.  "  And  Jacob  came  to  Luz,  which  is  in  the 
land  of  Canaan." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  natural  princi- 
ple in  a  former  state  ;  "this  is  Bethel," — that  hereby  is  signified 
the  Divine  Natural  principle,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
Luz,  as  denoting  the  natural  principle  in  a  former  state,  or  that 
very  natural  principle  which  was  human ;  that  this  was  made 
divine,  is  signified  by  this  is  Bethel ;  Bethel  denotes  the  Divine 
Natural  principle,  as  may  be  seen  in  n.  40S9,  4539.  Hence 
likewise,  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  where  mention  is  made  of 
Bethel,  it  is  also  said,  Luz  this  is  Bethel,  and  Bethel  formerly 
Luz,  as  in  Joshua,  "The  boundary  of  the  lot  of  the  sons  of  Ben- 
jamin between  the  sons  of  Judah  and  the  sons  of  Joseph  .  .  . 
went  forth  toward  Luz,  to  the  side  of  Luz  toward  the  south, 
this  is  Bethel"  xviii.  13.  And  in  the  book  of  Judges,  "  The 
house  of  Joseph  went  up  to  Bethel,  and  explored  Bethel,  and 
the  name  of  the  city  formerly  was  Luz"  i.  22,  23. 

4557.  "  He  and  all  the  people  which  was  with  him." — That 
hereby  is  signified  with  all  things  therein  (viz.,  which  were  in 
the  natural  principle),  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of 
Jacob,  who  in  this  case  is  he,  as  denoting  the  good  therein,  see 
n.  4538 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  people,  as  denoting 
truths,  see  n.  1259,  1260,  2928,  3295,  3581 ;  thus  the  people 
which  was  with  him,  denote  the  truths  of  that  good  ;  and 
whereas  all  things  in  the  natural  principle  have  relation  to 
goods  and  truths,  by  the  above  words  is  signified  with  all 
things  therein. 

4558.  Yer.  7.  "And  he  built  there  an  altar." — That  hereby 
is  signified  by  sanctification,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
an  altar,  as  denoting  the  principal  representative  of  the  Lord, 
and  hence  the  holy  principle  of  worship,  see  n.  4541,  and  when 
predicated  of  the  Lord,  it  denotes  His  Divine  Hainan  princi- 
ple, and  the  holy  principle  thence  proceeding,  n.  2811;  for  that 
which  in  the  church  is  a  principal  representative  of  the  Lord,  is 
in  the  supreme  sense  the  Lord  Himself  as  to  the  Divine  Human 
principle,  for  that  which  represents,  is  this  principle,  in  the  su- 
preme sense.  That  the  natural  principle  was  sanctified,  is  signi- 
fied by  he  built  there,  that  is,  in  Bethel,  an  altar,  for  by  Bethel 
is  signified  the  Divine  Natural  principle,  see  above,  n.  4556. 

4559.  "  And  called  the  place  El-Bethel."— That  hereby  is 
signified  a  holy  natural  principle,  appears  from  the  signification 
01  Bethel,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Natural  principle,  see  n.  4QS9, 
4539,  4556;  but  when  it  is  called  El-Bethel,  it  is  not  the  divine, 
but  the  holy  natural  principle  ;  for  when  the  Lord  made  His 
Human  principle  Divine,  He  first  made  it  holy.  The  difference 
between  making  divine  and  making  holy  is  this:  The  Divine 
principle  is  Jehovah  Himself,  whereas  the  holy  principle  ia 
what  is  from  Jehovah  ;  the  former  is  the  Divine  Esse,  but  the 
latter  is  what  thence  exists.   When  the  Lord  glorified  Himself, 


4556— 4563.J 


GENESIS. 


213 


He  also  made  His  Human  principle  the  Divine  Esse,  or  Jeho- 
vah (n.  2156,  2329,  2921,  3023,  3035),  hut  previous  to  this.  He 
made  His  Human  principle  holy  ;  such  was  the  process  of  the 
Lord's  glorification.  Hence  also  Bethel  is  now  called  El-Bethel, 
implying  what  is  signified  by  El  which  is  added,  viz.,  because 
there  the  gods  were  revealed  unto  him',  for  in  the  original  tongue, 
El  signifies  God,  but  in  the  present  case  gods  in  the  plural,  be- 
cause in  the  internal  sense  gods  are  holy  truths,  n.  4402 ;  but  in 
the  sequel  it  is  called  Bethel,  for  it  is  said,  Jacob  called  the  name 
of  the  place  Bethel  (verse  15),  and  it  is  added,  where  God  spake 
with  him,  in  which  passage  God  is  in  the  singular ;  for  Bethel, 
in  the  original  tongue,  is  the  house  of  God,  but  El-Bethel  is 
God  the  house  of  God.  Hence  it  is  that  El-Bethel  is  the  holy 
natural  principle,  and  Bethel  the  Divine  Natural  principle. 

4560.  "  Because  there  the  gods  were  revealed  unto  him." — > 
That  hereby  are  signified  holy  truths,  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  gods,  as  denoting  holy  truths,  see  n.  4402 ;  that  these 
were  adjoined  to  the  good  represented  by  Jacob,  is  signified  by 
the  gods  there  revealed  unto  him.  This  place  was  called  El- 
Bethel,  nevertheless,  before,  in  chapter  xxviii.  19,  and  also  after- 
wards, verse  15  of  this  chapter,  it  is  called  Bethel;  likewise 
here,  when  it  is  called  El-Bethel,  it  is  said  that  the  gods  (in 
the  plural)  were  revealed  to  him  there,  and  afterwards,  in  verse 
15,  it  is  said  where  God  (in  the  singular)  spake  with  him  :  it 
is  evident  that  this  is  an  arcanum,  which  can  only  be  known 
from  the  internal  sense.  There  are  moreover  several  arcana 
which  lie  stored  up  and  concealed  herein,  but  these  cannot  be 
discovered  to  view. 

4561.  "When  he  fled  from  before  his  brother." — That  here- 
by is  signified  when  truths  were  preferred  to  good,  appears 
from  what  was  explained  above  in  n.  4542,  where  the  same 
words  occur. 

4562.  Verse  8.  And  Deborah  the  nurse  of  Rebekah  died,  and 
was  buried  from  beneath  Bethel  under  an  oak  :  and  he  called  the 
name  thereof  Allon-bachuth.  Deborah  the  nurse  of  Rebekah 
died,  signifies  that  hereditary  evil  was  expelled:  and  was  buried 
from  beneath  Bethel  under  an  oak,  signifies  rejected  for  ever : 
and  he  called  the  name  thereof  Allon-bachuth,  signifies  the 
quality  of  the  natural  principle  in  that  it  was  expelled. 

4563.  Ver.  8.  "  And  Deborah  the  nurse  of  Rebekah  died." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  that  hereditary  evil  was  expelled, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  dying,  as  denoting  an  end, 
or  that  such  a  thing  ceases  to  be,  see  n.  494,  3253,  3259,  3276 ; 
in  the  present  case,  therefore,  it  denotes  to  be  expelled,  becaiise 
the  subject  treated  of  is  hereditary  evil ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  Deborah  the  nurse  of  Rebekah,  as  denoting 
hereditary  evil.  A  nurse,  so  far  as  she  nourishes  and  suckles 
an  infant,  properly  signifies  the  insinuation  of  innocence  through 


214 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


the  celestial  spiritual  principle;  for  rnilk  is  the  celestial  spiritual 
principle,  n.  2184,  and  the  infant  whom  she  suckles  is  innocence, 
n.  430,  1616,  2126,  2305,  2306.  But  here,  by  Deborah  the 
nurse  of  Rebekah,  is  signified  that  which  was  received  from  the 
mother  and  was  nourished  from  infancy  ;  this  was  the  heredi- 
tary evil  from  the  mother,  against  which  the  Lord  fought,  as 
may  appear  from  what  has  been  shown  concerning  that  heredi- 
tary principle,  in  n.  1414,  1444,  1573 ;  and  He  expelled  it,  so 
that  at  length  He  was  not  the  son  of  Mary,  see  n.  2159,  2574, 
2649,  3036.  It  is  well  known,  that  man  derives  evil  from  each 
parent,  and  that  this  evil  is  called  hereditary  evil ;  therefore  he 
is  born  into  it,  but  still  it  does  not  manifest  itself  until  the  man 
becomes  adult,  and  acts  from  understanding  and  thence  from 
will ;  meanwhile  it  lies  stored  up  and  concealed,  especially  in 
infancy  :  and  whereas,  by  the  mercy  of  the  Lord,  no  one  comes 
into  blame  on  account  of  what  is  hereditary,  but  on  account  of 
what  is  actual  (n.  966,  2308),  and  as  the  hereditary  principles 
cannot  become  actual  until  man  acts  from  his  own  proper 
understanding  and  will,  therefore  infants  are  led  of  the  Lord 
by  infants  and  angels  from  Him;  hence,  although  they  appear 
in  a  state  of  innocence,  hereditary  evil  still  lies  concealed  in 
whatsoever  they  do,  n.  2300,  2307,  2308.  This  hereditary  evil 
yields  them  nourishment,  or  is  as  a  nurse  until  they  are  able 
to  judo;e  for  themselves  (n.  4064),  and  then,  if  they  are  regener- 
ated, they  are  led  by  the  Lord  into  a  state  of  new  infancy,  and 
at  length  into  celestial  wisdom,  thus  into  genuine  infancy,  that 
is,  into  innocence ;  for  genuine  infancy  or  innocence  dwells  in 
wisdom,  n.  2305,  3183:  the  difference  is,  that  the  innocence  of 
infancy  is  without,  and  hereditary  evil  within,  but  the  innocence 
of  wisdom  is  within,  and  actual  and  hereditary  evil  without. 
From  these  and  several  other  considerations  above  suggested, 
it  is  evident  that  hereditary  evil  performs  as  it  were  the  part 
of  a  nurse,  from  first  infancy  even  to  the  age  of  new  infancy  ; 
hence  it  is,  that  by  nurse  is  signified  hereditary  evil,  and  also 
the  insinuation  of  innocence  through  the  celestial  spiritual  prin- 
ciple. Inasmuch  as  the  subject  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense 
in  this  chapter  is  the  arrangement  and  ordination  of  truths  from 
good  in  the  Lord's  Natural  principle,  and  consequent  progres- 
sion to  interior  things  (n.  4536),  therefore  also  the  expulsion  of 
hereditary  evil  is  treated  of.  This  is  the  reason  why  in  this 
verse  mention  is  made  of  Deborah  the  nurse  of  Rebekah,  that 
she  died  and  was  buried  beneath  an  oak ;  which  event  would 
not  have  been  of  sufficient  importance  to  break  into  the  series, 
unless  such  things  had  been  involved  in  it.  The  arcanum  itself, 
specifically  signified  by  the  nurse  of  Rebekah,  cannot  as  yet  bo 
discovered  to  view  ;  the  nature  and  quality  of  the  influx  of  tho 
rational  principle  into  the  natural  must  first  be  known ;  viz., 
that  it  is  from  the  good  of  the  rational  principle  immediately 


4564.] 


GENESIS. 


215 


into  the  good  of  the  natural,  and.  from  the  good  of  the  1  Uional 
principle  mediately  through  the  truth  therein  into  the  good  of 
natural  truth.  Kebekah  is  the  truth  of  the  rational  principle, 
see  n.  3012,  3013,  3077,  but  Isaac  is  the  good  of  the  rational 
principle,  n.  3012,  3191,  3210  ;  Esau  is  the  good  of  the  natural 
principle  by  immediate  influx  from  the  good  of  the  rational  or 
Isaac ;  and  Jacob  is  the  good,  or  the  good  of  truth,  of  the  natu- 
ral principle  by  mediate  influx  through  the  truth  of  the  rational 
or  Kebekah;  concerning  this  mediate  and  immediate  influx,  see 
n.  3314,  3573.  This  must  first  be  known,  before  the  specific 
arcanum  can  be  known,  why  by  the  nurse  of  Rebekah  heredi 
tary  evil  is  here  signified  and  described;  for  hence  the  quality 
of  this  evil  may  appear. 

4564.  "  And  was  buried  from  beneath  Bethel  under  an  oak." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  rejected  for  ever,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  burying,  as  denoting  to  be  rejected,  for  what 
is  buried  is  rejected;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  under  an 
oak,  as  denoting  for  ever,  see  above,  n.  4552.  From  beneath 
Bethel,  signifies  out  of  the  natural  principle,  for  that  which  is 
said  to  be  underneath  or  below,  in  the  internal  sense  is  without, 
see  n.  2118 ;  Bethel  is  the  Divine  Natural  principle,  n.  4089, 
4539.  The  case  herein  is  this  :  in  the  man  who  is  regenerated, 
evil,  as  well  the  hereditary  as  the  actual,  is  not  exterminated  so 
as  to  become  evanescent,  or  nothing,  but  is  only  separated,  and 
by  arrangement  from  the  Lord  is  rejected  to  the  circumferences, 
see  n.  4551,  4552 ;  thus  it  remains  with  him,  and  this  to  eter- 
nity, but  he  is  withheld  by  the  Lord  from  evil,  and  is  kept  in 
good;  when  this  is  the  case,  it  appears  as  if  evils  were  rejected, 
and  thus  as  if  man  were  purified  from  them,  or,  as  they  say,  jus- 
tified. All  the  angels  of  heaven  confess,  that  so  far  as  they 
derive  from  themselves,  there  is  nothing  but  evil  and  its  conse- 
quent false  principle  appertaining  to  them,  but  so  far  as  they 
derive  from  the  Lord,  there  is  good  and  its  consequent  truth. 
They  who  have  conceived  any  other  opinion  on  this  subject, 
and  from  their  doctrinal  tenets  have  confirmed  themselves  in 
the  persuasion  that  they  are  justified,  and  in  such  case  without 
sins,  are  remitted  into  a  state  of  evils  derived  both  from  the 
actual  and  the  hereditary,  and  are  kept  in  it  until  they  know  by 
living  experience,  that  of  themselves  they  are  nothing  but  evil, 
and  that  the  good,  in  which  they  had  seemed  to  themselves  to 
be,  was  from  the  Lord,  consequently  that  it  was  not  theirs,  but 
His ;  so  it  is  with  the  angels,  and  so  also  with  the  regenerate 
amongst  men.  But  with  the  Lord  it  is  otherwise ;  He  entirely 
removed  from  Himself,  expelled,  and  ejected  all  hereditary  evil 
derived  from  the  mother;  for  He  had  no  evil  hereditary  from 
the  Father,  because  He  was  conceived  of  Jehovah,  but  from  the 
mother ;  this  is  the  difference.  This  is  meant  by  the  Lord'a 
being  made  Justice,  the  very  Holy  itself,  and  the  Divine. 


216 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


4565.  "  And  he  called  the  name  thereof  Allon-bachuth." — ■ 
That  hereby  is  signified  the  quality  of  the  natural  principle,  in 
that  it  was  expelled,  appears  from  the  signification  of  calling  a 
name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  n.  144,  145,  1754,  1896,  2009, 
2724,  3006,  3421.  In  the  original  tongue,  Allon-bachuth  signi- 
fies the  oak  of  weeping;  and  the 'place  was  so  called,  because 
the  oak  denotes  the  lowest  of  the  natural  principle,  into  which, 
and  at  last  out  of  which,  hereditary  evil  is  ejected;  (that  oak 
denotes  the  lowest  of  the  natural  principle,  and  also  for  ever, 
see  n.  4552  ;)  but  weeping  signifies  the  last  farewell,  hence  it 
was  usual  to  weep  for  the  dead  when  they  were  buried,  although 
it  was  known  that  the  carcass  only  was  rejected  by  burial,  and 
that  they  who  had  been  in  the  carcass,  were  living  as  to  their 
interiors.  Hence  is  manifested  the  quality,  signified  by  Allon- 
bachuth,  or  the  oak  of  weeping. 

4566.  Verses  9  to  13.  And  God  appeared  unto  Jacob  again, 
when  he  came  out  of  Padan-aram,  and  blessed  him.  And  God 
said  unto  him,  Thy  name  is  Jacob  :  thy  name  shall  no  longer 
be  called  Jacob,  but  Israel  shall  be  thy  name,  and  he  called  his 
name  Israel.  And  God  said  unto  him,  I  am  God  Sehaddai  / 
be  fruitful  and  multiply  :  a  nation  and  a  company  of  nations 
shall  be  from  thee,  and  kings  shall  come  forth  from  thy  loins: 
and  the  land,  which  I  gave  to  Abraham  an  d  Isaac,  to  thee  will 
I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee  will  I  give  the  land.  And 
God  went  tip  from  above  him  in  the  place  in  xoliich  he  spake 
with  him.  God  appeared  unto  Jacob  again,  as  he  came  out  of 
Padan-aram,  and  blessed  him,  signifies  interior  natural  percep- 
tion:  and  God  said  unto  him,  Thy  name  is  Jacob,  signifies  the 
Lord's  external  Divine  Natural  quality  :  thy  name  shall  no 
longer  be  called  Jacob,  signifies  that  it  would  not  any  longer  be 
external  alone :  but  Israel  shall  be  thy  name,  signifies  the  inter- 
nal natural  quality,  or  his  spiritual  quality  which  is  Israel:  and 
he  called  his  name  Israel,  signifies  the  internal  natural,  or  ce- 
lestial spiritual  of  the  natural  principle  :  and  God  said  unto 
him,  signifies  perception  from  the  Divine  principle  :  I  am  God 
Sehaddai,  signifies  a  state  of  temptation  past,  and  now  divine 
comfort:  be  fruitful  and  multiply,  signifies  good  and  thence 
truth  divine :  a  nation  and  a  company  of  nations  shall  be  from 
thee,  signifies  good  and  the  divine  forms  of  good:  and  kings 
shall  come  forth  from  thy  loins,  signifies  truths  from  the  Divine 
Marriage:  and  the  land  which  I  gave  to  Abraham  and  Isaac,  to 
thee  will  I  give  it,  signifies  divine  natural  good  appropriated  : 
and  to  thy  seed  after  thee  will  I  give  the  land,  signifies  divine 
natural  truth  appropriated  :  and  God  went  up  from  above  him 
in  the  place  in  which  he  spake  with  him,  signifies  the  Divine 
principle  in  that  state. 

4567.  Ver.  9.  "  And  God  appeared  unto  Jacob  again,  when 
he  came  out  of  Padan-aram,  and  blessed  him." — That  hereby 


4565—4570.] 


GENESIS. 


217 


is  signified  interior  natural  perception,  appears  from  the  signi- 
fication of  God  being  seen,  as  denoting  interior  perception.  That 
to  see  is  to  understand  and  perceive,  see  n.  2150,  2807,  3764, 
3863,  4403  to  4421;  hence  God  being  seen,  when  predicated  of 
the  Lord,  denotes  perception  from  the  Divine  principle,  which 
is  the  same  as  interior  perception;  that  the  natural  principle 
had  this  perception,  is  signified  by  God  appearing  to  Jacob,  for 
Jacob  represents  the  Lord's  Natural  principle,  as  has  been 
repeatedly  shown.  When  he  came  out  of  Padcm-aram,  signifies 
after  be  had  imbibed  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  winch 
are  signified  by  Padan-aram,  see  n.  3664,  3680,  4112.  lie 
blessed  him,  signifies  progression  to  the  interior  things  of  the 
natural  principle,  and  the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  there- 
in ;  for  to  bless  is  predicated  of  every  good  with  which  any  one 
is  gifted  from  the  Divine  principle, .see  n.  1420, 1422,  2846,  3017, 
3406,  cspeciallv  of  the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth,  n.  3504, 
3514.  3530,  3565,  3584. 

4568.  Ver.  10.  "  And  God  said  unto  him,  Thy  name  is 
Jacob." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  Lord's  external  Divine 
Natural  quality,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  name,  as 
denoting  quality,  see  n.  144,  145,  1754, 1896,  2009,  2724,  3006, 
3421 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the 
Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle,  of  which  we  have  spoken  very 
frequently  above:  it  is  said  to  be  external,  because  Israel  is  the 
Lord's  internal  Divine  Natural  principle,  of  which  we  shall 
speak  presently. 

4569.  "  Thy  name  shall  no  longer  be  called  Jacob." — That 
hereby  is  signified  that  it  would  not  any  longer  be  external 
alone,  appears  from  what  has  been  said  just  above,  and  from 
what  now  follows  concerning  Israel. 

4570.  "  But  Israel  shall  be  thy  name." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified the  internal  natural  quality,  or  his  spiritual  quality,  which 
is  Israel ;  and  that  by  "  he  called  his  name  Israel,"  is  signified 
the  internal  natural  principle,  or  the  celestial  spiritual  principle 
of  the  natural,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  name,  as 
denoting  quality,  see  just  above,  n.  4568  ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  Israel,  as  denoting  the  internal  of  the  Lord's 
Natural  principle.  No  one  can  know  why  Jacob  was  called 
Israel,  unless  he  knows  what  the  internal  natural  principle  is, 
and  what  the  external  natural,  and  also  what  the  celestial  spir- 
itual principle  of  the  natural  is.  These  things  indeed  have 
been  explained  above,  when  Jacob  was  called  Israel  by  the 
angel ;  but  as  they  are  of  such  a  nature,  that  little  or  no  know- 
lodge  exists  concerning  them,  it  may  be  expedient  again  to 
explain  what  they  are.  There  are  two  principles  appertaining 
to  man,  most  distinct  the  one  from  the  other,  viz.,  the  rational 
principle,  and  the  natural ;  the  rational  principle  constitutes 
the  internal  man,  and  the  natural  the  external ;  but  the  natural 


218 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxv 


principle,  like  the  rational,  has  also  its  external  and  internal. 
The  external  of  the  natural  principle  is  derived  from  the  sen- 
suals  of  the  body,  and  from  those  things  which  flow-in  imme- 
diately from  the  world  through  the  sensuals ;  by  these  man  has 
comimmication  with  worldly  and  corporeal  things ;  they  who 
are  only  in  this  natural  principle,  are  called  sensual  men,  for 
they  scarcely  go  further  with  their  thought.  But  the  internal  of 
the  natural  principle  is  constituted  of  those  things  which  are 
hence  analytically  and  analogically  concluded,*  but  still  it  de- 
rives and  deduces  its  constituent  properties  from  the  things  of 
sense.  Thus  the  natural  principle  communicates  with  worldly 
and  corporeal  things  by  means  of  sensual  things,  and  with  the 
rational  principle  by  means  of  analogical  and  analytical  things, 
thus  with  those  things  which  are  of  the  spiritual  world.  Such 
is  the  natural  principle ;  there  is  also  an  intermediate  principle, 
which  communicates  with  each,  viz.,  with  the  external  and  with 
the  internal,  thus  by  the  external  with  the  things  in  the  natural 
world,  and  by  the  internal  with  those  in  the  spiritual  world  ; 
this  latter  natural  principle  is  what  Jacob  specifically  represents, 
and  the  internal  natural  is  what  Israel  specifically  represents. 
The  case  is  the  same  with  the  rational  principle,  for  it  has  an 
external  and  internal,  and  also  a  middle  ;  but  concerning  that 
principle,  by  the  Divine  providence  of  the  Lord,  we  shall  speak 
more  particularly  when  we  come  to  treat  of  Joseph,  inasmuch 
as  Joseph  represents  the  external  of  the  rational  principle.  But 
what  is  meant  by  the  celestial  spiritual  principle,  has  been  occa- 
sionally shown  above,  viz.,  the  celestial  is  that  which  is  of  good, 
and  the  spiritual  that  which  is  of  truth,  thus  the  celestial  spir- 
itual is  that  which  is  of  good  from  truth.  Now,  as  the  church 
of  the  Lord  is  external  and  internal,  and  it  was  expedient  that 
the  internals  of  the  church  should  be  represented  by  the  exter- 
nals amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  therefore  Jacob  could  no 
longer  be  called  Jacob,  but  Israel;  see  what  was  adduced  above 
on  this  subject,  n.  4286,  4292.  It  is  moreover  to  be  noted,  that 
both  the  rational  and  natural  principles  are  called  celestial  and 
spiritual,  celestial  when  good  is  received,  and  spiritual  when 
truth  is  received  from  the  Lord;  for  the  good  which  flows-in 
from  the  Lord  into  heaven,  is  called  celestial,  and  the  truth  is 
called  spiritual.  Jacob's  being  called  Israel,  in  the  supreme 
Bense,  signifies  that  the  Lord,  advancing  to  interior  things,  made 
the  Natural  principle  in  Himself  Divine,  both  as  to  its  exter- 
nal and  internal;  for  that  which  is  represented,  in  the  supreme 
sense  has  relation  to  Him. 

*  It  may  be  expedient  to  acquaint  die  unlearned  reader,  that  things  are  said  tc 
be  concluded  analytically,  when  a  general  conclusion  or  deduction  is  derived  from 
any  known  fact,  experiment,  or  observation.  And  things  again  are  said  to  be  con 
eluded  analogically,  when  general  conclusions  or  deductions  are  drawn  from  tin 
relations,  proportions,  and  agreements,  which  several  things,  in  other  respects  dif 
ferent,  bear  to  each  other. 


1571 — 4573.] 


GENESIS. 


219 


4571.  Ver.  11.  "And  God  said  unto  him."— That  hereby 
is  signified  perception  from  the  Divine  principle,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  saying,  in  the  historical  of  the  Word,  as 
denoting  to  perceive,  see  n.  1791,  1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 
2080,  2619,  2862,  3395,  3509.  That  it  was  from  the  Divine 
principle,  is  signified  by  "God  saying,"  for  the  Divine  princi- 
ple was  in  the  Lord  from  conception ;  this  was  His  Esse,  inas- 
much as  He  was  conceived  of  Jehovah  :  hence  He  had  percep- 
tion from  the  Divine  principle,  but  according  to  the  state  of 
reception  by  the  Human,  because  He  made  the  Human  in 
Himself  successively  Divine.    Hence,  since  the  Divine  princi- 

!>le  or  God  was  in  Him,  it  is  manifest  that  by  "God  said  unto 
lim,"  is  signified  perception  from  the  Divine  principle. 

4572.  "  I  am  God  Schaddai." — That  hereby  is  signified  a 
state  of  temptation  past,  and  now  divine  comfort,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  God  Schaddai,  as  denoting  temptation  and 
afterwards  comfort;  for  Jehovah,  or  the  Lord,  was  called  God 
Schaddai  by  the  ancients,  in  respect  to  temptations  and  comfort 
after  them,  see  n.  1992,  3667.  Hence  it  is,  that  "  God  Schad- 
dai "  signifies  a  state  of  temptation  past,  and  now  divine  com- 
fort ;  the  reason  of  its  being  past  is,  because  by  Jacob  hereto- 
fore, especially  when  he  strove  with  the  angel  (chap,  xxxii.  25 
to  the  end),  and  when  he  met  Esau  (chap,  xxxiii.),  were  repre- 
sented temptations.  The  reason  why  there  was  now  comfort, 
is,  because  the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  in  the  natural 
principle  was  effected  by  temptations  ;  conjunction  itself  causes 
comfort,  because  it  is  the  end  of  temptations;  for  every  one, 
when  he  comes  to  the  end,  has  comfort  according  to  the  hard 
things  which  he  suffered  in  the  means.  In  general  it  is  to  be 
noted,  that  every  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  is  effected  by 
temptations ;  the  reason  is,  because  evils  and  falses  recombat, 
and  as  it  were  rebel,  and  by  every  method  strive  to  hinder  the 
conjunction  of  good  with  truth,  and  of  truth  with  good.  This 
combat  exists  between  the  spirits  attendant  on  man,  viz.,  be- 
tween the  spirits  who  are  in  evils  and  falses,  and  the  spirits  who 
are  in  goods  and  truths ;  this  is  perceived  by  man  like  a  tempt- 
ation, as  in  himself:  when  therefore  the  spirits,  who  are  in 
evils  and  falses,  are  conquered  by  the  spirits  who  are  in  goods 
and  truths,  and  forced  to  recede,  the  latter  have  joy  through 
heaven  from  the  Lord;  this  joy  also  is  perceived  by  man  as 
comfort,  as  in  himself:  but  the  joy  and  comfort  are  not  on 
account  of  victory,  but  on  account  of  the  conjunction  of  good 
and  truth;  for  every  conjunction  of  good  and  truth  in  itself 
has  joy,  since  it  is  the  heavenly  marriage,  wherein  is  the  Divine. 

4573.  "Be  fruitful  and  multiply."— That  hereby  is  signified 
good  and  thence  truth  divine,  appears  from  this,  that  to  be 
fruitful  is  predicated  of  good;  and  to  be  multiplied,  of  truth, 
n.  43,  55,  913,  9  83,  2846,  24S7. 


220 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxv 


4574.  "A  nation  and  a  company  of  nations  shall  be  from 
thee." — That  hereby  are  signified  good  and  the  divine  forms  of 
good,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  nation,  as  denoting 
the  good  of  the  church,  see  n.  1259,  1260,  1362,  1416,  1849 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  a  company  of  nations,  as 
denoting  truths  which  are  from  good,  or,  what  is  the  same 
thing,  the  forms  of  good,  and  in  the  sense  in  which  the  Lord  is 
treated  of,  the  Divine  Truths  from  the  Divine  Good,  or  the 
divine  forms  of  good.  It  may  be  expedient  first  to  show  what 
is  meant  by  the  forms  of  good,  and  afterwards  that  companies 
of  nations  signify  those  forms.  Truths  grounded  in  good  are 
said  to  be  the  forms  of  good,  because  they  are  nothing  else  than 
goods  formed ;  he  who  conceives  otherwise  of  truths,  and  espe- 
cially he  who  separates  them  from  good,  does  not  know  what 
truths  are:  truths  indeed  appear  as  if  separate  from  good, 
thus  as  a  form  by  themselves,  but  they  appear  so  only  to  those 
who  are  not  in  good,  or  who  think  and  speak  otherwise  than 
they  will,  and  hence  act.  For  man  is  so  created,  that  the 
understanding  and  will  may  constitute  one  mind ;  and  this  is 
effected  when  the  understanding  acts  in  unity  with  the  will,  that 
is,  when  man  thinks  and  speaks  as  he  wills,  and  in  consequence 
of  willing  acts ;  in  this  case  also  his  intellectual  things  are  forms 
of  his  will.  Intellectual  things-  are  called  truths,  for  truths  are 
properly  of  the  intellect,  or  understanding ;  whereas  the  things 
of  the  will  are  called  goods,  for  goods  are  properly  of  the  will ; 
hence  it  follows,  that  the  intellectual  principle  considered  in 
itself  is  nothing  else  than  the  will-principle  formed.  But  inas- 
much as  the  term  form  savours  of  human  philosophy,  we  shall 
take  a  case  in  the  way  of  illustration,  whence  it  will  be  man- 
ifest that  truths  are  the  forms  of  goods.  In  civil  and  moral  life 
there  is  a  principle  of  honesty*  and  a  principle  of  decorum ; 
the  principle  of  honesty  consists  in  willing  well  to  anyone  from 
the  heart  in  those  things  which  relate  to  civil  life  ;  but  the  prin- 
ciple of  decorum  consists  in  testifying  the  same  by  speech  and 
behaviour;  thus  the  principle  of  decorum  considered  in  itself 
is  nothing  else  than  the  form  of  the  principle  of  honesty,  for 
hence  is  the  origin  of  decorum.  Wherefore,  when  the  principle 
of  honesty  puts  itself  forth  by  decorum,  or  decorously  by  speech 
and  behaviour,  it  appears  in  every  single  thing  of  decorum ; 
so  that  whatsoever  is  pronounced  by  the  speech,  and  exhibited 
by  the  behaviour,  appears  honest,  and  is  the  form  or  image  by 
which  the  principle  of  honesty  beams  forth;  thus  they  make 
one,  as  essence  and  its  form,  or  as  the  essential  and  the  formal. 

*  It  is  to  bo  noted,  that  the  expressions  hotu  sty  and  honest  are  hero  taken  from 
the  Latin  hunestum,  and  are  applied  in  a  sense  somewhat  different  from  that,  which 
is  generally  received,  viz.,  as  implying  good-will  to  others  in  regard  to  the  con- 
cerns of  civil  life.  In  this  extended  sense  the  term  honest  appears  to  be  used  by 
our  poet,  when  he  says,  "An  BOMHS  marit  the  noblest  work  of  God." 


4574—4576.] 


GENESIS. 


221 


But  if  any  one  separates  the  principle  of  honesty  from  decorum, 
that  is,  if  any  one  bears  ill-will  to  his  companion,  and  yet  be- 
speaks him  fair,  and  behaves  well  towards  him,  tbere  is  no 
longer  any  thing  of  the  principle  of  honesty  in  his  speech  and 
behaviour ;  and  howsoever  he  may  study  by  decorum  to  as- 
sume a  form  as  of  the  principle  of  honesty,  yet  it  is  dishonest, 
and  he  who  is  clear-sighted  also  calls  it  dishonest,  because  it  is 
pretended,  fraudulent,  or  treacherous.  From  these  consider- 
ations it  may  appear  how  the  case  is  with  truths  and  goods, 
for  in  the  spiritual  life,  truths  are  like  the  principle  of  decorum 
in  civil  life ;  hence  it  is  manifest  what  is  the  quality  of  truths 
when  they  are  the  forms  of  good,  and  also  when  they  are  sep- 
arated from  good ;  for  when  they  are  not  from  good,  they  are 
from  some  evil,  and  are  the  forms  thereof,  howsoever  they  may 
have  the  semblance  of  the  forms  of  good.  That  a  company  of 
nations  denotes  the  forms  of  good,  may  appear  from  the  signi- 
fication of  nations,  as  denoting  goods,  concerning  which  see 
just  above  ;  hence  a  company  or  congregation  of  them  is  a  col- 
lection of  them,  which  is  nothing  else  than  a  form,  which  form 
is  truth,  as  has  been  already  shown ;  and  inasmuch  as  truths 
are  what  are  signified,  and  by  nation  is  signified  good,  there- 
fore it  is  not  only  said  that  a  nation  should  be  from  him,  but 
also  a  company  of  nations ;  otherwise  one  expression  would 
have  been  sufficient.  Moreover,  in  the  Word,  a  company,  con- 
gregation, and  multitude  are  predicated  of  truths ;  that  multi- 
tude and  to  be  multiplied  are  so  predicated,  may  be  seen  in  n. 
43,  55,  913,  983,  2846,  2847. 

4575.  "And  kings  shall  come  forth  from  thy  loins." — That 
hereby  are  signified  truths  from  the  Divine  Marriage,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  kings,  as  denoting  truths,  see  n. 
1672,  1728,  2015,  2069,  3009,  3670 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  loins,  as  denoting  those  things  which  are  of  conjugial 
love,  see  n.  3021,  4277,  4280,  consequently  which  are  of  the 
heavenly  marriage,  and  in  the  supreme  sense,  of  the  Divine 
Marriage.  Truths  from  the  Divine  Marriage  proceed  from  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  and  are  called  holy ;  for  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human  is  the  Divine  Marriage  itself;  the  things 
which  proceed  thence  are  holy,  and  are  called  celestial  and 
spiritual,  and  constitute  the  heavenly  marriage,  which  is  truth 
conjoined  to  good,  and  good  conjoined  to  truth.  This  marriage 
is  in  heaven,  and  in  every  one  who  is  in  heaven ;  also  in  every 
one  who  is  in  the  church,  if  he  be  in  good  and  at  the  same  time 
in  truth. 

4576.  Yer.  12.  "  And  the  land  which  I  gave  to  Abraham 
and  Isaac,  to  thee  will  I  give  it." — That  hereby  is  signified 
divine  natural  good  appropriated,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  land,  as  denoting  good  ;  for  in  the  internal  sense,  the 
land  of  Canaan,  which  is  here  signified,  is  the  Lord's  kingdom. 


222 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


and  hence  the  church,  which  is  the  Lord's  kingdom  in  the 
earths,  n.  1607.  3481,  3705,  4447,  4517 ;  and  inasmuch  as  it  is 
the  Lord's  kingdom  and  church,  it  is  good,  for  this  is  the  very 
essential  of  the  Lord's  kingdom  and  church :  but  in  the  supreme 
sense,  the  land  of  Canaan  is  the  Lord's  Divine  Good,  for  the 
good  which  is  in  the  Lord's  kingdom  in  the  heavens  and  in  the 
earths  is  from  the  Lord.  (2.)  From  the  representation  of  Abra- 
ham and  Isaac,  as  denoting  the  Lord's  Divine  [principle], 
Abraham  the  Divine  itself,  and  Isaac  the  Divine  Human,  spe- 
cifically the  Lord's  Divine  Rational  [principle] ;  concerning 
Abraham,  see  n.  1989,  2011,  3245,  3251,  3439,  3763,  4206, 
4207  ;  concerning  Isaac,  see  n.  1893,  2066,  2074,  2083,  2630, 
2774,  3012,  3194,  3210,  4180.  (3.)  From  the  signification  of 
giving  the  land  to  thee,  as  denoting  to  appropriate  to  the  nat- 
ural principle;  for  by  Jacob,  who  in  this  passage  is  thee,  is 
represented  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle,  as  has  been 
frequently  shown.  From  these  considerations  it  is  manifest, 
that  by  "  the  land,  which  I  gave  to  Abraham  and  Isaac,  to  thee 
will  I  give  it,"  is  signified  divine  good  appropriated. 

4577.  "  And  to  thy  seed  after  thee  will  I  give  the  land." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  divine  natural  truth  appropriated,  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  seed,  as  denoting  the  truth 
of  faith,  see  n.  1025, 1447, 1610, 1940  ;  but  in  the  supreme  sense 
the  Divine  Truth,  n.  3038 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
giving  the  land,  as  denoting  to  appropriate  good,  see  just  above, 
n.  4576 ;  thus  by  giving  the  land  to  thy  seed,  in  the  supreme 
sense,  is  signified  to  appropriate  divine  good  to  divine  truth. 
The  reason  why  it  is  the  divine  truth  appropriated,  is,  because 
the  Lord,  before  He  was  glorified  as  to  His  Human  principle, 
was  Divine  Truth;  whence  the  Lord  saith  of  Himself,  that  He 
is  the  Truth,  John  xiv.  6,  and  hence  also  He  is  called  the  seed 
of  the  woman,  Gen.  iii.  15 ;  but  after  the  Lord  was  glorified  as 
to  His  Human  principle,  He  was  made  the  Divine  Good,  and 
then  there  proceeded  and  does  proceed  from  Kim,  as  from  the 
Divine  Good,  the  Divine  Truth,  which  is  the  spirit  of  truth 
whom  the  Lord  was  about  to  send,  John  xiv.  16,  17 ;  xv.  26, 
27;  xvi.  13,  14,  15;  see  n.  3704.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that 
in  the  supreme  sense  by  "  thy  seed  after  thee,"  is  signified 
Divine  Truth  appropriated  to  Him,  and  also  that  Divine  Truth 
proceeds  from  Divine  Good,  which  is  He  Himself,  and  is  appro- 
priated to  those  who  are  in  good  and  thence  in  truth. 

4578.  Ver.  13.  "  And  God  went  up  from  above  him  in  the 
place  in  which  he  spake  with  him." — That  hereby  is  signified 
the  Divine  [principle]  in  that  state,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  God  going  npfrom  above  htm,  as  denoting  the  Divine 
[principle]  ;  for  to  go  up  signifies  elevation  to  interior  principles, 
and  when  predicated  of  the  Lord,  who  in  this  case  is  God,  it 
signifies  elevation  to  the  Divine  [principle],  see  n.  4539 ;  and 


4577—4580.] 


'  GENESIS. 


223 


(2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  place  in  which  he  spake  with 
him,  as  denoting  that  state.  That  place  denotes  state,  see  n. 
2G25,  2837,  3356,  3387,  4321 ;  hence  "  the  place  in  which  he 
spake  with  him,"  denotes  the  state  in  which  he  was. 

4579.  Ver.  14,  15.  And  Jacob  set  up  a  statue  in  the  place 
in  which  he  spake  with  him,  a  statue  of  stone  •  and  he  offered 
upon  it  a  drink-offering,  and  poured  oil  upon  it.  And  Jacob 
ail!,  d  the  name  of  the  place  where  God  spake  with  him,  Bethel. 
Jacob  set  up  a  statue  in  the  place  in  which  he  spake  with  him, 
a  statue  of  stone,  signifies  the  holy  principle  of  truth  in  that 
divine  state:  and  he  offered  upon  it  a  drink-offering,  signifies 
the  divine  good  of  truth :  and  poured  oil  upon  it,  signifies  the 
divine  °;ood  of  love:  and  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place 
where  God  spake  with  him,  Bethel,  signifies  the  Divine  Natural 
principle  and  its  state. 

4580.  Ver.  14.  "  And  Jacob  set  up  a  statue  in  the  place  in 
which  he  spake  with  him,  a  statue  of  stone." — That  hereby  is 
signified  the  holy  principle  of  truth  in  that  divine  state,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  statue,  as  denoting  the  holy  prin- 
ciple of  truth,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently  ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  in  the  place  in  which  he  spake  with  him,  as 
denoting  in  that  state,  see  just  above,  n.  4578.  It  may  be  ex- 
pedient first  to  say  somewhat  concerning  the  origin  of  the  set- 
ting up  of  statues,  and  of  offering  a  drink-offering  upon  them, 
and  pouring  oil  upon  them.  The  statues  which  were  set  up  in 
ancient  times,  were  either  for  a  sign,  for  a  witness,  or  for  wor- 
ship :  those  which  were  for  worship  were  anointed,  and  then 
they  wei  e  holy ;  worship  also  was  performed  there,  thus  in 
temples,  in  groves,  in  forests,  under  trees,  and  in  other  places. 
This  ritual  became  representative  from  this  circumstance,  that 
in  the  most  ancient  times  stones  were  set  up  in  the  boundaries 
between  families  of  nations,  lest  they  should  transgress  those 
boundaries  to  do  evil  to  each  other,  as  in  the  case  of  Laban  and 
Jacob,  Gen.  xxxi.  52.  Not  to  transgress  those  boundaries  for 
the  purpose  of  doing  evil,  was  the  law  of  nations  amongst  them ; 
and  whereas  those  stones  were  in  the  boundaries,  when  the  most 
ancient  people  (who  perceived  a  corresponding  spiritual  and 
celestial  principle  in  every  single  thing  in  the  earth)  saw  these 
stones  as  boundaries,  they  were  led  to  think  of  the  truths  which 
are  the  ultimates  of  (_rder.  But  their  descendants,  who  beheld 
less  of  a  spiritual  and  celestial  principle,  and  more  of  what  was 
worldly,  in  earthly  objects,  began  only  to  think  holily  of  them 
from  a  veneration  derived  from  old  time;  and  at  length*the  pos- 
terity of  the  most  ancient  people,  who  lived  immediately  before 
the  flood,  and  no  longer  saw  any  thing  spiritual  and  celestial 
in  earthly  and  worldly  objects,  began  to  sanctify  those  stones, 
by  pouring  drink-offerings  upon  them,  and  anointing  them  with 
oil ;  they  were  then  called  statues,  and  were  applied  to  worship. 


224 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


This  remained  after  the  flood  in  the  ancient  church,  which  was 
representative  ;  but  with  this  difference,  that  statues  served  them 
as  means  of  arriving  at  internal  worship,  for  the  infants  and 
boys  were  instructed  by  the  parents  in  what  they  represented, 
and  thus  they  were  led  to  know  holy  things,  and  to  be  affected 
with  what  they  represented  ;  hence  it  is  that  with  the  ancients, 
statues  were  for  worship  in  temples,  groves,  and  forests,  and 
also  upon  hills  and  mountains.  But  when  the  internal  principle 
of  worship  in  the  ancient  church  altogether  perished,  and  they 
began  to  account  external  things  as  holy  and  divine,  and  thereby 
to  worship  them  idolatrously,  then  they  erected  statues  for  each 
single  god  ;  and  whereas  the  posterity  of  Jacob  was  most  prone 
to  idolatrous  worship,  they  were  forbidden  to  set  up  statues,  or 
to  have  groves,  and  even  to  perform  any  worship  on  mountains 
and  hills  ;  but  they  were  gathered  together  into  one  place,  where 
was  the  ark,  and  afterwards  the  temple,  thus  to  Jerusalem ; 
otherwise  each  family  would  have  had  its  external  things  and 
idols,  which  it  would  have  worshipped,  and  thereby  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  church  could  not  have  been  established  amongst 
that  nation.  See  what  was  shown  above  concerning  statues,  n. 
3727.  From  these  considerations  it  may  appear  whence  statues 
are  derived,  and  what  they  signified  ;  and  that  when  they  were 
applied  to  worship,  holy  truth  was  represented  by  them  :  there- 
fore also  it  is  said,  that  it  was  a  statue  of  stone,  for  stone  sig- 
nifies truth  in  the  ultimate  of  order,  n.  1298,  3720,  3769,  3771, 
3773,  3789,  3798.  Moreover  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  holy  is 
especially  predicated  of  divine  truth,  for  the  Divine  principle 
is  in  the  Lord,  and  Divine  Truth  proceeds  from  Ilim  (n.  3704, 
4577),  and  is  called  holy. 

4581.  "  And  he  offered  a  drink-offering  upon  it." — That 
hereby  is  signified  the  divine  good  of  truth,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  a  drink-offering,  as  denoting  the  divine  good  of 
truth,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently :  but  first  it  may  be 
expedient  to  say  what  the  good  of  truth  is  ;  it  is  that  which  was 
elsewhere  called  the  good  of  faith,  and  is  love  towards  the 
neighbour,  or  charity.  There  are  two  universal  genera  of  good, 
the  one  is  called  the  good  of  faith,  and  the  other  the  good  of 
love  ;  the  former  is  signified  by  drink-offering,  and  the  latter  by 
oil.  They  who  are  brought  by  the  Lord  to  good  through  an 
internal  way,  are  in  the  good  of  love  ;  but  they  who  are  brought 
through  an  external  way,  are  in  the  good  of  faith  :  the  men  of 
the  celestial  church,  like  the  angels  of  the  inmost  or  third 
heaven, Mre  in  the  good  of  love;  but  the  men  of  the  spiritual 
church,  like  the  angels  of  the  middle  or  second  heaven,  are  in 
the  good  of  faith  ;  hence  the  former  is  called  celestial  good,  but 
the  latter  spiritual  good.  The  difference  is  the  same  as  between 
willing  well  from  a  principle  of  good-will,  and  willing  well  from 
good  understanding;  the  latter,  therefore  (viz.,  spiritual  good, 


4581.] 


GENESIS. 


225 


the  good  of  faith,  or  of  truth),  is  what  is  signified  by  a  drink- 
offering,  but  the  former  (viz.,  celestial  good,  or  the  good  of  love) 
is  what  is  meant  by  oil,  in  the  internal  sense.  That  such  things 
are  signified  by  oil  and  drink-offering,  cannot  indeed  be  seen 
except  from  the  internal  sense  ;  but  still  every  one  may  see  that 
holy  things  were  represented  thereby,  for  unless  this  had  been 
the  case,  ottering  a  drink-ottering  and  pouring  oil  upon  a  statue 
would  be  mere  ludicrous  and  idolatrous  ceremonies.  In  like 
manner  as  in  the  creation  of  a  king,  to  set  a  crown  upon  his 
bead,  to  anoint  him  on  the  forehead  and  wrists  with  oil  out  of 
a  horn,  to  put  into  his  hand  a  sceptre,  a  sword  and  keys,  to 
clothe  him  with  a  purple  robe,  to  set  him  on  a  silver  seat,  and 
next  on  horseback  in  his  royal  trappings,  and  also  afterwards  to 
have  him  waited  upon  at  table  by  the  great  men  of  his  court, — 
unless  these  ceremonies  represented  holy  things,  and  were  them- 
selves holy  by  correspondence  with  the  things  of  heaven  and  of 
the  church  derived  from  heaven,  they  would  be  nothing  else 
than  plays  like  those  of  little  children,  but  in  a  greater  form,  or 
like  those  on  the  stage.  Howbeit,  all  those  rituals  derived  their 
origin  from  the  most  ancient  times,  when  rituals  were  holy  in 
consequence  of  their  representing  and  corresponding  with  the 
holv  things  in  heaven  and  thence  in  the  church ;  at  this  day 
also  they  are  accounted  holy,  not  in  consequence  of  its  being 
known  what  they  represent,  or  to  what  they  correspond,  but 
by  interpretation  as  of  emblems  which  are  in  use.  But  if  it 
was  known  what  a  crown,  oil,  a  horn,  a  sceptre,  a  sword,  keys, 
riding  on  a  white  horse,  being  waited  upon  at  table  by  the  great 
ones  of  the  court,  represented,  and  to  what  holy  principle  they 
each  corresponded,  mankind  would  think  of  them  much  more 
holily ;  but  this  is  not  known,  and  (wonderful  to  say)  mankind 
are  not  willing  to  know  it ;  to  such  a  degree  are  the  representa- 
tives and  significatives,  which  are  contained  in  such  things,  and 
throughout  the  Word,  destroyed  at  this  day  in  men's  minds. 
That  a  drink-ottering  signifies  the  good  of  truth  or  spiritual  good, 
may  appear  from  the  sacrifices  in  which  it  was  employed;  sacri- 
fices were  made  either  from  the  herd  or  from  the  flock,  and 
were  representative  of  the  internal  worship  of  the  Lord,  see  n. 
922,  923,  1823,  2180,  2805,  2807,  2830,  3519 ;  to  them  were 
added  the  meat-ottering  and  the  drink-offering;  the  meat-offer- 
ing, which  consisted  of  fine  flour  mixed  with  oil,  signified 
celestial  good,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  the  good  of  love ;  oil 
signifying  love  to  the  Lord,  and  fine  flour  charity  towards  the- 
neighbour:  but  the  drink-offering,  which  consisted  of  wine, 
signified  spiritual  good,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  the  good  of 
faith  ;  both  the  meat-offering  and  drink-ottering,  therefore,  sig- 
nify the  same  things  as  the  bread  and  Avine  in  the  Holy  Supper. 
That  they  were  added  to  the  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices, 
appears  from  Moses,  "  Thou  shalt  offer  two  lambs  the  sons  of  a 
vol.  v.  15 


226 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


year  for  the  day  continually ;  the  one  lamb  thou  shalt  offer  in 
the  morning,  and  the  other  lamb  thou  shalt  offer  at  even,  and 
with  the  first  lamb  a  tenth  of  fine  flour  mixed  with  the  fourth 
part  of  a  hin  of  beaten  oil  :  and  a  drink-offering  of  the  fourth 
part  of  a  hin  of  wine;  so  likewise  with  the  other  lamb,  Exod. 
xxix.  38  to  41.  Again,  "  Ye  shall  offer  in  the  day  in  which  ye 
wave  the  sheaf  of  the  first-fruits  of  the  harvest,  an  entire  lamb 
the  son  of  his  year  for  a  burnt-offering  to  Jehovah,  the  meat- 
offering whereof  shall  be  two-tenths  of  fine  flour  mingled  with 
oil,  and  the  drink-offering  thereof  wine,  the  fourth  of  a  hin," 
Levit.  xxiii.  12, 13,  18.  Again,  "In  the  day  in  which  the  days 
of  the  Nazariteship  are  fulfilled,  ...  he  shall  offer  his  offering 
unto  Jehovah,  .  .  .  sacrifices,  and  a  basket  of  unleavened  bread 
of  fine  flour,  cakes  mixed  with  oil,  and  wafers  of  unleavened 
bread  anointed  with  oil,  with  their  meat-offerings  and  their 
drink-offerings"  Numb,  vi.  13,  14,  15,  17.  Again,  "  Upon 
the  burnt-offering  they  shall  offer  a  meat-offering  of  a  tenth  of 
fine  flour,  mingled  with  a  fourth  of  a  hin  of  oil ;  and  a  fourth 
of  a  hin  of  wine  for  a  drink-offering  /  in  one  manner  upon 
the  burnt-offering  of  a  ram,  and  in  another  manner  of  an  ox," 
Numb.  xv.  3,  4,  5,  11.  Again,  "For  the  daily  burnt-offering 
thou  shalt  offer  a  drink-offering,  the  fourth  of  a  hin  for  a  lamb ; 
in  the  hoi;/  place  shalt  thou  offer  a  drink- offering  of  wine  unto 
Jehovah"  Numb,  xxviii.  6,  7.  Moreover,  concerning  the  meat- 
offerings and  drink-offerings  in  the  various  kinds  of  sacrifices, 
see  Numb,  xxviii.  7  to  the  end;  xxix.  1  to  the  end.  That  the 
meat-offering  and  drink-offering  have  the  above  signification, 
may  also  appear  from  this,  that  love  and  faith  constitute  the  all 
of  worship  ;  and  that  in  the  Holy  Supper,  bread  (which  is  there 
fine  flour  mixed  with  oil)  and  wine  signifv  love  and  faith,  thus 
the  all  of  worship,  see  n.  1798,  2165,  2177,  2187,  2343,  3464, 
3735,  3813,  4211,  4217.  But  when  they  receded  from  the  gen- 
uine representative  of  the  worship  of  the  Lord,  and  turned 
themselves  to  other  gods,  and  offered  drink-offerings  to  them, 
then  by  drink-offerings  were  signified  those  things  which  are 
opposite  to  charity  and  faith,  viz.,  the  evils  of  the  love  of  the 
world  andfaises;  as  in  Isaiah,  "Ye  have  waxed  hot  in  gods 
under  every  green  tree;  .  .  .  also  thou  hast  p>oured  out  to  them 
a  drink-off >  ring,  thou  hast  offered  a  meat-offering"  lvii.  5,  6 ; 
where  to  wax  hot  in  gods,  denotes  the  concupiscences  of  false ; 
that  gods  are  falses,  see  n.  4402,  4544 ;  under  every  green  tree, 
denotes  from  a  belief  of  all  fakes,  n.  2722,  4552  ;  to  pour  out  to 
them  a  drink-offering  and  to  offer  a  meat-offering,  denotes  the 
worship  of  them.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  Ye  who  forsake 
Jehovah,  who  forget  the  mountain  of  my  holiness,  who  prepare 
a  table  for  Gad,  "and  fill  a  drink-offering  to  Meni,"*  lxv.  11. 

*  Meni  seems  to  lie  a  name,  or  attribute,  under  which  the  idolatrous  Jevs 
•worshipped  the  material  heavens.    See  Parkhurtfs  Hebrew  Lexicon. 


45S2.J 


GENESIS. 


227 


So  in  Jeremiah,  "The  sons  gather  wood,  and  the  fathers  kindle 
a  fire,  and  the  women  knead  dough,  to  make  cakes  for  the 
queen  of  the  heavens,  and  to  offer  a  drink-offering  unto  other 
gedSy"  vii.  IS.  Again,  "Doing  we  will  do  every  word,  which 
hath  come  forth  from  our  own  mouth,  in  burning  incense  to  the 
queen  of  the  heavens,  and  in  offering  drink-offerings  unto  hery 
as  we  have  done,  we  and  our  fathers,  and  our  princes,  in  the 
cities  of  Judah,  and  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,"  xliv.  17, 18, 19; 
the  queen  of  the  heavens  denotes  all  falses,  for  the  armies  of  the 
heavens  in  a  genuine  sense  are  truths,  hut  in  an  opposite  sense 
falses ;  in  like  manner  the  king  and  queen ;  thus  the  queen 
denotes  all,  and  to  offer  drink-offerings  unto  her  is  to  worship. 
Again,  "The  Chaldceans  shall  burn  the  city,  and  the  houses  on 
the  roofs  of  which  they  have  offered  incense  unto  Baal,  and 
j)ourcd  out  drink-offering  unto  other  gods"  xxxii.  29  ;  the  Chal- 
deans denote  those  who  are  in  worship  in  which  is  false ;  to 
burn  the  city,  denotes  to  destroy  and  vastate  those  who  are  in 
doctrinals  of  false ;  to  offer  incense  unto  Baal  on  the  roofs  of 
the  houses,  denotes  the  worship  of  evil ;  to  offer  drink-offerings 
to  other  gods,  denotes  the  worship  of  the  false.  So  in  Hosea, 
"They  shall  not  dwell  in  the  land  of  Jehovah,  but  Ephraim 
shall  return  into  Egypt,  and  in  Assyria  they  shall  eat  what  is 
unclean;  they  shall  not  pour  out  wine  to  Jehovah"  ix.  3,  4; 
not  to  dwell  in  the  land  of  Jehovah,  denotes  not  to  be  in  the 
good  of  love ;  Ephraim  shall  return  into  Egypt,  denotes  that 
the  intellectual  principle  of  the  church  shall  become  scientific 
and  sensual ;  they  shall  eat  what  is  unclean  in  Assyria,  denotes 
impure  and  profane  things  derived  from  ratiocination  ;  they 
shall  not  pour  out  wine  to  Jehovah,  denotes  no  worship  grounded 
in  truth.  So  in  Moses,  "  It  shall  be  said,  Where  are  their  gods, 
the  rock  in  which  they  trusted,  who  ate  the  fat  of  their  sacri- 
fices, and  drank  the  wine  of  their  drink-offering?  let  them  rise 
up  and  help  you,"  Deut.  xxxii.  38  ;  gods  denote  falses,  as  above; 
who  ate  the  fat  of  their  sacrifices,  denotes  that  they  destroyed 
the  good  of  worship  ;  and  drank  the  wine  of  their  drink-offering, 
denotes  that  they  destroyed  the  truth  of  worship.  Drink-offer- 
ings are  also  predicated  of  blood,  in  David,  "They  shall  mul- 
tiply their  griefs,  they  have  hastened  to  another,  their  drink- 
offerings  of  blood  will  I  not  offer,  nor  take  up  their  names  upon 
my  lips,"  Psalm  xvi.  4;  and  thereby  are  signified  profanations 
of  truth,  for  in  that  sense  blood  is  violence  offered  to  charity, 
n.  374,  1005,  and  profanation,  n.  1003. 

4582.  "  And  he  poured  oil  upon  it." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied the  Divine  Good  of  love,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
oil,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Good  of  love,  see  n.  886,  3728.  In 
the  internal  sense,  by  setting  up  a  statue  of  stone,  offering  upon 
it  a  drink-offering,  and  pouring  oil  upon  it,  is  described  the 
progression  from  truth  in  the  ultimate  to  more  inward  truth 


228 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


and  good,  and  at  length  to  the  good  of  love ;  for  the  statue  of 
stone  is  truth  in  the  ultimate  of  order,  see  n.  4580  ;  the  drink- 
ottering  is  interior  truth  and  good,  n.  4581 ;  but  oil  is  the  good 
of  love.  Such  also  was  the  Lord's  process  of  progression  in 
making  His  Human  principle  Divine,  and  such  also  is  man's 
process  of  progression,  when  the  Lord  makes  him  celestial 
through  regeneration. 

4583.  Ver.  15.  "And  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place 
where  God  spake  with  him,  Bethel." — That  hereby  is  signified 
the  Divine  Natural  principle  and  its  state,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  calling  a  name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  n. 
144,  145,  1754,  2009,  2724,  3006,  3421 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  Bethel,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Natural  principle, 
see  n.  4559,  4560.  That  it  is  the  state  thereof,  is  signified  by 
the  place  where  God  spake  with  him  /  as  above,  n.  4578. 

4584.  Verses  16  to  20.  And  they  journeyed  from  Bethel:  and 
there  loas  yet  a  tract  of  land  to  come  to  Kphrath:  and  Rachel 
travailed,  and  she  suffered  hard  things  in  her  labour.  And  it 
came  to  pass  in  her  suffering  hard  things  in  her  labour,  that 
the  midwife  said  unto  her,  Fear  not,  for  thou  hast  this  son 
also.  And  it  came  to  pass,  in  her  sold  going  forth,  that  she 
was  about  to  die ;  and  she  called  his  name  Benoni  •  but  his 
father  called  him  Benjamin.  And  Rachel  died,  and  was 
buried  in  the  way  to  Ephrath,  this  is  Bethlehem.  And  Jacob 
set  a  statue  over  her  grave  ;  this  is  the  statue  of  Rachel's  grave 
even  to  this  day.  They  journeyed  from  Bethel,  and  there  was 
yet  a  tract  of  land  to  come  to  Ephrath,  signifies  that  now  was 
the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  (Joseph  is  the  celestial  of 
the  spiritual):  and  Rachel  travailed,  and  she  suffered  hard 
things  in  her  labour,  signifies  the  temptations  of  interior  truth  : 
audit  came  to  pass  in  her  suffering  hard  tilings  in  her  labour, 
signifies  after  temptations:  that  the  midwife  said,  Fear  not, 
signifies  perception  from  the  natural  principle :  for  thou  hast 
this  son  also,  signifies  spiritual  truth :  and  it  came  to  pass,  in 
her  soul  going  forth,  that  she  was  about  to  die,  signifies  a  state 
of  temptations :  and  she  called  his  name  Benoni,  signifies  the 
quality  of  that  state  :  but  his  father  called  him  Benjamin,  sig- 
nifies the  quality  of  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  :  and 
Rachel  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  way  to  Ephrath,  signifies 
the  end  of  the  former  affection  of  interior  truth  :  this  is  Bethle- 
hem, signifies  in  the  place  thereof  the  resurrection  of  a  new 
spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle:  and  Jacob  set  a  statue  over 
her  grave,  signifies  the  lioly  principle  of  spiritual  truth  about 
to  rise  again  there :  this  is  the  statue  of  Rachel's  grave  even  to 
this  day,  signifies  the  state  of  the  holy  principle  for  ever. 

4585.  Ver.  16.  "And  they  journeyed  from  Bethel,  and 
there  was  yet  a  tract  of  land  to  come  to  Ephrath." — That  here- 
by is  signified,  that  now  was  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  prin- 


4583—4585.] 


GENESIS. 


229 


ciple,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  journeying  from 
Bethel,  as  denoting  the  continuous  progression  of  the  Divine 
from  the  Divine  Natural  principle ;  to  journey  denotes  what  is 
continuous  (see  n.  4554),  in  this  case,  in  the  supreme  sense, 
the  continuous  progression  of  the  Divine  principle;  and  Beth- 
lehem is  the  Divine  Natural  principle  (see  n.  4559,  4560) ;  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  a  tract  of  land  to  come,  as  denoting 
an  intermediate  principle,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently ; 
and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  Ephrath,  as  denoting  the 
spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  in  a  former  state,  of  which 
we  shall  speak  below  when  we  treat  of  Bethlehem,  which  is 
the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  in  a  new  state ;  hence  it 
is  said,  Ephrath  this  is  Bethlehem,  verse  19.  The  subject 
treated  of  in  these  verses  js  the  progression  of  the  Lord's 
] )i vine  [principle]  towards  interior  things;  for  when  the  Lord 
made  His  Human  principle  Divine,  He  advanced  in  a  similar 
order  to  that  in  which  He  makes  man  new  through  regenera- 
tion, viz.,  from  the  external  to  interiors,  thus  from  truth,  which 
is  in  the  ultimate  of  order,  to  good  which  is  interior,  and  is 
called  spiritual  good,  and  thence  to  celestial  good.  But  these 
things  cannot  fall  into  the  understanding  of  any  one,  unless  it 
be  known  what  the  external  man  is,  and  what  the  internal ; 
and  that  the  former  is  distinct  from  the  latter,  although  they 
appear  as  one  whilst  man  lives  in  the  body ;  also  that  the 
natural  principle  constitutes  the  external  man,  and  the  rational 
the  internal  man ;  moreover,  it  must  likewise  be  known  what 
the  spiritual  principle  is,  and  what  the  celestial.  These  things 
indeed  have  been  occasionally  explained  already ;  neverthe- 
less, they  who  had  no  idea  concerning  them  previously,  because 
they  were  not  in  any  desire  of  knowing  the  things  of  eternal 
life,  cannot  still  have  any  idea  concerning  them.  Persons  of 
this  description  say,  What  is  the  internal  man?  Is  it  possible 
that  he  can  be  distinct  from  the  external  ?  Also,  what  are  the 
natural  and  the  rational  principles?  Are  they  not  one?  More- 
over, what  are  the  spiritual  ana  the  celestial  principles?  Is  not 
this  a  new  distinction?  We  have  heard  of  a  spiritual  prin- 
ciple, but  we  have  not  heard  that  the  celestial  is  another. 
Howbeit,  the  case  is  this:  they  who  have  not  heretofore  pro- 
cured to  themselves  any  idea  on  those  subjects,  because  the 
cares  of  the  world  and  of  the  body  possess  all  their  thought, 
and  take  away  all  desire  of  such  knowledge,  or  because  they 
suppose  it  enough  to  know  doctrinals  as  the  bulk  of  mankind 
know  them,  and  that  they  are  not  concerned  in  thinking  fur- 
ther, urging  that  they  see  the  world,  but  do  not  see  the  other 
life,  and  that  perhaps  there  is  another  life,  and  perhaps  there 
is  not;  such  persons  remove  these  subjects  from  themselves, 
for  even  at  the  first  glance  they  reject  them  in  heart.  Never- 
theless, since  the  subjects  contained  in  the  internal  sense  of  the 


230 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


"Word  are  such,  and  cannot  be  explained  without  adequate 
terms,  and  as  we  have  no  more  adequate  terms  to  express 
exterior  things  than  by  natural,  interior  things  by  rational,  the 
things  of  truth  by  spiritual,  and  the  things  of  good  by  celestial, 
it  is  therefore  necessary  to  apply  those  expressions  ;  for  without 
adequate  expressions  it  is  impossible  that  any  thing  can  be 
described.  To  the  intent  then  that  they  who  are  in  the  desire 
of  knowing,  may  receive  some  idea  of  what  the  spiritual  of  the 
celestial  principle  is,  which  Benjamin  represents,  and  which 
Bethlehem  signifies,  it  may  be  expedient  to  say  a  few  words 
on  the  subject.  The  subject  above  treated  of,  in  the  supreme 
sense,  is  the  glorification  of  the  Lord's  Natural  principle  ;  and 
in  the  respective  sense,  the  regeneration  of  man  as  to  his 
natural  principle.  That  Jacob  represented  the  man  of  the 
church  as  to  his  external  principle,  and  Israel  as  to  the  inter- 
nal, thus  Jacob  as  to  his  exterior  natural  principle,  and  Israel 
as  to  the  interior,  was  shown  above  in  n.  42S6 ;  for  the  spiritual 
man  is  from  the  natural,  but  the  celestial  man  from  the  rational. 
It  was  also  shown,  that  the  Lord's  glorification  proceeded  from 
external  things  to  interior,  in  like  manner  as  the  regeneration 
of  man  proceeds,  and  that  for  the  sake  of  this  representation 
Jacob  was  called  Israel ;  but  the  subject  now  treated  of  is  the 
further  progression  towards  interior  things,  viz.,  towards  the 
rational  principle;  for,  as  we  just  now  said,  the  rational  prin- 
ciple constitutes  the  internal  man :  the  intermediate  principle 
between  the  internal  of  the  natural  and  the  external  of  the 
rational,  is  what  is  meant  by  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  prin- 
ciple, signified  by  Ephrath  and  Bethlehem,  and  represented  by 
Benjamin.  This  intermediate  principle  derives  something  from 
the  internal  of  the  natural  principle,  which  is  Israel,  and  from 
the  external  of  the  rational  principle,  which  is  Joseph  ;  for  that 
which  is  intermediate  must  needs  derive  something  from  each, 
otherwise  it  cannot  serve  for  an  intermediate ;  in  order  that 
any  one  from  spiritual  may  become  celestial,  he  must  needs 
advance  by  this  intermediate  principle,  inasmuch  as  without 
an  intermediate  it  is  not  possible  to  climb  up  to  higher  prin- 
ciples. The  quality,  therefore,  of  the  progress  made  by  this 
intermediate  is  here  described  in  the  internal  sense  by  Jacob's 
coming  to  Ephrath,  and  by  Rachel  there  bringing  forth  Benja- 
min;  hence  it  is  evident  that  by  their  journeying  from  Bethel, 
and  there  being  yet  a  tract  of  land  to  come  to  Ephrath,  is  sig- 
nified the  continuous  progression  of  the  Lord's  Divine  principle 
from  the  Divine  Natural  to  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial,  signi- 
iied  by  Ephrath  and  Bethlehem,  and  represented  by  Benjamin. 
The  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  is  the  intermediate 
spoken  of  above;  it  is  called  spiritual  from  the  spiritual  man, 
who  viewed  in  himself  is  the  interior  of  the  natural  man ;  and 
celestial  from  the  celestial  man,  who  viewed  in  himself  is  the 


458G— 45SS.] 


GENESIS. 


231 


interior  of  tlic  rational ;  Joseph  is  the  exterior  of  the  rational, 
wherefore  of  it  is  predicated  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  from 
the  rational  principle. 

45S6.  "And  Rachel  travailed,  and  she  suffered  hard  things 
in  her  labour." — That  hereby  are  signified  the  temptations  of 
interior  truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  travailing, 
or  bringing  forth,  as  denoting  the  existence  of  the  spiritual 
things  of  truth,  and  of  the  celestial  things  of  good  :  for  in  the 
internal  sense,  nothing  else  is  meant  by  bringing  forth  than 
such  things  as  relate  to  spiritual  birth,  see  n.  1145,  1255,  2584, 
3860,  3868,  3905,  3915,  3919,  4070 ;  (2.)  from  the  representa- 
tion of  Rachel,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  interior  truth,  see 
n.  3758,  3782,  3793,  3819,  3829  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification 
of  suffering  hard  things,  as  denoting  to  undergo  temptations ; 
for  when  predicated  of  truths  and  goods,  or  of  spiritual  and 
celestial  things,  this  expression  can  have  no  other  signification, 
since  no  one  can  attain  to  those  things  except  through  tempta- 
tions; for  in  this  case  interior  goods  and  truths  combat  with 
the  evils  and  falses  that  are  from  a  hereditary  and  actual 
ground,  man  being  kept  on  such  occasions  by  the  Lord  in 
goods  and  truths  from  an  interior  ground,  and  being  assaulted 
by  evils  and  falses  which  burst  forth  from  the  hereditary  prin- 
ciple, and  are  at  hand  in  consequence  of  what  is  actual ;  that 
is,  the  spirits  and  genii  who  are  in  those  evils  and  falses  so 
assail  him.  Hence  come  temptations,  whereby  not  only  evils 
and  falses,  when  conquered,  are  rejected  and  removed,  but  also 

foods  and  truths  are  confirmed.  These  are  the  things  signified 
y  Rachel  travailing,  and  suffering  hard  things  in  her  labour. 

4587.  Ver.  17.  "And  it  came  to  pass  in  her  suffering  hard 
things  in  her  labour." — That  hereby  is  signified  after  tempta- 
tions, appears  from  what  has*  been  said  just  above,  n.  4586, 
thus  without  further  explanation. 

4588.  "That  the  midwife  said  unto  her,  Fear  not." — That 
hereby  is  signified  perception  from  the  natural  principle, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  saying  in  the  historicals 
of  the  Word,  as  denoting  perception,  see  n.  1791,  1815,  1819, 
1822,  1898,  1919,  2080,  2619,  2862,  3395,  3509 ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  midwife,  as  denoting  the  natural  principle. 
The  midwife  here  denotes  the  natural  principle,  because  when 
interior  temptations  are  undergone,  that  is,  when  the  interior 
man  undergoes  temptations,  the  natural  principle  is  like  a  mid- 
wife ;  for  unless  the  natural  principle  gives  aid,  it  is  impossible 
for  any  birth  of  interior  truth  to  exist,  since  it  is  the  natural 
principle  which  receives  into  its  bosom  interior  truths  when 
born,  and  gives  them  an  opportunity  of  springing  forth.  Such 
is  the  case  with  the  things  relating  to  spiritual  birth,  that 
reception  must  be  altogether  in  the  natural  principle  ;  this  is 
the  reason  why,  during  man's  regeneration,  the  natural  priu- 


232 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


ciple  is  first  prepared  to  receive,  and  so  far  as  this  principle  is 
rendered  capable  of  receiving,  so  far  interior  truths  and  goods 
can  be  brought  forth  and  multiplied.  For  this  reason  also,  if 
the  natural  man  be  not  prepared  to  receive  the  truths  and 
goods  of  faith  in  the  life  of  the  body,  he  cannot  receive  them 
in  the  other  life,  and  thus  he  cannot  be  saved ;  this  is  what  is 
meant  by  the  observation  so  generally  in  use,  that  as  the  tree 
falls,  so  it  lies ;  or,  as  man  dies,  so  is  his  state ;  for  man  has 
with  him  in  the  other  life  all  the  natural  memory,  or  the  mem- 
ory of  the  external  man,  but  in  that  life  it  is  not  allowed  to  use 
it  (see  n.  2469  to  2494),  wherefore  it  is  there  as.  a  foundation 
plane,  into  which  interior  truths  and  goods  fall,  and  if  that 
plane  is  not  capable  of  receiving  the  truths  and  goods  which 
flow-in  from  an  interior  principle,  they  are  either  extinguished, 
perverted,  or  rejected.  From  these  considerations  it  may 
appear  that  the  natural  principle  is  like  a  midwife.  That  the 
natural  principle,  so  far  as  it  is  recipient  when  the  interior  man 
brings  forth,  is  like  a  midwife,  may  also  appear  from  the  inter- 
nal sense  of  the  things  related  of  the  midwives,  who  vivilied 
the  sons  of  the  Hebrew  women  contrary  to  the  command  of 
Pharaoh,  as  thus  stated  in  Moses:  "The  king  of  Egypt  spake 
to  the  midwives  of  the  Hebrews,  .  .  .  and  he  said,  When  ye 
do  the  office  of  a  midwife  to  the  Hebrew  women,  and  see  them 
upon  the  stools,  if  he  be  a  son,  ye  shall  kill  him,  and  if  she  be 
a  daughter,  she  shall  be  made  alive.  And  the  midwives  feared 
God,  and  did  not  as  the  king  of  Egypt  spake  unto  them,  they 
vivified  the  sons.  And  the  king  of  Egypt  called  the  midwives 
and  said  unto  them,  "Wherefore  have  ye  done  this  word,  and 
have  vivified  the  sons?  And  the  midwives  said  to  Pharaoh, 
Because  the  Hebrew  women  are  not  as  the  Egyptian  women, 
for  they  are  lively,  and  they  have  brought  forth  before  the 
midwife  cometh  unto  them.  And  God  dealt  well  with  the 
midwives,  and  the  people  multiplied,  and  became  very  numer- 
ous. And  it  came  to  pass,  because  the  midwives  feared  God, 
that  he  made  them  houses,"  Exod.  i.  15  to  21 ;  by  the  daugh- 
ters and  sons  whom  the  Hebrew  women  brought  forth,  are 
represented  the  goods  and  truths  of  anew  church  ;  by  the  mid- 
wives,  the  natural  principle  so  far  as  it  is  recipient  of  goods 
and  truths;  by  the  king  of  Egypt,  the  scientific  principle  in 
general,  see  n.  1164,  1165,  1186,  which  extinguishes  truths,  as 
is  the  case  when  the  scientific  principle  enters  into  the  things 
of  faith  by  a  perverted  way,  in  believing  nothing  but  what  the 
sensual  and  scientific  principle  dictates.  That  midwives  in  the 
above  passage  denote  receptions  of  truth  in  the  natural  prin- 
ciple, will  lie  confirmed,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord, 
when  the  things  contained  in  that  chapter  come  to  be  ex- 
plained. 

4589.  "  For  thou  hast  this  son  also." — That  hereby  is  signi- 


4589—4592.] 


GENESIS. 


233 


fied  spiritual  truth,  appears  from  the  signification  ot  s<m,  as 
denoting  truth,  see  n.  489,  491,  533,  1147,  2623,  3373 ;  in  the 
present  case  spiritual  truth,  because  it  is  Benjamin,  who  here 
is  the  son,  by  whom  is  represented  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial 
principle. 

4590.  Ver.  18.  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  in  her  soul  going 
forth,  that  she  was  about  to  die." — That  hereby  is  signified  a 
state  of  temptation,  appears  from  the  signification  of  the  soul 
going  forth,  and  of  dying,  as  denoting  the  ultimate  of  tempta- 
tion, which  takes  place  wdien  the  old  man  dies,  and  the  new 
receives  life.  That  this  is  the  signification,  is  evident  from  what 
precedes,  that  she  suffered  hard  things  in  her  labour,  denoting 
the  temptation  of  interior  truth,  n.  4586,  4587,  and  from  what 
follows  at  verse  19,  that  Rachel  died. 

4591.  "  And  she  called  his  name  Benoni." — That  hereby  is 
signified  the  quality  of  that  state,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  calling  a  name,  as  denoting  quality,  of  which  much  has 
been  said  heretofore.  The  state  here  described  is,  in  the  internal 
sense,  a  state  of  temptations ;  the  quality  of  this  state  is  signi- 
fied by  Benoni,  for  in  the  original  tongue  Benoni  signifies  a 
son  of  my  grief  or  mourning.  That  names  significative  of  state 
were  given  to  infants  in  old  time,  may  be  seen  in  n.  1946,  2643, 
3422,4298. 

4592.  "But  his  father  called  him  Benjamin." — -That  hereby 
is  signified  the  quality  of  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle, 
appears  from  the  representation  of  Benjamin,  as  denoting  the 
spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle.  What  this  principle  is,  was 
explained  above,  n.  4585,  viz.,  it  is  the  intermediate  between 
the  spiritual  and  celestial  principle,  or  between  the  spiritual 
man  and  the  celestial;  Benjamin,  in  the  original  tongue,  sig- 
nifies a  son  of  the  right  hand,  by  which  is  signified  spiritual 
truth  from  celestial  good,  and  thence  power,  for  good  has 
power  through  truth,  see  n.  3563 ;  son  is  truth,  n.  4S9,  491, 
533,  1147,  2623,  3373 ;  and  hand  is  power,  n.  878,  3091,  3563, 
hence  the  right  hand  is  the  highest  power.  From  this  consider- 
ation it  is  manifest  what  is  signified  by  sitting  at  the  right  hand 
of  God,  viz.,  a  state  of  power  by  virtue  of  truth  which  is  from 
good,  n.  3387,  which,  when  predicated  of  the  Lord,  is  omnipo- 
tence, and  also  the  Divine  Truth  which  proceeds  from  the  Divine 
Good  of  the  Lord,  as  in  Psalm  ex.  1 ;  Matt.  xxii.  44  ;  xxvi.  63, 
64  ;  Mark  xiv.  61,  62  ;  xvi.  19  ;  Luke  xxii.  69  ;  and  whereas  it 
is  Divine  power,  that  is,  omnipotence,  it  is  there  said,  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  power  or  virtue  of  God.  Hence  it  is  mani- 
fest what  Benjamin  signifies  in  the  genuine  sense,  viz.,  spiritual 
truth  from  the  celestial  good  which  is  Joseph ;  both  together 
therefore  are  that  intermediate  principle  which  is  between  the 
spiritual  man  and  the  celestial  man,  as  was  said  above,  n.  4585; 
but  this  good  and  truth  are  distinct  from  the  celestial  repre- 


234 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxv 


sented  by  Judah,  and  from  the  spiritual  represented  by  Israel, 
for  the  former  is  superior  or  interior,  and  the  latter  is  inferior 
or  exterior:  for  they  are,  as  was  said,  an  intermediate  principle. 
But  an  idea  of  the  good  represented  by  Joseph,  and  of  the 
truth  represented  by  Benjamin,  cannot  be  had  by  any  one, 
unless  he  be  illustrated  by  light  from  heaven  ;  the  angels  have 
a  clear  idea  concerning  them,  because  all  their  ideas  of  thought 
are  from  the  light  of  heaven,  which  is  from  the  Lord,  in  which 
they  see  and  perceive  indefinite  tilings  that  man  cannot  in  any 
wise  comprehend,  still  less  utter.  This  may  be  illustrated  by 
the  following  case :  all  men  whatsoever  are  born  natural,  with 
the  abilit}*  to  become  either  celestial  or  spiritual;  but  the  Lord 
alone  was  born  spiritual  celestial,  and  in  consequence  thereof 
He  was  born  in  Bethlehem,  where  is  the  boundary  of  the  land 
of  Benjamin,  for  by  Bethlehem  is  signified  the  spiritual  of  the 
celestial,  and  by  Benjamin  is  represented  the  spiritual  of  the 
celestial ;  the  reason  why  He  alone  was  born  spiritual  celestial, 
is,  because  the  Divine  [principle]  was  in  Him.  These  things 
cannot  possibly  be  comprehended  by  any  one  who  is  not  in  the 
light  of  heaven ;  for  he  who  is  in  the  light  of  the  world,  and 
has  perception  from  that  light,  scarcely  knows  what  truth  and 
good  are,  still  less  what  it  is  to  ascend  to  the  interior  things  of 
truth  and  good  by  degrees ;  thus  he  is  in  total  ignorance  of 
those  innumerable  things  thereof  in  each  degree,  which  are 
manifest  to  the  angels  in  a  light  as  of  noon-day  ;  hence  it  is 
evident  what  the  quality  of  the  wisdom  of  angels  is  in  respect 
to  that  of  men.  There  are  six  names  which  frequently  occur  in 
the  prophetics  of  the  Word  where  the  church  is  treated  of,  viz., 
Judah,  Joseph,  Benjamin,  Ephraim,  Israel,  and  Jacob;  he  who 
does  not  know  what  principle  of  good  and  truth  of  the  church 
is  meant  by  each  name  in  the  internal  sense,  cannot  possihly 
know  any  thing  of  the  divine  arcana  of  the  Word  where  those 
names  occur;  nor  can  he  know  what  principle  of  the  church  is 
meant,  unless  he  knows  what  the  celestial  principle  is,  which  is 
Judah  ;  what  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  is,  which  is  Joseph; 
What  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial,  which  is  Benjamin  ;  what  the 
intellectual  principle  of  the  church,  which  is  Ephraim ;  what 
the  internal  spiritual,  which  is  Israel ;  and  what  the  external 
spiritual,  which  is  Jacob.  As  to  what  specifically  concerns  Ben- 
jamin, inasmuch  as  he  represents  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial, 
and  Joseph  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual,  and  thereby  botli 
together  represent  the  intermediate  between  the  celestial  and 
spiritual  man,  and  hence  they  are  most  conjoined,  therefore  also 
their  conjunction  is  described  in  the  historical  of  the  Word 
concerning  Joseph  as  follows  :  "  Joseph  said  unto  his  brethren, 
that  they  should  bring  their  youngest  brother,  lest  they  die,"  Gen. 
xlii.  20.  When  they  returned  with  Benjamin,  and  Joseph  "saw 
Benjamin  his  brother,  he  said,  Is  this  your  youngest  brother ! 


4592.] 


GENESIS. 


235 


And  lie  said,  God  be  gracious  unto  thee,  my  son.  And  Joseph 
made  haste,  for  his  bowels  did  yearn  upon  his  brother,  and  he 
sought  to  weep,  and  therefore  he  entered  into  his  chamber,  and 
wept  there"  Gen.  xliii.  29,  30.  "And  he  multiplied  Benja- 
mtn's  portion  fivefold  above  the  portion  of  them  all,"  verse  34. 
After  he  had  made  himself  known  to  his  brethren,  "  he  fell 
upon  his  brother  Benjamin's  neck  and  wept,  and  Benjamin 
wept  upon  his  neck,"  xlv.  14.  "And  he  gave  to  all  changes 
of  raiment,  but  to  Benjamin  he  gave  three  hundred  pieces  of 
silver,  and  five  changes  of  raiment,"  verse  22.  From  these 
considerations  it  is  evident  that  Joseph  and  Benjamin  were 
most  conjoined,  not  because  they  were  of  one  mother,  but  be- 
cause by  them  is  represented' the  spiritual  conjunction  subsist- 
ing between  the  good  which  is  Joseph,  and  the  truth  which  is 
Benjamin,  and  because  each  is  an  intermediate  between  the 
celestial  and  spiritual  man:  therefore  Joseph  conld  not  be  con- 
joined with  his  brethren,  nor  with  his  father,  except  through 
Benjamin  ;  for  without  an  intermediate,  conjunction  cannot 
have  place,  and  this  was  the  reason  why  Joseph  did  not  reveal 
himself  sooner.  Moreover  also  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  espe- 
cially the  prophetical,  by  Benjamin  is  signified  spiritual  truth 
of  the  church  ;  as  in  the  prophetic  enunciation  of  Moses  con- 
cerning the  sons  of  Israel,  "  To  Benjamin  he  said,  The  beloved 
of  Jehovah,  he  shall  dwell  confidently  upon  him,  covering  over 
him  all  the  day,  and  he  shall  dwell  between  his  shoulders," 
Dent,  xxxiii.  12 ;  the  beloved  of  Jehovah  is  the  spiritual  truth 
from  celestial  good ;  this  good  in  that  truth  is  predicated  tc 
dwell  confidently,  to  cover  it  the  whole  day,  and  also  to  dwell 
between  its  shoulders ;  for  shoulders,  in  the  internal  sense,  are 
the  all  of  power,  see  n.  1085,  and  the  all  of  power  belongs  to 
a;ood  through  truth,  n.  3563.  So  in  Jeremiah,  "  O  ye  sons  of 
Benjamin,  flee  out  of  the  midst  of  Jerusalem,  and  sounding 
sound  with  the  trumpet,  and  upon  the  house  of  the  vineyard 
lift  up  a  prophecy,  because  evil  looks  from  the  north,  and  a 
great  breaking,"  vi.  1 ;  the  sons  of  Benjamin  denote  spiritual 
truth  grounded  in  celestial;  Jerusalem  denotes  the  spiritual 
church,  also  the  house  of  the  vineyard  or  Beth-haccerem ;  evil 
out  of  the  north  denotes  man's  sensual  principle  and  the  scien- 
tific thence  derived.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  It  shall 
come  to  pass,  ...  if  ye  sanctify  the  day  of  the  sabbath,  .  .  . 
they  shall  enter  from  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  from  the  places 
about  Jerusalem,  and  from  the  land  of  Benjamin,  and  from  the 
plain,  and  from  the  mountains,  and  from  the  south,  bringing 
burnt-offering  and  sacrifice,  and  meat-offering,  and  frankincense, 
and  bringing  sacrifice  of  praise  unto  the  house  of  Jehovah," 
xvii.  24,  26 ;  and  again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  In  the  cities  of 
the  mountains,  in  the  cities  of  the  plain,  in  the  cities  of  the  south, 
and  in  the  land  of  Benjamin,  and  in  the  places  about  Jerusalem, 


236 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


and  in  the  cities  of  Judah,  flocks  shall  yet  pass  near  the  hands 
of  him  that  numbereth,"  xxxiii.  13 ;  where  the  land  of  Benjamin 
also  denotes  the  spiritual  truth  of  the  church;  for  all  the  tilings 
of  the  church,  from  the  first  degree  to  the  last,  are  signified  by 
the  cities  of  Judah.  the  places  about  Jerusalem,  the  land  of 
Benjamin,  the  plain,  the  mountain,  and  the  south.  So  in  Hosea, 
"  Sound  ye  the  cornet  in  Gibeah,  the  trumpet  in  Ramah,  cry 
aloud  in  Bethaven,  after'  thee,  0  Benjamin,  Ephraim  shall  be 
desolate  in  the  day  of  rebuke,"  v.  8,  9 ;  Gibeah,  Ramah,  and 
Bethaven  denote  the  things  of  spiritual  truth  from  celestial 
which  is  Benjamin,  for  Gibeah  was  Benjamin's,  Judges  xix. 
14 ;  also  Ramah,  Joshua  xviii.  25 ;  as  likewise  Bethaven, 
verse  12;  to  sound  with  the  cornet  and  trumpet,  and  to  cry 
aloud,  denote  to  announce  that  the  intellectual  principle  of  the 
church,  which  is  Ephraim,  is  desolate.  So  in  Obadiah,  M  The 
iiouse  of  Jacob  shall  become  a  fire,  and  the  house  of  Joseph  a 
flame,  the  house  of  Esau  for  stubble ;  .  .  .  and  they  of  the  south 
shall  inherit  the  mount  of  Esau,  and  they  in  the  plain  the  Phi- 
listines, and  they  shall  inherit  the  field  of  Ephraim,  and  the 
field  of  Samaria,  and  Benjamin  shall  possess  Gilead,"  verses 
18,  19.  That  names  signify  things,  is  very  manifest  in  this  as 
well  as  in  other  passages ;  for  unless  it  be  known  what  is  sig- 
nified by  the  house  ot  Jacob,  the  house  of  Joseph,  the  house 
of  Esau,  the  mountain  of  Esau,  the  Philistines,  the  field  of 
Ephraim,  the  field  of  Samaria,  Benjamin,  and  Gilead,  and  also 
what  by  they  of  the  south,  by  house,  plain,  mountain,  field,  it 
is  impossible  that  any  thing  in  the  passage  can  be  compre- 
hended :  neither  were  the  things  done,  which  are  there  said 
historically;  but  he  who  knows  what  each  expression  involves, 
will  find  therein  heavenly  arcana;  Benjamin  also  in  this  pas- 
sage is  the  spiritual  principle  from  the  celestial.  In  like  man- 
ner in  Zechariah,  "Jehovah  shall  be  king  over  the  whole  earth; 
in  that  day  there  shall  he  one  Jehovah,  and  his  name  one :  the 
whole  earth  shall  encompass  as  a  plain  from  Geba  even  to  Rim- 
mon,  .  .  .  and  shall  dwell  beneath  itself,  \\e\\CQ  from  the  gate  of 
Benjamin  even  to  the  place  of  the  first  gate,  unto  the  gate  of 
the  corners,  and  the  tower  Hananeel,  unto  the  king's  wine- 
presses," xiv.  9.  10.  In  like  manner  in  David,  "  Give  ear,  O 
Shepherd,  who  leadest  Joseph  like  a  flock,  who  sittest  upon  the 
cherubim  ;  before  Ephraim,  and  Benjamin,  and  Manasseh,  stir 
up  thy  strength,  and  come  and  save  us,"  Psalm  lxxx.  1,  2.  In 
like  manner  in  the  prophetic  enunciation  of  Deborah  and  Ba- 
rak, "  Jehovah  shall  rule  for  me  amongst  the  mighty :  out  of 
Ephraim  whose  root  is  in  Amalek;  after  thee,  Benjamin,  among 
thy  people,  out  of  Machir  shall  come  law-givers,  and  out  of 
Zebulun  they  who  bear  the  sceptre  of  the  scribe,"  Judges  v. 
13, 14.  And  in  John,  "  I  heard  the  number  of  the  sealed,  an 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  were  sealed  of  all  tho  tribes  ot 


4593.] 


GENESIS. 


237 


Israel;  of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun  were  sealed  twelve  thousand; 
of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve  thousand  ;  of  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,"  Rev.  vii.  4  to  8  ; 
where  by  the  tribes  of  Israel  are  signified  those  who  are  in 
goods  and  truths,  and  thence  in  the  Lord's  kingdom ;  for  tribes 
and  twelve,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  twelve  thousand,  are 
all  the  tilings  of  love  and  faith,  or  of  good  and  truth,  see  n.  577t 
20S9,  2129,  2130,  3272,  3858,  3913,  3926,  3939,  4060  ;  these 
things  are  there  distributed  into  four  classes,  the  last  of  which 
consists  of  the  twelve  thousand  sealed  out  of  Zebulun,  Joseph, 
and  Benjamin,  because  by  the  tribe  of  Zebulun  is  signified  the 
heavenly  marriage,  see  n.  3960,  3961,  in  which  is  heaven,  thus 
in  which  are  all  tilings;  Joseph  here  is  the  celestial  of  the  spir- 
itual principle,  or  the  good  of  truth;  and  Benjamin  is  the  truth 
of  that  good,  or  the  spiritual  of  the-  celestial  principle,  this  is 
the  conjugial  principle  in  heaven  ;  hence  it  is  that  they  are 
named  last.  Inasmuch  as  by  Benjamin  was  represented  the 
spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  of  the  church,  or  the  truth  of 
good,  which  is  intermediate  between  celestial  good  and  spir- 
itual truth,  therefore  Jerusalem  fell  to  the  sons  of  Benjamin  for 
an  inheritance;  for  Jerusalem,  before  Zion  was  built  there,  sig- 
nified the  church  in  general.  That  Jerusalem  fell  to  the  lot  of 
Benjamin,  see  Joshua  xviii.  28 ;  Judges  i.  21. 

4593.  Yer.  19.  "And  Rachel  died,  and  was  buried  in  the 
way  to  Ephrath." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  end  of  the 
former  affection  of  interior  truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  dying,  as  denoting  to  cease  to  be  such,  see  n.  494, 
thus  denoting  an  end ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Rachel, 
as  denoting  the  affection  of  interior  truth,  see  n.  3758,  3782, 
3793,  3819 ;  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  burying,  as  denoting 
the  rejection  of  a  former  state,  and  the  resuscitation  of  a  new 
one,  see  n.  2916,  2917,  3256 ;  and  (4.)  from  the  signification  of 
Ephrath,  as  denoting  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  in 
a  former  state,  see  n.  4585.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  Rachel 
dying  and  being  buried  in  the  way  to  Ephrath,  is  signified  the 
end  of  the  state  of  the  former  affection  of  interior  truth,  and 
the  resuscitation  of  a  new  state,  which  is  Bethlehem,  of  which 
Ave  shall  speak  presently.  In  the  genuine  sense,  by  Rachel 
dying  and  being  buried  in  the  way  to  Ephrath,  is  signified  that 
the  hereditary  principle  was  expelled  for  ever  through  tempta- 
tions ;  the  hereditary  principle  was  the  human  affection  of  inte- 
rior truth,  which  the  divine  affection  expelled:  hence  also,  that 
son  was  called  by  the  mother,  Benoni,  or  a  son  of  grief ;  but  by 
the  father,  Benjamin,  or  a  son  of  the  right  hand.  In  the  human 
affection  which  is  from  the  mother,  there  is  an  hereditary  prin- 
ciple in  which  is  evil,  but  in  the  divine  affection  there  is  noth- 
ing but  good;  for  in  the  human  affection  there  is  self-glory,  and 
the  glory  of  the  world  as  an  end  for  the  sake  of  self,  but  in  the 


238 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


divine  affection  there  is  an  end  for  the  sake  of  self  that  it  may 
he  from  self  to  save  the  human  race,  according  to  the  Lord's 
words  in  John,  "I  pray  for  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me;  for 
all  mine  are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine,  but  I  am  glorified  in 
tkt  m.  That  they  all  may  be  one  ;  as  thou  Father  in  me,  and  I 
in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us  ;  ...  /  have  given  them 
the  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me,  that  they  may  be  one,  as  we 
are  one ;  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me,"  xvii.  9,  10,  21,  22,  23. 

4594.  "  This  is  Bethlehem." — That  hereby  is  signified  in  the 
place  thereof  the  resurrection  of  a  new  spiritual  of  the  celestial 
principle,  appears  from  the  signification  of  Bethlehem,  as  de- 
noting the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  in  a  new  state;  for 
Ephrath  is  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  in  a  former 
state,  see  n.  4585  ;  by  being  buried  there,  is  signified  the  resur- 
rection of  a  new  state,  n.  4593.  That  Rachel  brought  forth  her 
other  son,  or  Benjamin,  in  Bethlehem,  and  died  in  bringing 
forth,  also  that  David  was  born  in  Bethlehem,  and  was  there 
anointed  to  be  a  kiner,  and  finally  that  the  Lord  was  born  there, 
is  an  arcanum  which  has  not  heretofore  been  revealed ;  nor 
could  it  be  revealed  to  any  one,  who  did  not  know  what  was 
signified  by  Ephrath  and  by  Bethlehem,  and  what  was  repre- 
sented by  Benjamin,  and  by  David  ;  especially  who  did  not 
know  what  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  principle  is,  for  this 
principle  was  signified  by  those  places,  and  represented  by  those 
persons.  The  Lord  was  born  there,  and  not  elsewhere,  because 
He  alone  was  born  a  spiritual  celestial  man  ;  but  all  others  are 
born  natural,  with  the  faculty,  or  ability,  of  becoming  either 
celestial  or  spiritual  by  regeneration  from  the  Lord;  the  reason 
why  the  Lord  was  born  a  spiritual  celestial  man,  was,  that  He 
might  make  His  Unman  principle  Divine,  according  to  order 
from  the  lowest  degree  to  the  highest,  and  might  thereby  ar- 
range into  order  all  tilings  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  hells ;  for 
the  spiritual  celestial  principle  is  an  intermediate  between  the 
natural  or  external  man,  and  between  the  rational  or  internal, 
see  above,  n.  4585,  4592,  thus  the  natural  or  external  principle 
was  below  it,  and  tli*  rational  or  internal  above  it.  He  who 
cannot  comprehend  these  things,  cannot  comprehend,  by  any 
revelation  whatsoever,  why  the  Lord  was  born  in  Bethlehem ; 
for  from  the  most  ancient  time,  Ephrath  signified  the  spiritual 
of  the  celestial  principle,  hence  afterwards  Bethlehem ;  from 
this  ground,  now,  it  is  said  in  David,  "He  sware  unto  Jehovah, 
he  vowed  to  the  mighty  One  of  Jacob,  If  I  shall  enter  into  the 
tent  of  my  house,  if  i  shall  go  up  upon  the  couch  of  my  bed,  if 
I  shall  give  sleep  to  mine  eyes,  or  slumber  to  mine  eyelids,  until 
I  shall  find  a  place  for  Jehovah,  habitations  for  the  mighty  One 
of  Jacob;  lo,  we  heard  of  him  in  Ephratah,  we  found  him  in 
the  fields  of  the  forest ;  we  will  enter  into  his  habitations,  we 
will  bow  down  ourselves  at  his  footstool,"  Psalm  exxxii.  2  to  7{ 


4594—4597.] 


GENESIS. 


239 


that  this  was  spoken  of  the  Lord,  is  very  manifest ;  we  heard 
of  him,  and  we  found  him,  is  there  expressed  in  the  end  in  the 
original  tongue  by  the  letter  H  taken  out  of  the  name  of  Je- 
hovah. Ami  in  Micah,  "Thou  Bethlehem  Bphratah,  it  is  a 
little  thing  that  thou  be  amongst  the  thousands  of  Judah ;  out 
of  thee  shall  he  go  forth  unto  me  who  shall  be  ruler  in  Israel, 
and  his  going  forth  from  old,  from  the  days  of  eternity,"  v.  2  ; 
Matt.  ii.  6.  From  these  prophecies  it  was  known  to  the  Jewish 
people  that  the  Messiah  or  Christ  would  be  born  in  Bethlehem, 
as  is  evident  from  this  passage  in  Matthew,  "  Herod  gathered 
all  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  of  the  people  together,  and  in- 
quired of  them  where  Christ  (the  Messiah)  should  be  born ; 
they  said  unto  him,  In  Bethlehem  of  Judea,"  ii.  4,  5  ;  and  in 
John,  "  The  Jews  said,  Doth  not  the  scripture  say,  that  Christ 
(the  Messiah)  should  come  of  the  seed  of  David,  and  out  of 
Bethlehem  the  city  where  David  was  ?"  vii.  42.  That  He  was 
also  born  there,  may  be  seen  in  Matt.  ii.  1  ;  Luke  ii.  4  to  7. 
Hence  also,  and  because  He  was  of  David,  the  Lord  is  called  a 
rod  from  the  stem  of  Jesse,  and  the  root  of  Jesse,  Isaiah  xi. 
1,  10 ;  for  Jesse  the  father  of  David  was  a  Bethlehemite,  and 
David  was  born  there,  and  was  also  anointed  king,  1  Sam.  xvi. 
1  to  14 ;  xvii.  12 ;  hence  Bethlehem  was  called  the  city  of 
David,  Luke  ii.  4,  11  ;  John  vii.  42.  By  David  is  especially 
represented  the  Lord  as  to  the  principle  of  royalty,  or  the  Di- 
vine Truth,  n.  1888.  • 

4595.  Ver.  20.  "And  Jacob  set  a  statue  over  her  grave." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  the  holy  principle  of  spiritual  truth 
about  to  rise  again  there,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
statue,  as  denoting  the  holy  principle  of  truth,  see  n.  4580,  in 
the  present  case,  of  spiritual  truth  from  a  celestial  principle, 
because  that  truth  is  treated  of ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  grave,  as  denoting  resurrection,  see  n.  2916,  2917,  3256. 

4596.  "  This  is  the  statue  of  Rachel's  grave  even  to  this 
day." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  state  of  the  holy  principle  for 
ever,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  statue,  as  denoting 
the  holy  principle  of  truth  ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  grave, 
as  denoting  resurrection,  concerning  which,  see  just  above  ; 
and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  even  to  this  day,  as  denoting 
for  ever,  see  n.  2838,  3998. 

4597.  Verses  21,  22.  And  Israel  journeyed,  and  spread  his 
tent  from  beyond  the  tower  Ecler.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
Israel  dwelt  in  this  land,  that  Reuben  xoent  and  lay  with  Bil- 
hah  his  fathers  concubine  :  and  Israel  heard  it.  And  Israel 
journeyed,  signifies  the  celestial  spiritual  principle  of  the  natu- 
ral at  this  time :  and  spread  his  tent  from  beyond  the  tower 
Eder,  signifies  the  interioi' things  thereof:  and  it  came  to  pass, 
when  Israel  dwelt  in  this  land,  signifies  when  in  this  state:  that 
Reuben  went  and  lay  with  Bilhah,  his  father's  concubine,  sig- 


240 


GEKESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxv 


nifies  profanation  of  good  by  faith  separate:  and  Israel  heard 
it,  signifies  that  this  faith  was  rejected. 

4598.  Ver.  21.  "  And  Israel  journeyed." — That  hereby  is 
signified  the  celestial  spiritual  principle  of  the  natural  at  this 
time,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  journeying,  as  de- 
noting that  which  is  successive  or  continuous,  see  n.  4375,  4554, 
in  the  present  case  towards  more  interior  things ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  representation  of  Israel,  in  this  passage,  as  denoting  the 
celestial  spiritual  principle  of  the  natural,  see  n.  42S6  ;  the 
celestial  spiritual  principle  of  the  natural  has  been  above  ex- 
plained, viz.,  it  is  the  good  of  truth,  or  the  good  of  charity 
procured  by  the  truth  of  faith.  Progression  towards  interior 
things  is  but  little  known  in  the  world ;  it  is  not  progression 
into  sci entities,  for  this  often  takes  place  without  any  progres- 
sion towards  interior  things,  and  frequently  with  egression  ; 
neither  is  it  progression  into  manly  judgment,  for  this  also  some- 
times takes  place  with  egression  from  interior  things ;  neither  is 
it  progression  into  the  knowledges  of  interior  truth,  for  know- 
ledges have  no  effect  unless  man  is  affected  by  them.  Progres- 
sion towards  interior  things  is  progression  towards  heaven  and 
the  Lord,  through  the  knowledges  of  truth  implanted  in  the 
affection  thereof,  thus  through  the  affections.  The  nature  of 
progression  towards  interior  things  does  not  appear  to  any  one 
in  the  world  ;  but  it  is  manifest  in  the  other  life,  being  there  a 
progression  from  a  sort  of  mist  into  light ;  for  they  who  are  in 
exterior  things  alone,  are  respectively  in  a  mist,  and  they  are 
also  seen  by  the  angels  in  a  mist ;  but  they  who  are  in  interior 
things,  are  in  light,  consequently  in  wisdom,  for  light  in  the 
other  life  is  wisdom  ;  and  (what  is  wonderful)  they  who  are  in 
a  mist,  cannot  see  those  who  are  in  light,  that  they  are  in  light; 
but  they  who  are  in  light,  can  see  those  who  are  in  a  mist,  that 
they  are  in  a  mist.  As  the  progression  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
principle  towards  interior  things  is  treated  of,  Jacob  is  here 
called  Israel ;  but  where  that  progression  is  not  treated  of,  he  is 
called  Jacob,  as  in  verse  20  of  this  chapter,  and  in  the  last  verse. 

4599.  "  And  spread  his  tent  from  beyond  the  tower  Eder." 
— That  hereby  are  signified  the  interior  things  thereof,  appeals 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  spreading  a  tent,  as  denoting  the 
progression  of  what  is  holy,  in  the  present  case  towards  interior 
things ;  that  tent  denotes  what  is  holy,  nuvv  be  seen  in  n.  414, 
1102,  2145,  2152,  3312,  4391  ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
from  beyond  the  tower,  as  denoting  into  interior  things,  of 
w  hich  we  shall  speak  presently ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification 
of  Eder,  as  denoting  the  quality  of  the  state  of  the  progression 
of  holiness  to  interior  things;  the  tower  Eder  had  that  signifi 
cation  of  old,  but  as  it  does  not  occur  in  any  other  passage  of 
the  Word,  except  in  Joshua,  chap.  xv.  21,  it  cannot  be  con- 
firmed, as  other  names,  from  parallel  passages.   "From  beyond 


4598,  4599.] 


GENESIS. 


the  tower"  denotes  to  interior  things,  "because  the  tilings  which 
are  interior  are  expressed  by  those  which  are  elevated  and  high, 
thus  by  mountains,  hills,  towers,  the  root's  of  houses,  and  the 
like ;  the  reason  is,  because  interior  things  appear  as  superior 
before  minds  which  derive  their  ideas  from  the  natural  things 
of  the  world  through  the  external  things  of  sense,  see  n.  2148. 
That  towers  signify  interior  tilings,  may  also  appear  from  other 
passages  in  the  Word;  as  in  Isaiah,  "My  beloved  had  a  vine* 
yard  in  the  horn  of  a  son  of  oil,  which  lie  encompassed  about, 
and  gathered  out  the  stones  thereof,  and  planted  it  with  a  choice 
vine,  and  built  a  tower  in  the  midst  thereof,'1''  v.  1,2;  where 
vineyard  denotes  the  spiritual  church;  the  choice  vine,  spiritual 
good ;  the  tower  built  in  the  midst  thereof,  the  interior  things  of 
truth.  In  like  manner  also  in  the  Lord's  parable  in  Matthew, 
"A  man  the  father  of  a  family  planted  a  vineyard,  and  made 
a  hedge  about  it,  and  digged  a  'wine-press  in  it,  and  built  a 
toioer,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen,"  xxi.  33  ;  Mark  xii.  1. 
And  in  Ezekiel,  "The  sons  of  Arvad  and  thine  army  upon  thy 
walls  round  about,  and  the  Gammadims  were  in  thy  towers, 
they  hanged  their  shields  upon  thy  walls  round  about. ;  these 
have  perfected  thy  beauty,"  xxvii.  11 ;  speaking  of  Tyre,  where- 
by are  signified  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  and  they 
who  are  principled  therein  ;  the  Gammadims  in  the  towers 
thereof,  denote  the  knowledges  of  interior  truth.  So  in  Micah, 
"Jehovah  shall  reign  over  them  in  mount  Zion,  from  now  and  to 
eternity;  and  thou,  0  tower  of  the  flock,  the  hill  of  the  daughter 
of  Zion,  unto  thee  shall  come  and  return  the  former  kingdom, 
the  kingdom  of  the  daughter  of  Jerusalem,"  iv.  7,  8 ;  in  this 
passage  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom  is  described ;  its  inmost 
principle,  which  is  love  to  the  Lord,  by  mount  Zion;  its  deriva- 
tive principle  mutual  love  (which  in  the  spiritual  sense  is  called 
charity  towards  the  neighbour),  by  the  hill  of  the  daughter  of 
Zion;  its  interior  truths  of  good,  by  the  tower  of  the  flock; 
that  hence  comes  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  the  celestial,  is  sig- 
nified hy  the  kingdom  of  the  daughter  of  Jerusalem.  So  in 
David,  "Mount  Zion  shall  rejoice,  the  daughters  of  Judah  shall 
exult,  because  of  thy  judgments;  walk  about  Zion,  and  go 
round  about  her,  number  the  towers  thereof,'''  Psalm  xlviii.  11, 
12 ;  where  towers  denote  the  interior  truths  which  defend  the 
things  of  love  and  charity.  And  in  Luke,  "  Whosoever  doth 
not  bear  his  cross,  and  come  after  me,  cannot  he  my  disciple ; 
for  which  of  you,  intending  to  build  a  tower,  doth  not  first  sit 
down  and  count  the  cost,  whether  he  hath  wherewithal  to  finish 
it?  ...  Or  what  king,  going  to  make  war  against  another  king, 
doth  not  first  sit  down  and  consider,  whether  he  be  able  with 
ten  thousand  to  meet  him  who  cometh  against  him  with  twenty 
thousand?"  xiv.  27,  28,  31.  He  who  does  not  know  the  inter- 
nal sense  of  the  Word,  cannot  suppose  otherwise  than  that  the 

VOL.  V.  16 


^ 


242 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


Lord  here  spake  comparatively  ;  and  that  by  building  a  tower 
and  making  war,  nothing;  else  is  understood:  not  knowing  that 
all  comparisons  in  the  Word  are  significative  and  representa- 
tive ;  and  that  to  build  a  tower,  is  to  procure  interior  truths ; 
and  to  make  war,  is  to  fight  from  those  truths ;  for  the  subject 
there  treated  of  is  concerning  the  temptations  which  they  un- 
dergo who  are  of  the  church,  and  are  there  called  the  Lord's 
disciples.  Those  temptations  are  signified  by  their  cross  which 
they  shall  bear ;  and  that  they  never  conquer  of  themselves 
and  by  their  own  power,  but  from  the  Lord,  is  signified  by 
what  follows,  "  He  who  doth  not  deny  all  that  he  hath,  cannot 
be  my  disciple,"  verse  33.  Thus  these  things  cohere;  whereas 
if  the  things  mentioned  concerning  a  tower  and  war  be  under- 
stood only  comparatively  without  an  interior  sense,  they  do  not 
cohere ;  hence  it  is  manifest  what  light  is  obtained  from  the 
internal  sense.  The  interiors  of  those  who  are  principled  in 
self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world,  thus  the  falses  from  which 
they  combat,  and  by  which  they  confirm  their  superstitious 
principles,  are  also  expressed  by  towers  in  the  opposite  sense ; 
as  in  Isaiah,  "The  haughtiness  of  men  shall  be  bowed  down, 
and  Jehovah  Zebaoth  shall  be  exalted  above  every  one  proud 
and  high,  and  above  every  one  lifted  up,  and  he  shall  be  hum- 
bled ;  and  upon  all  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  high  and  lifted  up, 
and  upon  all  the  oaks  of  Bashan,  and  upon  all  the  high  moun- 
tains, and  upon  all  the  hills  that  are  lifted  up,  and  upon  every 
lofty  tower,  and  upon  every  fortified  wall,"  ii.  11  to  18 ;  where 
the  interior  and  exterior  things  of  those  loves  are  described  by 
cedars,  oaks,  mountains,  hills,  tower,  and  wall ;  interior  false 
principles  by  a  tower :  so  also  interior  things  are  described  by 
those  which  are  high,  but  with  this  difference,  that  they  who 
are  in  evils  and  falses  believe  themselves  high  and  above  others, 
but  they  who  are  in  goods  and  truths  believe  themselves  less 
than  and  below  others,  Matt.  xx.  26,  27 ;  Mark  x.  44 ;  never- 
theless, goods  and  truths  are  described  by  high  things,  because 
in  heaven  they  are  nearer  to  the  Highest,  that  is,  to  the  Lord. 
Moreover,  in  the  Word,  towers  are  predicated  of  truths,  but 
mountains  of  goods. 

4600.  Ver.  22.  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Israel  dwelt  in 
this  land." — That  hereby  is  signified  When  in  this  state,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  "dwelling,  as  denoting  to  live,  for 
to  dwell  has  a  like  signification  with  inhabiting,  but  With  this 
difference,  that  to  dwell  is  predicated  of  truth,  but  to  inhabit 
of  good ;  that  to  inhabit  is  to  be  and  to  live,  thus  a  state,  may 
be  seen  in  n.  3384 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  land,  as 
denoting  the  church  as  to  good,  see  n.  566,  662,  1066,  1068, 
1262,  1413,  1607,  1733,  1850,  2117,  2118,  2571,  2928,3355, 
4447,  4535,  in  the  present  case  as  to  the  good  of  truth ;  the 
state  hereof,  in  which  Israel  now  was,  is  here  signified. 


* 


4600,  4601.] 


GENESIS. 


243 


4601.  "That  Reuben  went,  and  lay  with  Bilhah  his  father's 
concubine." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  profanation  of  good 
by  faith  separate  ;  and  that  hy  "  Israel  heard  it,"  is  signified 
that  that  faith  was  rejected,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representa- 
tion of  Reuben,  as  denoting  faith  in  doctrine  and  intellect, 
which  is  the  first  principle  of  the  church,  see  n.  3861,  3866,  in 
the  present  case  this  faith  separate  from  charity,  of  which  we 
shall  speak  presently ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  lying  with 
Bilhah,  his  father's  concubine,  as  denoting  the  profanation  of 
good  ;  for  to  commit  adultery  signifies  to  pervert  or  adulterate 
goods,  n.  2466,  2729,  3399 ;  but  to  lie  with  a  father's  concu- 
bine, is  to  profane  them ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of 
Israel  heard  it,  as  denoting  that  this  faith  was  rejected.  In  a 
proper  sense,  by  Israel  hearing,  is  signified  that  the  spiritual 
church  knew  this  and  assented,  for  by  hearing  is  signified  to 
hearken,  and  by  Israel  the  spiritual  church ;  but  that  the  true 
church  does  not  assent,  will  appear  from  what  will  be  said 
concerning  Reuben  :  but  in  the  internal  sense  it  signifies  that 
that  faith  was  rejected;  for  it  is  not  said  what  Jacob  felt  and 
thought  concerning  that  atrocious  deed,  but  that  he  was  alto- 
gether averse  from  it  and  abhorred  it,  is  evident  from  his  pro- 
phetic enunciation  concerning  Reuben,  "  Reuben,  my  first- 
born, thou  art  my  strength,  and  the  beginning  of  my  might, 
excellent  in  eminence,  and  excellent  in  power ;  light  as  water, 
thou  shalt  not  excel,  because  thou  wentest  up  to  thy  father 's  bed, 
then  thou  profanedst  it  /  he  went  up  to  my  couch,"  Gen.  xlix. 
3,  4 ;  and  Reuben  on  this  account  was  deprived  of  the  primo- 
geniture, 1  Chron.  v.  1  ;  hence  it  is  evident  that  by  Israel  hear- 
ing, is  signified  that  this  faith  was  rejected  ;  that  primogeniture 
is  the  faith  of  the  church,  see  n.  352,  2435,  3325.  The  profana- 
tion of  good  by  faith  separate,  is  effected  when  the  truth  of  the 
church  and  its  good  is  acknowledged  and  believed,  and  yet 
men  live  contrary  thereto ;  for  with  those  who  separate  the 
things  of  faith  from  those  of  charity  in  understanding  and 
thence  in  life,  evil  is  conjoined  with  truth,  and  false  with  good, 
and  it  is  this  conjunction  itself  which  is  called  profanation :  it 
is  otherwise  with  those  who,  although  they  know  what  the 
truth  and  good  of  faith  is,  still  do  not  in  heart  believe ;  see 
what  was  said  and  shown  above  concerning  profanation,  n. 
301,  302,  303,  571,  582,  593,  1001,  1003,  1008,  1010,  1059, 
1327,  1328,  2051,  2426,  3398,  3399,  3402,  3489,  3898,  4050, 
4289 :  the  profanation  of  good  by  faith  separate  was  repre- 
sented by  Cain,  in  slaying  Abel ;  by  Ham,  in  being  cursed  of 
his  father ;  and  by  the  Egyptians,  in  being  submerged  in  the 
Red  Sea  (n.  3325) ;  and  it  is  here  represented  by  Reuben,  see 
n.  3325,  3870.  To  the  intent  that  they  might  be  saved  who 
are  of  the  spiritual  church,  the  Lord  miraculously  separated 
their  intellectual  part  from  the  voluntary  or  will  part,  and  gave 


244 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


to  the  intellectual  part  the  power  of  receiving  a  new  voluntary 
or  will  principle,  see  n.  863,  875,  895,  927,  928,  1023,  1043, 
1044,  2256,  4328,  4493  ;  when  therefore  the  intellectual  prin- 
ciple apprehends  and  perceives  the  good  of  faith,  and  appro- 
priates it  to  itself,  and  the  voluntary  or  will  principle  of  man 
(that  is,  an  evil  will)  still  reigns  and  rules,  in  this  case  conjunc- 
tion is  effected  of  truth  and  evil,  and  of  good  and  false.  This 
conjunction  is  profanation,  and  is  meant  by  eating  and  drink- 
ing unworthily  in  the  Holy  Supper ;  from  such  persons,  good, 
which  is  there  signified  by  the  body,  and  truth,  signified  by 
the  blood,  cannot  be  separated;  for  things  so  conjoined  cannot 
be  separated  to  eternity,  wherefore  the  deepest  hell  awaits  such 
persons.  But  they  who  know  what  the  truth  and  good  of  faith 
is,  and  yet  do  not  in  heart  believe,  as  is  the  case  with  the  gen- 
erality at  this  day,  cannot  profane  it,  because  the  intellectual 
principle  does  not  receive  it  and  imbue  itself  therewith.  The 
subject  here  treated  of  is  the  rejection  of  this  faith,  because  in 
what  immediately  follows,  the  subjects  treated  of  are  truths 
and  goods  in  their  genuine  order,  and  then  their  conjunction 
with  the  rational  or  intellectual  principle ;  the  sons  of  Jacob, 
who  are  presently  named,  are  truths  and  goods  in  that  order, 
and  Isaac  is  the  rational  or  intellectual  principle ;  the  coming 
of  Jacob  with  his  sons  to  Isaac,  in  the  internal  sense,  denotes 
that  conjunction  with  the  intellectual  principle. 

4602.  Verses  22  to  26.  And  the  sons  of  Jacob  were  twelve. 
The  sons  of Leah  /  Reuben,  Jacob's  first-born,  and  Simeoii,  and 
Levi,  and  Judah,  and  Lssachar,  and  Zcbulun.  The  sons  of 
Rachel ;  Joseph,  and  Benjamin.  And  the  sons  of  Bilhah, 
RacheVs  handmaid;  Ban,  and  Naphtali.  And  the  sons  of 
Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid ;  Gad,  and  Asher.  These  are  the 
so?is  of  Jacob,  which  toere  born  to  him  in  Padan-aram.  And 
the  sons  of  Jacob  were  twelve,  signifies  the  state  of  all  things 
now  in  the  Divine  Natural  principle :  the  sons  of  Leah,  signi- 
fies external  divine  goods  and  truths  in  their  order :  Reuben, 
Jacob's  first-born,  signifies  the  good  of  faith  :  and  Simeon,  and 
Levi,  and  Judah,  and  lssachar,  and  Zebulun,  signify  the  essen- 
tials of  external  divine  goods  and  truths :  the  sons  of  Rachel, 
Joseph  and  Benjamin,  signify  interior  goods  and  truths:  and  • 
the  sons  of  Bilhah,  Rachel's  handmaid,  Dan  and  Naphtali,  sig- 
nify subsequent  things  serviceable  to  interior  things :  and  the 
sons  of  Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid,  Gad  and  Asher,  signify  things 
serviceable  to  exterior  things  :  these  are  the  sons  of  Jacob, 
which  were  born  to  him  in  Radan-aram,  signifies  their  origin 
and  state  at  this  time. 

4603.  Ver.  22.  "  And  the  sons  of  Jacob  were  twelve." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  the  state  of  all  tilings  now  in  the 
Divine  Natural  principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation 
of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Natural  principle,  of  which 


4602—4605.] 


GENESIS. 


245 


frequent  mention  has  been  made  above ;  and  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  twelve,  as  denoting  all  things,  and  when  predicated 
of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  or  of  the  tribes  named  from  them,  as 
denoting  all  things  of  truth  and  good,  see  n.  2089,'  2129,  2130, 
3272,  3858,  3913,  3939.  It  has  been  said  of  the  Lord's  Natural 
principle,  how  He  made  it  in  Himself  divine,  for  Jacob  has 
represented  it;  but  now  the  conjunction  of  the  Divine  Natural 
principle  with  the  Rational  is  treated  of,  which  conjunction  is 
represented  by  the 'arrival  of  Jacob  to  Isaac,  for  Isaac  repre- 
sented the  Lord's  Divine  Rational  principle ;  hence  it  is  that 
all  the  sons  of  Jacob  are  again  recounted,  for  all  the  things  of 
truth  and  good  ought  to  be  in  the  natural  principle,  before  it 
can  be  fully  conjoined  with  the  rational,  inasmuch  as  the 
natural  principle  serves  the  rational  for  a  receptacle  ;  therefore 
they  are  recounted.  But  it  is  to.  be  noted,  that  the  sons  of 
Jacob  are  now  named  in  another  order  than  before,  for  the 
sons  of  Bilhah  and  Zilpah,  viz.,  Dan,  Naphtali,  Gad,  and  Asher, 
are  named  in  the  last  place,  although  they  were  born  before 
Issachar,  Zebulun,  Joseph,  and  Benjamin ;  because  the  siibject 
now  treated  of  is  concerning  the  order  in  which  the  truths  and 
goods  in  the  natural  principle  are,  when  this  principle  was 
made  divine ;  for  according  to  the  state  of  the  thing  treated  of 
is  the  order  in  which  they  are  named,  see  n.  3862,  3928,  3936. 

4604.  Ver.  23.  "The  sons  of  Leah."— That  hereby  are  sig- 
nified external  divine  goods  and  truths  in  their  order,  appears 
from  the  representation  of  Leah,  as  denoting  the  affection  of 
external  truth,  see  n.  3793,  3819 ;  hence  her  sons  are  those 
things  which  are  represented  by  Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  Judah, 
Issachar,  and  Zebulun,  of  which  we  proceed  to  speak. 

4605.  "  Reuben,  Jacob's  first-born." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied the  good  of  faith,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  oi  first- 
lorn,  as  denoting  faith,  see  n.  352,  367,  2435,  3325 ;  (2.)  from 
the  representation  of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  good  of  natural 
truth,  see  n.  4538 ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  Reuben, 
as  denoting  the  quality  of  faith.  Reuben,  in  the  genuine  sense, 
signifies  the  truth  of  faith,  n.  3861,  3866 ;  but  after  the  truth 
of  faith  was  made  good,  he  signifies  the  good  of  faith ;  faith 
also  considered  in  itself  is  charity,  thus  the  truth  of  faith  con- 
sidered in  itself  is  the  good  of  faith,  inasmuch  as  faith  cannot 
possibly  exist  except  from  charity,  nor  truth  except  from  good  ; 
wherefore,  when  man  is  regenerated,  good  is  in  the  first  place, 
or  the  first-born,  see  n.  3325,  3494.  Hence  it  is,  that  by  Reu- 
ben, Jacob's  first-born,  is  here  signified  the  good  of  faith  ;  the 
like  is  also  signified  in  Moses,  "  Let  Reuben  live,  and  not  die, 
and  it  shall  be,  his  numbers  mortal,"  Deut.  xxxiii.  6 ;  in  this 

assage  Reuben  is  the  good  of  faith,  because  he  is  set  in  the 
rst  place,  and  Judah  in  the  second,  thus  in  a  different  order 
in  this  prophetic  enunciation  of  Moses  concerning  the  sons  of 


246 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


Israel,  than  in  the  prophetic  enunciation  of  Jacob,  Gen.  xlix., 
for  as  was  said  above,  m  n.  4603,  the  order  of  their  naming  is 
according  to  the  state  of  the  subject  treated  of.  In  like  man- 
ner in  John,'"  I  heard  the  number  of  the  sealed,  an  hundred 
forty  and  four  thousand  were  sealed  of  all  the  tribes.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Judah  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,  of  the  tribe  of 
Reuben  were  sealed  twelve  thousand,  of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand,"  Rev.  vii.  4,  5 ;  in  this  passage  Judah 
is  named  in  the  first  place,  Reuben  in  the  second,  and  Gad  in 
the  third  ;  these  three  there  constitute  the  first  class,  and  as  the 
Lord's  kingdom  is  the  subject  there  treated  of,  Judah  signifies 
celestial  good,  such  as  is  in  the  inmost  or  third  heaven,  Reuben 
spiritual  good  (which  is  the  same  as  the  good  of  faith),  such  as 
is  in  the  second  or  middle  heaven,  and  Gad  the  good  of  the 
natural  principle,  such  as  is  in  the  first  heaven.  But  it  is  other- 
wise in  the  prophetic  enunciation  of  Deborah  and  Barak,  "The 
princes  in  Issachar  were  with  Deborah,  and  Issachar  also  with 
Barak ;  in  the  valley  he  shall  be  sent  under  his  feet ;  in  the 
divisions  of  Reuben  were  great  resolutions  of  heart :  why  dost 
thou  dwell  between  two  burdens,  to  hear  the  hissings  of  the 
flocks,  for  the  divisions  of  Reuben  were  great  searchings  out 
of  the  heart,"  Judges  v.  15,  16 ;  unless  it  be  known  what  is 
represented  by  Issachar,  Deborah,  Barak,  and  Reuben,  and 
what  is  signified  by  princes,  valley,  divisions,  resolutions  of  the 
heart,  two  burdens,  and  hissings  of  the  flocks,  no  one  can  pos- 
sibly know  what  is  meant  by  those  words ;  that  Reuben  in  this 
passage  denotes  faith,  is  evident. 

4606.  "And  Simeon,  and  Levi,  and  Judah,  and  Issachar, 
and  Zebulun." — That  hereby  are  signified  the  essentials  of 
external  divine  goods  and  truths,  appears  from  the  representa- 
tion of  each  ;  viz.,  of  Simeon,  as  denoting,  in  the  supreme  sense, 
Providence  ;  in  the  internal  sense,  faith  in  the  will ;  and  in  the 
external,  obedience,  see  n.  3S69  to  3872 :  of  Levi,  as  denoting 
in  the  supreme  sense,  love  and  morcy ;  in  the  internal,  charity 
or  spiritual  love  ;  and  in  the  external,  conjunction,  see  n.  3875, 
3877  :  of  Judah,  as  denoting  in  the  supreme  sense,  the  Divine 
of  the  Lord's  love  ;  in  the  internal,  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom; 
in  the  external,  doctrine  from  the  Word,  which  is  of  the  celes- 
tial church,  see  n.  3880,  3SS1 :  of  Issae/iar,  as  denoting  in  the 
supreme  sense,  the  divine  good  of  truth  and  truth  of  good ;  in 
the  internal,  celestial  conjugial  love;  in  the  external,  mutual 
love,  see  n.  3956,  3957 :  and  of  Zebulun,  as  denoting  in  the 
supreme  sense,  the  Divine  itself  of  the  Lord  and  His  Divine 
Human ;  in  the  internal,  the  celestial  marriage ;  and  in  the 
external,  conjugial  love,  see  n.  3960,  3961.  These  are  the 
essentials  in  the  external  divine  goods  and  truths  of  the  Lord ; 
but  to  explain  how  each  of  them  is  therein,  is  impossible  for 
any  one  unless  he  be  in  heavenly  light ;  for  in  heaven  thoso 


4606—4609.] 


GENESIS. 


247 


essentials  appear  as  the  answers  in  the  Urim  and  Thummim  by 
evibrations  of  light  and  flame,  and  thence  perception  from  the 
Lord;  for  in  the  Urim  and  Thummim  were  twelve  precious 
stones  according  to  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 

4607.  Ver.  24.  "The  sons  of  Rachel;  Joseph,  and  Benja- 
min."— That  hereby  are  signified  interior  goods  and  truths, 
appears  from  the  representation  of  Rachel,  as  denoting  the 
affection  of  interior  truth,  see  n.  3758,  3782,  3793,  3819.  Hence 
the  sons  of  Rachel  are  interior  goods  and  truths ;  their  essen- 
tials are  represented  by  Joseph  and  Benjamin :  by  Joseph,  in 
the  supreme  sense,  the  Divine  Spiritual  principle  ;  in  the  inter- 
nal, the  spiritual  kingdom ;  in  the  external,  the  good  thereof, 
see  n.  3969 :  and  by  Benjamin,  the  Divine  spiritual  of  the 
celestial  principle,  see  n.  3969,  4592.  These  essentials  are  in 
interior  goods  and  truths. 

4608.  Ver.  25.  « And  the  sons  of  Bilhah,  Rachel's  hand- 
maid ;  Dan,  and  Naphtali." — That  hereby  are  signified  subse- 
quent things  serviceable  to  interior  things,  appears  from  the 
representation  of  Bilhah,  RacheVs  handmaid,  as  denoting  sub- 
sequent affection  serviceable  to  the  affection  of  interior  truth  as 
a  medium,  see  n.  3849 ;  a  handmaid  also  is  a  medium  service- 
able to  conjunction,  see  n.  3913,  3917,  3931 ;  her  sons  are  such 
mediums ;  by  subsequent  goods  and  truths  are  meant  those 
goods  and  truths  which  do  not  immediately  enter,  but  which 
are  thence  derived  and  adjoined  as  servants,  and  act  as  means 
and  assistances.  Their  essentials  are  represented  by  Dan  and 
Naphtali :  by  Dan,  in  the  supreme  sense,  justice  and  mercy  ; 
in  the  internal,  the  holy  principle  of  faith ;  and  in  the  external, 
the  good  of  life,  see  n.  3921,  3923 :  and  by  Naphtali,  in  the 
supreme  sense,  proper  ability ;  in  the  internal,  temptation  in 
which  is  victory ;  and  in  the  external,  resistance  from  the 
natural  man,  n.  3927,  3928.  These  are  the  essentials  of  the 
means,  or  mediums,  serviceable  to  interior  goods  and  truths. 

4609.  Ver.  26.  "And  the  sons  of  Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid  ; 
Gad,  and  Asher." — That  hereby  are  signified  things  serviceable 
to  exterior  things,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Zilpah, 
Leah's  handmaid,  as  denoting  subsequent  affection  serviceable 
to  the  affection  of  exterior  truth  as  a  medium,  see  n.  3835 ; 
handmaid  is  the  medium  serviceable  to  conjunction,  as  imme- 
diately above,  n.  4608 ;  her  sons  are  such  mediums,  the  essen- 
tials whereof  are  represented  by  Gad  and  Asher :  by  Gad,  in 
the  supreme  sense,  omnipotence  and  omniscience ;  in  the  in-, 
ternal,  the  good  of  faith ;  and  in  the  external,  works,  n,  3934 : 
by  Asher,  in  the  supreme  sense,  eternity ;  in  the  internal,  the 
happiness  of  eternal  life ;  in  che  external,  the  delight  of  affec- 
tion, see  n.  3938,  3939.  These  are  the  things  which  the  re- 
counting of  the  sons  of  Jacob  now  involves ;  but  how  they 
cohere,  and  how  one  follows  and  is  contained  in  another,  can- 


248 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


not  be  seen  in  the  light  of  the  world,  unless  it  be  illustrated  by 
the  light  of  heaven ;  but  the  things  which  then  appear,  aro 
such  as  do  not  fall  into  expressions  ;  for  human  expressions  aro 
grounded  in  ideas  formed  from  those  things  which  are  in  the 
light  of  the  world,  which  ideas  are  transcended  by  ideas  from 
the  light  of  heaven,  insomuch  that  the  latter  cannot  be  ex- 
pressed ;  but  only  in  part  be  a  subject  of  thought  with  those  to 
whom  it  is  given  to  withdraw  the  mind  from  the  things  of 
sense. 

4610.  "These  are  the  sons  of  Jacob,  which  were  born  to 
him  in  Padan-aram." — That  hereby  is  signified  their  origin 
and  state  at  this  time,  appears  from  what  has  been  already  said 
concerning  the  sons  of  Jacob,  both  generally  and  specifically, 
viz.,  that  by  them  are  signified  in  general  all  the  things  in  the 
Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle,  n.  4603  ;  so  that  those  things, 
taken  collectively,  now  are  Jacob.  Their  origin  is  signified  by 
their  being  born  in  Padan-aram,  or  from  the  knowledges  of 
truth  and  good,  for  these  are  signified  by  Padan-aram,  see  n. 
3664,  3680  ;  as  all  these  things  collectively  now  are  Jacob, 
therefore  in  the  original  tongue  it  is  said,  which  was  born  to 
him,  in  the  singular.  In  what  now  follows,  the  conjunction  of 
the  Divine  Natural  with  the  Divine  Rational  is  treated  of; 
this  conjunction  is  represented  by  Jacob's  coming  to  Isaac  his 
father. 

4611.  Verses  27  to  29.  And  Jacob  came  unto  Isaac  his 
father,  unto  Mamre  IHriath  Arba,  this  is  Hebron,  where  Abra- 
ham and  Isaac  sojourned.  And  the  days  of  Isaac  were  an 
hundred  years  and  eighty  years.  And  Isaac  expired,  and  died, 
and  was  gathered  unto  his  people,  old  and  full  of  days  ;  and 
his  sons  Esau  and  Jacob  buried  him.  Jacob  came  unto  Isaac 
his  father,  signifies  that  now  was  the  Divine  Rational  principle 
to  which  it  was  conjoined  :  unto  Mamre  Kiriath  Arba,  signifies 
the  state  thereof :  this  is  Hebron,  signifies  the  state  when  they 
were  conjoined  :  where  Abraham  and  Isaac  sojourned,  signifies 
divine  life  together :  and  the  days  of  Isaac  were,  signifies  the 
state  ef  the  Divine  Rational  principle  at  this  time  :  an  hundred 
years  and  eighty  years,  signifies  the  quality  of  the  state :  and 
Isaac  expired  and  died,  signifies  exsuscitation  in  the  Divine 
Natural  principle:  and  was  gathered  unto  his  people,  signifies 
that  now  he  was  amongst  those  things  which  are  of  the  Divine 
Natural  principle  :  old  and  full  of  days,  signifies  a  new  principle 
of  life :  and  his  sons  Esau  and  Jacob  buried  him,  signifies  that 
he  rose  again  in  good,  and  in  the  good  of  truth  of  the  natural 
principle. 

4612.  Ver.  27.  "  And  Jacob  came  unto  Isaac  his  father." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  that  now  was  the  Divine  Rational  prin 
ciple  to  which  it  was  conjoined,  appears  (1.)  from  the  represent- 
ation of  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Natural  principle  in 


4610—4612.] 


GENESIS. 


249 


the  state  spoken  of  above,  n.  4604  to  4610 ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  Isaac,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Rational  prin- 
ciple, see  n.  1893,  2066,  2074,  2083,  2630,  3012,  3194,  3210; 
conjunction  is  signified  by  coming  to  him.  In  what  follows,  to 
the  end  of  the  chapter,  the  conjunction  of  the  natural  principle 
with  the  rational  is  treated  of;  and  this  being  the  case,  in  what 
just  precedes,  the  quality  of  the  natural  lias  been  described, 
viz.,  that  in  it  were  all  things  of  good  and  truth  ;  its  quality 
was  signified  by  the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob,  for,  as  was  shown, 
each  of  them  represents  some  common  or  general  principle  of 
good  and  truth.  As  to  the  conjunction  of  the  natural  and 
rational  principles,  which  is  treated  of  in  what  follows,  it  is  to 
be  noted  that  the  rational  principle  receives  truths  and  goods 
sooner  and  more  easily  than  the  natural,  see  n.  3286,  3288, 
3321,  3368,  3498,  3513 ;  for  the  rational  principle  is  more  pure 
and  perfect  than  the  natural,  because  it  is  interior  and  superior, 
and  viewed  in  itself  is  in  the  light  of  heaven,  to  which  it  is 
adapted.  Hence  the  rational  principle  receives  the  things  of 
that  light,  viz.,  truths  and  goods,  or  what  is  the  same  thing,  the 
things  of  intelligence  and  wisdom,  sooner  and  more  easily  than 
the  natural  principle ;  for  the  natural  principle  is  grosser  and 
more  imperfect,  because  it  is  exterior  or  inferior,  and  viewed  in 
itself  is  in  the  light  of  the  world  ;  which  light  has  in  it  nothing 
of  intelligence  and  wisdom,  except  so  far  as  it  receives  it  through 
the  rational  principle  from  the  light  of  heaven ;  the  influx  of 
which  the  learned  at  this  day  speak,  is  no  other  than  this.  But 
with  the  natural  principle  the  case  is  this :  from  first  infancy 
and  childhood  this  principle  receives  its  quality  from  those 
things  which  flow-in  from  the  world  through  the  external  sen- 
sual principles ;  by  and  from  those  things  man  acquires  to  him- 
self an  intellectual  principle  :  but  as  at  this  time  he  is  in  the 
delights  of  self-love  and  of  the  love  of  the  world,  and  thence  in 
lusts,  derived  both  hereditarily  and  actually,  therefore  the  intel- 
lectual principle  which  he  now  acquires,  is  overcharged  with 
such  things,  and  he  regards  those  things  which  favour  his  de- 
lights as  goods  and  truths.  Hence  the  order  of  goods  and  truths 
in  the  natural  principle  is  inverted,  or  opposite  to  heavenly 
order ;  and  when  he  is  in  this  state,  the  light  of  heaven  indeed 
flows-in  through  the  rational  principle,  for  hence  he  has  the 
faculty  of  thinking,  reasoning,  speaking,  and  acting  with  pro- 
priety and  civility  in  the  external  form ;  but  still  the  things 
appertaining  to  light,  which  conduce  to  his  eternal  happiness, 
are  not  in  the .  natural  principle,  because  the  delights  which 
have  rule  in  that  principle  are  repugnant  to  those  things ;  for 
the  delights  of  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world  are  altogether 
opposite  to  the  delights  of  neighbourly  love  and  consequent 
love  to  the  Lord.  He  may  indeed  know  the  things  of  light  or 
heaven,  but  he  cannot  be  affected  by  them,  only  so  far  as  they 


250 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxy. 


conduce  to  favour  his  pursuit  of  honours  and  gain ;  thus  so  far 
as  they  favour  the  delights  of  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world. 
Hence  it  may  appear  manifest,  that  the  order  in  the  natural 
principle  is  altogether  inverted  or  opposite  to  heavenly  order ; 
wherefore,  when  the  light  of  heaven  flows  through  the  rational 
principle  into  the  natural,  it  must  necessarily  be  either  reflected, 
suffocated,  or  perverted.  This  then  is  the  reason  why  the  natu- 
ral principle  must  first  he  regenerated,  before  it  can  be  conjoined 
with  the  rational ;  for  when  it  is  regenerated,  the  things  which 
flow-in  from  the  Lord  through  heaven,  and  thus  through  the 
rational  principle  into  the  natural,  are  received,  because  they 
agree ;  for  the  natural  principle  is  nothing  but  a  receptacle  of 
good  and  truth  from  the  rational,  or  through  the  rational  from 
the  Lord.  By  the  natural  principle  is  meant  the  external  man, 
who  is  also  called  the  natural  man ;  and  by  the  rational  princi- 
jfle,  the  internal  man.  These  tilings  are  premised  to  the  intent 
that  it  may  be  known  how  the  case  is  with  what  follows ;  for 
the  subject  there  treated  of  is  the  conjunction  of  the  natural 
principle  with  the  rational. 

4613.  "  Unto  Mamre  Kiriath  Arba." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified the  state  thereof,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
Mamre,  as  denoting  the  quality  and  quantity  of  that  to  which 
it  is  adjoined,  see  n.  2970 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
Kiriath  Arba,  as  denoting  the  church  as  to  truth,  see  n.  2909, 
thus  denoting  truth.  Hence,  by  Mamre  Kiriath  Arba  is  signi- 
fied the  state  of  the  natural  principle  as  to  truth ;  and  by  He- 
bron, the  state  as  to  good,  which  is  next  treated  of. 

4614.  "  This  is  Hebron." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  state 
when  they  are  conjoined,  appears  from  the  signification  of  He- 
bron, as  denoting  the  good  of  the  church,  see  n.  2909  ;  in  the 
present  case  the  divine  good  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  prin- 
ciple, for  those  things  which  in  the  internal  sense  signify  some- 
thing of  the  church^  in  the  supreme  sense  signify  something  of 
the  Divine  principle  of  the  Lord,  because  whatever  constitutes 
the  church  is  from  the  Lord.  Hebron  signifies  the  state  when 
the  rational  and  the  natural  principles  are  conjoined,  because 
Isaac  was  there,  by  whom  is  represented  the  Lord's  Divine 
Rational  principle,  and  Jacob  came  thither,  by  whom  is  repre- 
sented His  Divine  Natural  principle  ;  and  by  his  coming  thither 
is  signified  conjunction,  n.  4612.  It  is  said,  Mamre  Kiriath 
Arba,  this  is  Hebron,  because  the  Divine  Natural  principle  is 
conjoined  through  good  to  the  good  of  the  Rational  principle  ; 
for  Isaac  represents  the  Lord's  Divine  Rational  principle  as  to 
good,  n.  3012,  3194,  3210,  but  Rebekah  as  to  truth,  n.  3012, 
3013,  3077,  and  Rebekah  is  not  here  mentioned. 

4615.  "  Where  Abraham  and  Isaac  sojourned." — That  hereby 
is  signified  divine  life  together,  appears  (1.)  from  the  significa- 
tion  of  sojourning,  as  denoting  lite,  see  n.  1463,  2025  ;  (2.)  from 


4613—4618.] 


GENESIS. 


251 


the  representation  of  Abraham,  as  denoting  the  Lord's  Divine 
principle  itself,  n.  1989,  2011,  3245,  3251,  3439,  3703,  4206, 
4207;  and  (3.)  from  the  representation  of  Isaac,  as  denoting 
His  Divine  Rational  principle,  n.  1893,  2066,  2074,  2083,  2630, 
2772,  3012,  3194,  3210,  4180.  Inasmuch  as  the  conjunction  of 
the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle  with  the  Divine  Rational 
is  here  treated  of,  therefore  Abraham  and  Isaac  are  here  named ; 
and  it  is  said  that  they  sojourned  there,  to  the  intent  that  there 
may  be  signified  divine  life  together,  viz.,  together  with  the 
Divine  Natural  principle,  which  is  Jacob ;  and  whereas  the 
Divine  principle  itself,  the  Divine  Rational,  and  the  Divine 
Natural,  are  one  in  the  Lord,  therefore  it  is  said,  "  where  also 
Abraham  and  Isaac  sojourned"  [peregrinatus],  in  the  singular, 
not  peregrinati  in  the  plural. 

4616.  Ver.  28.  "And  the  days  of  Isaac  were."— That  hereby 
is  signified  the  state  of  the  Divine  Rational  principle  at  this 
time,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  days,  as  denoting 
state,  see  n.  23,  487,  488,  493,  893,  2788,  3462,  3785 ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  representation  of  Isaac,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Rational 
[principle],  see  just  above,  n.  4615. 

4617.  "  An  hundred  years  and  eighty  years." — That  hereby 
is  signified  the  quality  of  the  state,  may  appear  from  this  con- 
sideration, that  all  numbers  in  the  Word  signify  things,  see  n. 
482,  487,  575,  647,  648,  755,  813,  1963, 1988,  2075,  2252,  3252, 
4264,  4495,  thus  an  hundred  years  and  eighty  years  signify  the 
quality  of  the  thing,  or  the  quality  of  the  state,  which  is  the 
subject  treated  of.  A  hundred  denotes  a  full  state,  see  n.  2636 ; 
and  eighty  denotes  temptations,  see  n.  1963 ;  in  the  present 
case  through  temptations ;  with  several  things  besides,  which 
cannot  be  known ;  for  numbers  have  their  signification  from 
the  more  simple  numbers,  out  of  which,  when  multiplied  into 
themselves,  they  arise  ;  as  this  number  from  twelve  and  fifteen, 
and  also  from  others  still  more  simple. 

4618.  Ver.  29.  "And  Isaac  expired  and  died."— That  hereby 
is  signified  exsuscitation  in  the  Divine  Natural  principle,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  expiring  and  dying,  as  denoting  exsus- 
citation,* see  n.  3326,  3498,  3505 ;  for  when  mention  is  made 
in  the  Word  of  any  one,  that  he  has  died,  in  the  internal  sense 
is  signified  his  last  and  what  is  new  in  another,  thus  continua- 
tion ;  as  when  mention  is  made  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel, 
or  of  the  high  priests,  as  being  dead,  in  the  internal  sense  is 
meant  the  end  of  the  representation  which  was  by  them,  and 
continuation  in  another ;  thus  exsuscitation.  They  also  who  are 
in  the  other  life,  and  are  present  with  man  when  those  things 
are  read,  do  not  conceive  of  any  death,  because  in  that  life  they 
are  altogether  ignorant  of  what  dying  is,  and  hence  in  the  place 

*  It  may  be  expedient  to  inform  the  unlearned  reader,  that  by  exsuscitation  ia 
meant  an  awakening  or  stirring  up. 


252 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxv 


thereof  they  perceive  the  continuation  in  another ;  moreover, 
when  man  dies,  he  dies  only  as  to  the  corporeal  part  which  had 
served  him  for  uses  on  earth,  but  he  continues  his  life  as  to  his 
spirit  in  a  world  where  corporeal  things  are  no  longer  of  any 
use.  The  reason  why  by  Isaac  expiring  and  dying,  is  signified 
exsuscitation  in  the  Divine  Natural  principle,  is,  because  the 
rational  has  not  life  unless  the  natural  corresponds,  see  n.  3493, 
3620,  3623  ;  the  case  herein  is  like  that  of  the  sight  of  the  eye, 
which  perishes,  unless  it  has  objects  out  of  itself  which  it  may 
see,  and  so  also  the  rest  of  the  senses ;  in  like  manner  if  the 
objects  are  altogether  contrary,  for  these  occasion  death  ;  the 
case  also  is  like  that  of  a  fountain  whose  waters  have  no  efflux, 
in  consequence  whereof  the  spring  is  choked  up.  The  case  of 
the  rational  principle  is  similar ;  unless  there  be  a  reception  of 
its  light  in  the  natural  principle,  its  light  perishes,  for  the  scien- 
tifics  in  the  natural  principle  are  the  objects  of  the  sight  of  the 
rational;  and  if  these- objects  be  contrary  to  the  light,  that  is, 
to  the  intelligence  of  truth  and  the  wisdom  of  good,  the  sight 
of  the  rational  principle  also  perishes,  for  it  cannot  flow  into 
things  contrary  to  itself.  Hence,  with  those  who  are  in  evils 
and  falses,  the  rational  principle  is  closed,  so  that  no  communi- 
cation with  heaven  is  open  through  it,  except  only  as  it  were 
through  chinks,  that  there  may  be  a  faculty  of  thinking,  reason- 
ing, and  speaking.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  natural  principle 
must  be  prepared  for  reception,  to  the  intent  that  it  may  be 
conjoined  with  the  rational,  which  preparation  is  effected  by 
regeneration  from  the  Lord ;  and  when  it  is  conjoined,  the 
rational  principle  lives  in  the  natural,  for  it  sees  its  objects  in 
the  natural,  as  was  said,  just  as  the  sight  of  the  eye  in  the 
objects  of  the  world.  The  rational  principle  indeed  has  a  life 
in  itself  distinct  from  the  life  of  the  natural  principle  ;  but  still 
the  rational  principle  is  in  the  natural,  as  a  man  in  his  house, 
or  the  soul  in  its  body.  The  case  is  so  with  the  heavens  like- 
wise ;  the  inmost  or  third  heaven  lives  indeed  distinct  from  the 
heavens  beneath  it,  but  still  unless  there  was  reception  in  the 
second  or  middle  heaven,  the  wisdom  would  be  dissipated  there ; 
in  like  manner  unless  there  was  a  reception  of  the  light  and 
intelligence  of  this  latter  heaven  in  the  ultimate  or  first  heaven, 
and  ot  this  heaven  finally  in  the  natural  principle  of  man,  the 
intelligence  of  those  heavens  would  also  be  dissipated,  unless 
it  was  provided  of  the  Lord  that  there  should  be  reception  else- 
where. The  heavens,  therefore,  are  so  formed  by  the  Lord, 
that  one  may  serve  another  for  reception ;  and  at  length  that 
man,  as  to  his  natural  and  sensual  principle,  may  serve  for  ulti- 
mate reception,  for  there  the  Divine  principle  is  in  the  ultimate 
of  order,  and  passes  into  the  world :  therefore  if  the  ultimate 
accord  or  correspond  with  prior  things,  the  prior  things  are 
together  in  the  ultimate,  for  the  ultimates  are  receptacles  of 


4619—4621.] 


GENESIS. 


253 


things  prior  to  them,  and  successive  things  are  together  in  them. 
Hence  it  is  evident  what  is  meant  by  exsuscitation  in  the  Divine 
Natural  principle. 

4619.  "  And  was  gathered  unto  his  people." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  now  he  was  amongst  those  tilings  which  are  of 
the  Divine  Natural  principle,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
being  gathered  unto  his  people,  as  denoting,  when  representatives 
are  treated  of,  that  he  [who  is  so  gathered]  is  no  longer  treated 
of,  see  n.  3255,  3276 ;  thus  in  the  present  case,  that  he  is  amongst 
the  things  of  the  Divine  Natural  principle,  as  also  follows  from 
what  was  said  just  above,  n.  4618.  When  any  one  died,  the 
ancients  said  that  he  was  gathered  to  his  people  ;  and  in  this 
case,  in  the  proximate  sense,  they  meant  that  he  was  amongst 
his  own  in  the  other  life  ;  for  every  man  is  in  society  with  spirits 
and  angels  as  to  his  spirit  whilst  he  lives  in  the  body,  and  he 
also  comes  amongst  the  same  after  death,  n.  1277,  2379 ;  this 
is  meant  by  the  people  to  whom  he  is  gathered.  But  in  the 
internal  sense  of  the  Word,  in  which  sense  the  °;oods  and  truths 
of  the  Lord's  church  or  kingdom  are  treated  ot,  by  being  gath- 
ered to  the  people  is  signified  to  be  gathered  amongst  the  truths 
and  goods  which  accord  with  or  correspond ;  all  the  heavenly 
societies  are  in  truths  and  goods,  but  with  every  difference, 
because  truths  and  goods  in  heaven  are  circumstanced  like  con- 
sanguinities and  affinities  on  earth,  see  n.  685,  917,  3815,  4121 ; 
thus  his  people  are  the  truths  in  which  concordant  societies  are 
principled,  or  the  societies  in  those  truths ;  that  people  are  truths, 
may  be  seen  in  n.  1259,  1260,  2928,  3295,  3581. 

4620.  "  Old  and  full  of  days." — That  hereby  is  signified  a 
new  principle  of  life,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  old, 
as  denoting  the  putting  off  a  former  state,  and  putting  on  a  new 
one,  see  n.  2198,  3016,  3254,  3492 ;  in  the  present  case  there- 
fore, it  denotes  a  new  principle  of  life ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  full  of  days,  as  denoting  a  full  state. 

4621.  "  And  his  sons  Esau  and  Jacob  buried  him." — That 
hereby  is  signified  that  he  rose  again  in  good,  and  in  the  good 
of  truth  of  the  natural  principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  burying,  as  denoting  resurrection,  see  n.  2916,  2917, 
and  as  denoting  a  state  of  the  representation  raised  up  in 
another,  see  n.  3256 ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Esau,  as 
denoting  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle  as  to  good,  see  n. 
3302,  3576,  4241 ;  and  (3.)  from  the  representation  of  Jacob,  as 
denoting  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle  as  to  the  good  of 
truth,  see  n.  4273,  4337,  4538.  From  these  considerations,  and 
from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4618,  it  is  evident,  that  by  his 
sons  Esau  and  Jacob  burying  him,  is  signified  that  he  rose  again 
in  good,  and  in  the  good  of  truth  of  the  natural  principle.  The 
reason  why  by  being  buried,  in  the  internal  sense,  is  signified 
to  rise  again,  is,  because  when  the  body  is  dead,  the  soul  rises 


254 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


again ;  hence,  when  mention  is  made  in  the  "Word  of  bttryihg, 
the  angels  do  not  think  of  the  body  which  is  rejected,  but  of 
the  soul  which  rises  again  ;  for  they  are  in  spiritual  ideas,  thus 
in  those  things  which  are  of  life ;  hence  all  things  relating  to 
death  in  the  natural  world  signify  such  things  as  relate  to  life 
in  the  spiritual  world. 


A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  SUBJECT  CONCERNING  CORRESPONDENCE 
WITH  THE  GRAND  MAN;  ESPECIALLY  ON  THE  CORRESPOND- 
ENCE OF  THE  SMELL  AND  OF  THE  NOSTRILS  THEREWITH. 

4622.  THE  habitations  of  the  blessed  in  the  other  life  are 
various,  constructed  with  such  art,  that  they  are  as  it  were  in  tlie 
architectonic  art  itself,  or  immediately  from  the  art  itself;  con- 
cerning the  habitations  of  the  blessed,  see  what  was  said  above 
from  experience,  n.  1119,  1626  to  1630.  These  habitations  ap- 
pear to  them  not  only  before  the  sight,  but  before  the  touch  also; 
for  all  things  in  the  other  life  are  adapted  to  the  sensations  of 
spirits  and  angels  ;  hence  they  are  such  as  do  not  fall  under  the 
corporeal  sense  proper  to  man,  but  under  that  sense  which  is 
p^roper  to  those  who  are  there.  I  am  aware  that  this  is  ineredi- 
ble  to  many,  but  tlie  reason  why  it  is  includible  is,  because  noth- 
ing is  believed  which  cannot  be  seen  with  the  bodily  eyes,  and  felt 
with  the  fleshy  hands ;  hence  it  is  that  man  at  this  day,  whose 
interiors  are  closed,  knows  nothing  of  those  things  which  exist 
in  the  spiritual  world  or  heaven;  he  says  indeed  from  the  Word 
and  from  doctrine,  that  there  is  a  heaven,  and  that  the  angels, 
who  are  there,  are  in  joy  and  in  glory  ;  and  he  knows  nothing 
besides.  lie  wishes  indeed  to  know  how  the  case  is,  but  when  he 
is  told,  he  still  believes  nothing,  because  in  heart  he  denies  the 
existence  of  such  things  ;  when  he  wishes  to  knoto,  it  is  only 
because  he  is  influenced  by  curiosity  grounded  in  doctrine,  not 
by  delight  springing  from  faith  '  and  they  who  are  not  in  faith, 
deny  also  tn  heart  ;  hit  they  who  believe,  pyrocure  to  themselves 
ideas  concerning  heaven,  its  joy  and  glory,  from  various  things, 
every  one  from  such  things  as  appertain  to  his  particular  science 
and  intelligence  ;  and  the  simple  from  sensitive  things  relating 
to  the  body.  Nevertheless,  the  generality  do  not  apprehend  that 
spirits  and  angels  have  sensations  much  more  exquisite  than 
men  in  the  world,  viz.,  sight,  hearing,  smelling,  something  an- 
alogous to  taste,  and,  touch,  and  especially  the  delights  of  the 
affections;  yet  if  they  had  only  believed  that  their  intei-ior  essence 
was  a  spirit,  and  that  the  body,  together  with  its  sensations  and 
members,  is  only  adequate  to  uses  in  the  world,  and  that  the 
spirit  and  its  sensations  and  organs  are  adequate  to  uses  in  the 


4622.] 


GENESIS. 


255 


other  life,  in  this  case  they  would  come  of  themselves  and  almost 
spontaneously  into  ideas  concerning  the  state  of  their  spirits 
after  death.  For  in  such  a  case,  they  would  think  with  them- 
selves that  the  spirit  of  each  is  that  very  man  himself  who  thinks 
and  lusts,  who  desires  and  is  affected  ;  and  further,  that  all  the 
sensitive  principle  which  appears  in  the  body,  is  properly  of  the 
spirit,  and  belongs  to  the  body  only  by  influx  ;  and  afterwards 
they  would  confirm  these  things  within  themselves  by  many  con- 
siderations, and  thereby  at  length  would  be  delighted  with  the 
things  appertaining  to  their  spirit,  mare  than  toith  the  things 
appertaining  to  their  body.  In  reality  also  this  is  the  case,  that 
it  is  not  the  body  which  sees,  hears,  smells,  and  feels,  but  its 
spirit ;  wherefore,  when  the  spirit  is  stripped  of  the  body,  it  is 
then  in  its  own  sensations,  in  which  it  had  been  when  in  the 
body,  and  this  in  a  more  exquisite  degree;  for  corporeal  things, 
as  being  respectively  gross,  rendered  the  sensations  obtuse,  and 
still  more  obtuse,  in  consequence  of  immersing  them  in  earthly 
and  worldly  things.  This  I  can  affirm  positively,  that  a  spirit 
has  mwe  exquisite  sight,  and  also  more  exquisite  hearing,  than 
a  man  in  the  body  /  and  what  will  seem  surprising,  a  more  ex- 
quisite sense  of  smelling,  and  especially  of  touch,  for  they  see, 
hear,  and  touch  each  other.  He  who  believes  in  a  life  after 
death,  might  also  conclude  this  from  the  consideration,  that  no 
life  can  be  given  without  sense,  and  that  the  quality  of  the  life 
is  according  to  the  quality  of  the  sense,  yea,  that  the  intellectual 
principle  is  nothing  but  an  exquisite  sense  of  interior  things  / 
and  the  superior  intellectual  principle,  of  spiritual  things  : 
hence  also  the  things  of  the  intellectual  principle  and  of  its  per- 
ceptions a/re  called  the  internal  senses.  With  the  sensitive  prin- 
ciple of  man  immediately  after  death,  the  case  is  this :  as  soon 
as  man  dies,  and  the  corporeal  parts  grow  cold,  he  is  raised  up 
into  life,  and  then  into  the  state  of  all  sensations,  insomuch  that 
at  first  he  scarcely  knows  any  other  than  that  he  is  still  in  the 
body ;  for  the  sensations  in  vjhich  he  is,  lead  him  so  to  believe  / 
hit  when  he  perceives  that  he  has  more  exquisite  sensations,  espe- 
cially when  he  begins  to  discourse  with  other  spirits,  he  takes 
notice  that  he  is  in  another  life,  and  that  the  death  of  his  body 
was  the  continuation  of  the  life  of  his  spirit.  I  have  discoursed 
with  tvjo,  with  whom  Twos  acquainted,  on  the  same  day  that 
they  roere  buried,  and  with  one  who  through  my  eyes  saw  his  own 
coffin  and  bier,  and  inasmuch  as  he  was  in  every  sensation,  which 
he  had  in  the  world,  he  discoursed  with  me  about  the  exequies, 
whilst  I  was  following  his  funeral,  and  also  about  his  body, 
saying,  that  they  reject  it  because  he  himself  lives.  It  is,  how- 
ever, to  be  noted,  that  they  who  are  in  the  other  life  cannot  see 
any  thing  in  this  tocrrld  through  the  eyes  of  any  man  /  the  rea- 
son why  they  could  see  through  my  eyes,  was,  because  I  am  in 
the  spirit  with  them,  and  at  the  same  time  in  the  body  with  those 


256 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


who  are  in  the  world,  see  also  n.  1880.  And  it  is  further  to  be 
noted,  that  L  did  not  see  those  with  whom  I  discoursed  in  the 
other  life,  with  the  eyes  of  my  body,  but  with  the  eyes  of  my 
spirit,  and  still  as  clearly,  and  sometimes  more  clearly  than 
with  the  eyes  of  my  body  ;  for,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord, 
the  things  appertaining  to  my  spirit  are  opened.  But  I  am 
aware,  that  the  things  which  have  been  heretofore  said,  will  not 
be  believed  by  those  who  are  immersed  in  corporeal,  terrestrial, 
and  worldly  things,  that  is,  by  such  of  them  as  hold  those  things 
for  an  end,  for  these  have  no  conception  of  any  thing  but  of 
what  is  dissipated  by  death.  I  am  aware  also,  that  neither  will 
they  believe,  who  have  thought  and  inquired  much  about  the 
soul,  and  have  not  at  the  same  time  comprehended  that  the  soul 
is  man's  spirit,  and  that  his  spirit  is  his  very  man  which  lives 
in  the  body  ;  for  these  cannot  conceive  any  other  notion  about 
the  soul,  than  that  it  is  some  principle  of  thought,  or  of  flame, 
or  ether,  which  only  acts  into  the  orgamcal  forms  of  the  body, 
and  not  into  the  purer  forms  which  are  of  the  spirit  in  the 
body,  and  thereby  they  conceive  it  to  be  such  a  principle  as  is 
dissipated  with  the  body :  this  is  especially  the  case  with  those 
who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  such  notions  by  views  of  the 
subject  puffed  up  through  the  persuasion  of  their  own  superior 
wisdom. 

4623.  But  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  the  sensitive  life  of  spirits 
is  two-fold,  viz.,  real  and  not  real  ;  the  one  is  distinct  from  the 
other  in  this,  that  all  that  which  appears  to  those  who  are  in 
heaven,  is  real,  but  all  that  which  appears  to  those  who  are  in 
hell,  is  not  real.  For  whatsoever  comes  from  the  Divine  {that 
is.  from  the  Lord),  is  real,  inasmuch  as  it  comes  from  the  very 
Esse  of  things  and  from  life  in  Himself;  but  whatsoever  comes 
from  the.  proprium  [selfhood']  of  spirits,  is  not  real,  because  it 
does  not  come  from  the  esse  of  things,  nor  from  life  in  itself ; 
they  who  are  in  the  affection  of  good  and  truth  are  in  the  Lord's 
life,  thus  in  real  life.  f>r  the  Lord  is  present  in  good  and  truth- 
by  affection;  but  tliey  who  are  in  evil  and  false  by  affection,  are 
in  the  life  of  the  proprium,  thus  in  life  not  real,  for  the  Lord  is 
not  present  in  what  is  evil  and  false.  The  real  is  distinguished 
from  the  non-real  in  this,  that  the  real  actually  is  such  as  it 
appears,  and  that  the  non-real  actually  is  not  such  as  it  appears. 
They  who  are  in  hell  have  sensations  also,  and  know  no  other 
than  that  it  is  really  or  actually  so  as  they  are  sensible  of;  but 
still  when  they  are  inspected  by  the  angels,  tlie  same  things  then 
appear  as  phantasms,  and  vanish,  and  themselves  appear  not  as 
men,  but  as  monsters.  Lt  has  also  been  given  me  to  discourse 
with  them  on  this  subject,  and,  some  of  them  hav:  said  that  they 
believe  the  things  to  be  real,  because  they  see  and  touch  them, 
adding,  that  setise  cannot  deceive :  but  it  was  given  me  to  an- 
swer, that  however  those  things  appear  to  them  as  real,  still  they 


4623—4625.] 


GENESIS. 


257 


are  not  real,  because  they  are  in  principles  contrary  or  opposite 
to  the  divine,  viz.,  in  evils  andfalses  ;  and  moreover  that  they 
themselves,  so  far  as  they  are  in  the  lusts  of  evil  and  in  the  per- 
suasions of  false,  are  mere  phantasies  as  to  the  thoughts  ;  and 
that  to  see  any  thing  from  phantasies  is  to  see  real  things  as 
not  real,  and  those  which  are  not  real  as  real  /  and  that  unless, 
by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  it  had  been  given  them  to  have 
such  sensation,  they  would  not  have  had  any  sensitive  life,  con- 
sequently not  any  life,  for  the  sensitive  principle  constitutes  the 
all  of  life.  To  adduce  all  the  experience  which  I  have  had  on 
this  subject,  would  be  to  fill  several  pages.  Let  every  one  then 
take  heed  to  himself,  when  he  comes  into  the  other  life,  lest  he  be 
deluded  I  for  evil  spirits  know  how  to  present  various  illusions 
before  those  who  come  fresh  from  the  world,  and  if  they  cannot 
deceive,  still  they  try  thereby  to  persuade  that  nothing  is  real,  but 
that  all  things  are  ideal,  even  those  which  are  in  heaven. 

4624.  As  to  the  correspondence  of  the  sense  of  smelling  and 
thence  of  the  nostrils  with  the  Grand  Man,  they  viho  are  in 
common  perception  belong  to  that  province,  so  that  they  may  be 
called  p>crceptions ;  to  them,  corresponds  the  smell,  consequently 
its  organ.  Hence  also  it  is,  that  to  smell,  to  scent,  to  be  quick- 
scented,  and  also  the  nostrils,  are  predicated  in  common  dis- 
course of  those  who  in  matters  of  difficult  investigation  come 
nearest  the  point  in  question,  and  likewise  who  perceive  :  for 
the  interior  things  of  the  expressions  of  man's  speech  derive 
much  from  correspondence  with  the  Grand  Man,  because  man 
as  to  his  spirit  is  in  society  with  spirits,  and  as  to  his  body  with 
men. 

4625.  But  the  societies  whereof  the  whole  heaven,  which  is 
the  Grand  Man,  consists,  are  several,  and  are  more  or  less  uni- 
versal j  the  more  universal  are  those  to  which  an  entire  member 
or  organ,  or  viscus,  corresponds  ;  the  less  universal,  those  to 
which  the  parts  thereof,  and  the  parts  of  parts,  corresp>ond. 
Each  society  is  an  image  of  the  whole,  for  what  is  unanimous 
is  composed  of  such  images  of  itself.  As  those  more  universal 
societies  are  images  of  the  Grand  Man,  they  have  particular 
societies  within  themselves,  which  correspond  in  like  manner.  1 
have  discoursed  occasionally  with  those  who,  in  the  society  into 
which  I  was  sent,  belonged  to  the  province  of  the  lungs,  the  heart, 
the  face,  the  tongue,  the  ear,  the  eye,  and  with  those  tvho  belong 
to  the  province  of  the  nostrils,  from  which  latter  also  it  was 
given  me  to  know  their  quality,  viz.,  that  they  are  perceptions  ; 
for  they  perceive  xohatever  happens  in  the  society  in  common, 
but  not  so  much  in  particular  as  they  who  are  in  the  jjrovince 
of  the  eye,  for  these  latter  discern  and  take  a  view  of  those  things 
which  are  of  perception.  And  it  was  also  given  me  to  observe 
that  their  perceptive  faculty  varies  according  to  the  common 
changes  of  state  of  the  society  in  which  they  are. 

vol.  v.  17 


258 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxv 


4626.  When  any  spirit  is  coming  towards  others,  although 
as  yet  he  is  at  a  distance  and  not  manifest  to  the  sight,  his  pres 
ence  is  perceived,  as  often  as  the  Lord  grants,  from  a  certain 
spiritual  sphere,  from  tvhich  the  quality  of  his  life,  affection,  and 
faith  is  known  ;  angelic  spirits,  who  are  in  more  exquisite  per- 
ception, hence  know  innumerable  things  respecting  the  state  of 
his  life  and  faith.  This  has  been  shown  to  me  on  many  occa- 
sions. These  spheres,  when  it  pleases  the  Lord,  are  also  changed' 
into  odours  ;  the  odour  itself  \s  made  very  sensible.  The  reason 
why  those  spheres  are  changed  into  odours,  is,  because  odour 
corresponds  to  perception  ;  and  inasmuch  as  perception  is  as  it 
were  spiritual  odour,  hence  also  the  odour  descends  ;  but  see 
■what  has  been  adduced  above  from  experience  on  these  subjects  ; 
concerning  spheres,  n.  101S,  1053,  1316,  1501  to  1520,  1695. 
2101,  2189,  1161 ;  concerning  perception,  n.  183, 195,  503,  521, 
536,  1383,  1381,  1388,  1391,  1397,  139S,  1501,  1610;  concern- 
ing odours  thence,  n.  1511,  1517,  1518,  1519,  1631,  3577. 

1627.  But  they  who  have  relation  to  the  interiors  of  the  nos- 
trils, are  in  a  more  perfect  state  as  to  perception  than  they  who 
have  relation  to  the  exteriors  thereof,  of  whom  we  have  spoken 
above.  Concerning  the  former  L  am  at  liberty  to  relate  as  fol- 
lows :  There  was  presented  to  my  view  a  bath  with  long  seats  or 
benches,  and  hence  heat  issued  forth  ;  a  woman  appeared  there 
who  presentl/y  vanished  into  a  blackish  cloud;  and  infants  were 
also  heard,  saying  that  they  were  not  willing  to  be  there.  After 
a  little  while,  some  angelic  choirs  were  perceived,  who  were  sent 
to  me  for  the  purpose  of  averting  the  attempts  of  certain  evil 
spirits;  and  then  suddenly  above  the  front  there  appeared  small 
holes,  greater  and  less,  through  which  a  beautiful  yellowish  light 
shone,  and  in  that  lucidity  within  the  small  holes  were  seen  cer- 
tain females  in  a  snow-wh  ite  light ;  next  there  appeared  again 
small  holes  in  another  arrangement,  through  winch  they  who 
were  within  looked ;  and  again  other  small  holes,  through  which 
the  lucidity  did  not  so  freely  pass  ;  lastly,  there  was  perceived  a 
brightening  light.  Lt  was  told  me,  that  the  abodes  of  those  who 
constitute  the  province  of  the  internal  nostrils  were  there,  for 
they  were  of  the  female  sex,  and  that  the  clearness  of  perception 
of  those  who  dwell  there,  is  represented  in  the  world  of  sjnrits 
by  such  holes  ;  for  the  spiritual  things  in  heaven  are  repre- 
sented *  in  the  world  of  spirits,  by  natural  things,  or  rather,  by 
such  things  as  are  like  natural.  Afterwards  it  was  given  me  to 
discourse  with  them,  and  they  said,  that  through  those  repre- 
sentative holes  they  could  see  exactly  those  things  which  were 
doing  beneath,  and  that  those  holes  appear  turned  to  those  socie- 
ties which  they  are  desirous  to  observe,  and  as  on  this  occasion 
they  were  turned  to  me,  they  said  that  they  could  perceive  all 
the  ideas  of  my  thought,  and  likewise  of  those  who  were  around 
me.    They  said  moreover,  that  they  not  only  perceived  the 


4626— 4628.] 


GENESIS. 


259 


ideas,  but  also  saw  them  variously  represented  to  them  ;  as  for 
instance,  the  things  relating  to  the  affection  of  good  they  saw 
represented  by  suitable  small  fames,  and  the  things  relating  to 
the  affection  of  truth  by  variations  of  light ;  they  added,  that 
they  saw  certain  angelic  societies  attendant  upon  me,  and  their 
thoughts  by  things  variously  coloured,  by  purple  colours,  such 
as  are  seen  in  painted  curtains,  and  also  by  the  colours  of  the 
rainbow  in  a  more  obscure  plane,  and  that  hence  they  perceived 
that  those  societies  were  from  the  province  of  the  eye.  Other 
spirits  were  next  seen  who  were  cast  down  thence,  and  were  dis- 
2>ersed  here  and  there,  of  whom  they  said  that  they  were  such  as 
had  insinuated  themselves  amongst  them  for  the  sake  of  perceiv- 
ing somewhat,  and  of  seeing  what  was  doing  below,  but  with  a 
view  of  ensnaring  them  ;  this  casting  down  was  observed  as 
often  as  the  angelic  choirs  approached,  with  whom  also  I  dis- 
coursed /  they  said  that  those  who  were  cast  down  had  reference 
to  the  mucus  of  the  nostrils,  and  th  at  they  were  dull  and  stupid, 
and  also  without  conscience  J  thus  altogether  void  of  interior 
perception.  The  woman  who  was  seen,  as  above  described,  sig- 
nified such  ensnarers  /  with  these  also  it  was  given  me  to  dis- 
course, and  they  wondered  at  any  one  having  conscience,  and 
were  in  total  ignorance  what  conscience  is ;  and  when  I  said 
that  it  is  an  interior  perception  of  what  is  good  and  true,  and 
that  to  act  against  that  perception  causes  anxiety,  this  they  did 
not  understand  /  such  are  they  who  correspond  to  the  mucus 
lohich  infests  the  nostrils,  and  which  is  on  that  account  ejected. 
Afterwards  the  lucid  principle  was  shown  me,  in  which  they 
live  who  have  reference  to  the  internals  of  the,  nostrils',  it  was 
beautifully  varied  with  veins  of  golden  flame  and  of  silver  light, 
the  affections  of  good  being  there  represented  by  veins  of  golden 
flame,  and  the  affections  of  truth  by  veins  of  silver  light.  It 
xoas  also  shown,  that  they  have  holes  opening  on  the  side,  through 
which  they  see  as  it  were  the  heaven  with  stars  in  azure  blue  ; 
and  it  was  said  that  in  their  inner  rooms  the  light  is  so  great, 
that  the  mid-day  light  of  the  world  is  not  to  be  compared  with 
it ,  and  f  urther,  that  the  warmth  in  which  they  live  is  like  the 
vernal  summer  heat  on  the  earth  /  and  there  are  also  little 
children  amongst  them,  but  of  some  years  old,  and  that  they  are 
not  willing  to  be  there  when  those  ensnarers,  or  mucusis,  ap- 
proach. Numberless  such  representatives  appear  in  the  world 
of  spirits  /  but  the  above  were  representatives  of  the  perceptions 
-in  which  they  are,  who  correspond  to  the  smell  of  the  internal 
nostrils. 

4628.  The  odours,  into  which  the  spheres  of  perception  are 
turned,  are  made  as  sensible  as  odours  on  earth,  but  they  do  not 
come  to  the  sense  of  a  man  whose  interiors  are  closed,  for  they 
flow-in  by  an  internal  way,  bid  not  by  an  external.  Those 
odours  are  from  a  twofold  origin,  viz.,  from  the  2>erception  of 


260 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxv. 


good,  and  from  the  'perception  of  evil',  those  from  the  perception 
of  good  are  most  grateful,  exhaling  as  it  were  from  the  fragrant 
flowers  of  a  garden,  and  from  other  pe7 funics,  with  such  agree- 
ableness  and  also  variety  as  is  ineffable:  they  who  are  in  heaven 
are  in  the  spheres  of  such  odours.  But  the  odours  from  the 
percejytion  of  evil  are  most  ungrateful,  being  fetid  and  stinking 
like  those  which  arise  from  putrid  waters,  from  excrements,  and 
from  dead  bodies,  and  having  a  filthy  smell  like  mice  and,  ver- 
min :  they  who  are  in  hell,  are  in  the  spheres  of  such  stenches  / 
and  what  is  wonderful,  they  are  not  sensible  of  the  horrid  smell, 
yea,  those  stenches  are  delightful  to  them,  and  when  they  are  in 
them,  they  are  in  the  sphere  of  their  delights  and  dainties.  But 
when  hell  is  opened,  and  the  exhalation  thence  reaches  to  good 
spirits,  they  are  seized  with  horror  and  anxiety,  like  persons  in 
the  world  vsho  fall  into  the  sphere  of  such  stinks. 

4629.  To  adduce  all  the  experience  ivhich  I  have  had  con- 
cerning the  spheres  of  perceptio?is  turned  into  odours,  would  be 
to  write  a  volume  y  see  what  has  been  related  above  concerning 
them,  n.  1514,  1517,  1518,  1519,  1631,  3577 ;  to  which  the  fol- 
lowing may  be  added.  On  a  time  I  perceived  the  common  or 
general  principle  of  the  thought  of  many  spirits  respecting  the 
Lord  as  being  born  a  man,  and  it  was  perceived,  that  it  con- 
sisted of  mere  scandals  /  for  that  tohich  spirits  think  in  general 
and  in  particular,  is  manifestly  perceived  by  others  /  the  odour 
of  that  sphere  was  perceived  like  stinking  water,  corrupted  with 
refuse  and  fetid  things. 

4630.  A  certain  spirit  xoas  present  unseen  above  the  head  : 
his  presence  was  pterceived  from  a  stench  like  that  of  the  teeth 
which  is  excrementitious  ;  and  afterwards  a  smell  as  from  burnt 
horn  or  bone  was  perceived  ;  next  came  a  great  crowd  of  such, 
rising  as  a  mist  from  beneath  not  far  from  the  back,  and  as  they 
were  un  seen,  I  suspected  that  they  were  subtle,  and  yet  evil ;  but 
it  was  said  that  such  are  unseen  where  there  is  a  spiritual  sphere, 
but  where  there  is  a  natural  sphere  they  are  seen  ;  for  they  who 
are  so  natural  as  to  think  nothing  of  spiritual  things,  nor  to  be- 
lieve that  there  is  a  hell  and  a  heaven,  and  still  are  subtle  in  their 
business,  are  of  the  above  quality,  and  are  called  natural  spirits 
unseen:  and  at  times  they  are  manifested  to  others  by  the  stench 
above  described. 

4631.  Twice  or  thrice  also  a  cadaverous  odour  breathed  upon 
me,  and  when  inquiry  was  made  from  whom  it  came,  it  was  said 
that  it  was  from  the  hell  containing  filthy  robbers,  murderers, 
and  such  as  have  been  guilty  of  iniquitous  practices  from  deep 
deceit.  At  times  also  an  excrementitious  odour  was  manifested, 
and  on  inquiry  whence  it  was,  it  was  said  that  it  wasfro?n  the 
hell  containing  adulterers  who  are  also  cruel  /  and  so  in  other 
cases. 

4632.  Whilst  I  was  once  thinking  about  the  rule  of  the  soul 


4629—4635.] 


GENESIS. 


261 


in  the  body,  and  the  influx  of  the  will  into  the ^  actions,  it  was 
perceived  that  they  who  were  in  the  excrementitious  hell,  at  that 
time  only  a  little  open,  thought  only  of  the  government  of  the 
soxd  in  anum,  and  the  influx  of  the  will  into  the  discharges  of 
the  excrements  ;  whence  it  was  evident  in  what  a  sphere  of  per- 
ception and  consequent  stench  they  were.  The  like  happened 
whilst  I  was  thinking  about  conjugial  love  ;  on  which  occasion 
they  who  were  in  the  hell  containing  adulterers,  had  no  thought 
but  of  criminal  acts  relating  to  adultery  and  of  the  defilements 
thereof  And  whilst  I  was  thinking  concerning^  sincerity,  they 
who  were  principled  in  deceit  thought  of  nothing  but  of  what 
was  wicked  grounded  in  deceit. 

4633.  From  what  has  been  said  above  concerning  perceptions 
and  odours,  it  is  evident  that  every  one's  life,  consequently  every 
one's  affection,  is  manifested  in  the  other  life.  Whosoever  there- 
fore believes  that  in  that  life  it  is  not  known  what  sort  of  person 
the  man  had  been,  and  what  sort  of  life  he  had  consequently  con- 
tracted, and  thai  he  can  there  conceal  his  mind  [aniimim]  as  in 
the  xoorld,  is  much  deceived.  In  the  other  life  also,  not  only  the 
things  which  a  man  knew  concerning  himself  are  manifested,  but 
also  the  things  concerning  himself  which  he  did  not  know,  viz., 
those  things  which  by  frequent  use  he  has  immersed  in  the  de- 
lights of  life,  for  in  this  case  they  disappear  from  his  sight  and 
reflection.  The  very  ends  themselves  of  his  thought,  speech,  and 
his  actions,  which  from  a  similar  cause  were  become  hidden  to 
himself  are  most  manifestly  perceived  in  heaven  •  for  heaven 
is  in  the  sphere  and  perception  of  ends. 

4634.  The  subject  of  correspondence  with  the  Grand  Mi  vn 
will  be  continued  at  the  end  of  the  following  chapter,  where  the 
correspondence  of  hearing  and  of  the  ears  with  that  Man  will 
be  treated  of. 


GENESIS. 

CHAPTER  THE  THIRTY-SIXTH. 


4635.  HAVING  already  (in  the  prefaces  to  some  of  the 
preceding;  chapters)  explained  the  things  which  the  Lord  had 
predicted  in  Matthew,  chap,  xxiv.,  concerning  the  last  time,  of 
the  church ;  and  as  these  predictions  are  continued  in  the  same 
evangelist,  chap,  xxv.,  it  is  allowed  also  to  explain  in  due  order 
the  internal  sense  of  those  things  which  in  the  letter  are  as  fol- 
low :  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  the  heavens  be  likened  unto  ten 


262 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi. 


virgins,  who  took  their  lamps,  and  went  forth  to  meet  the  bride- 
groom. And  five  of  them  were  wise,  but  five  were  foolish  y  they 
who  were  foolish  took  their  lamps,  but  took  no  oil  with  them  ; 
but  the  wise  took  oil  in  their  vessels  with  their  lamps.  Whilst 
the  bridegroom  tarried,  they  all  slumbered  and  slept.  But  at 
midnight  a  cry  was  made,  Behold!  the  bridegroom  cometh,  go 
ye  out  to  meet  him.  Then  all  those  virgins  arose,  and  trimmed 
their  lamps  /  and  the  foolish  said  tinto  the  wise,  Give  us  of  your 
oil,  for  our  lamps  are  gone  out ;  but  the  wise  answered,  saying, 
Not  so,  lest  there  be  not  sufficient  for  us  and  you  •  but  go  ye 
rather  to  them  that  sell,  and  buy  for  yourselves.  But  while  they 
were  gone  to  buy,  the  bridegroom  came;  and  they  who  were  ready 
went  in  with  him  to  the  wedding  y  and  the  door  wets  shut.  After- 
wards came  also  the  other  virgins,  saying,  Lord,  Lord,  open  to 
us.  But  he  answered  and  said,  Verily  1 say  unto  you,  /know 
you  not.  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  know  neither  the  day  nor 
the  hour  in  which  the  &on  of  Man  will  come. 

4636.  By  this  parable  the  Lord  described  His  coming,  as 
is  evident  from  each  thing  contained  in  it,  and  from  the  end, 
where  He  saith,  "  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  know  neither  the 
day  nor  the  hour  in  which  the  Son  of  !Man  will  come ;"  as 
also  in  chapter  xxiv.  42,  where  He  speaks  expressly  concern- 
ing His  coming,  "  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  know  not  in  what 
hour  your  Lord  cometh."  That  His  coming  is  the  consumma- 
tion of  the  age,  or  the  last  time  of  the  church,  was  shown 
above. 

4637.  That  all  and  each  of  the  things  which  the  Lord  spake 
in  parables,  are  representative  and  significative  of  the  spiritual 
and  celestial  things  of  His  kingdom,  and  in  the  supreme  sense, 
of  the  Divine  things  appertaining  to  Himself,  is  very  manifest : 
wherefore  he  who  is  not  aware  of  this,  cannot  conceive  any 
thing  else  concerning  the  Lord's  parables,  than  that  they  are 
like  common  similitudes,  and  contain  nothing  more  in  their 
bosom  ;  as  in  regard  to  what  is  here  said  concerning  the  ten 
virgins,  unless  it  be  known  what  is  signified  in  the  internal 
sense  by  virgins,  also  what  by  ten,  by  five,  by  lamps,  vessels, 
and  oil,  what  by  those  who  sell,  what  by  marriage,  and  the  rest 
of  the  expressions ;  and  so  likewise  in  all  the  other  parable?. 
The  things  which  the  Lord  spake  in  those  parables,  appear  in 
the  external  form  like  common  similitudes,  as  was  observed ; 
but  in  the  internal  form  they  are  such  as  to  fill  the  universal 
heaver.,  for  in  every  single  tiling  contained  in  them  there  is  an 
internal  sense,  which  is  such,  that  its  spiritual  and  celestial 
principle  diffuses  itself  through  the  heavens  in  every  direction 
like  light  and  flame.  This  sense  is  altogether  elevated  from  the 
sense  of  the  letter,  and  flows  from  every  single  expression  and 
word,  yea,  from  every  iota.  But  what  this  parable  involves 
in  the  internal  sense,  is  evident  from  what  follows. 


4636—4638.] 


GENESIS. 


263 


4638.  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  the  heavens  he  likened 
unto  ten  virgins,  signifies  the  last  time  of  the  old  church,  and 
the  first  of  the  new  ;  the  church  is  the  Lord's  kingdom  on  earth  ; 
the  ten  virgins  are  all  who  are  in  the  church,  both  they  who 
are  in  good  and  truth,  and  they  who  are  in  evil  and  false  ;  ten 
in  the  internal  sense  are  remains,  and  also  that  which  is  full, 
thus  all ;  and  virgins  are  they  who  are  in  the  church ;  so  also 
in  other  parts  of  the  Word.  Who  took  their  lamps,  signifies 
spiritual  things  in  which  is  a  celestial  principle,  or  truths  in 
which  is  good,  or  (which  is  the  same  thing)  faith  in  which  is 
charity  towards  the  neighbour,  and  charity  in  which  is  love  to 
the  Lord,  for  oil  is  the  good  of  love,  of  which  we  shall  speak 
presently  ;  but  lamps  in  which  is  no  oil,  are  the  same  things  in 
which  is  no  good.  And  went  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom, 
signifies  their  reception.  And  Jive  of  them  were  wise,  but 
■five  were  foolish,  signifies  a  part  of  them  who  were  in  truths 
in  which  is  good,  and  a  part  who  are  in  truths  in  which  is  no 
good ;  the  former  are  wise,  but  the  latter  foolish  ;  in  the  in- 
ternal sense,  five  are  some.  They  who  were  foolish  took  their 
lamps,  but  took  no  oil  with  them,  signifies  that  they  had  not 
the  good  of  charity  in  their  truths ;  oil,  in  the  internal  sense, 
is  the  good  of  charity  and  love.  But  the  wise  took  oil  in 
their  vessels  with  their  lamps,  signifies  that  they  had  the  good 
of  charity  and  of  love  in  their  truths ;  vessels  are  the  doctri- 
nals  of  faith.  Whilst  the  bridegroom  tarried,  they  all  slum- 
bered and  slept,  signifies  delay  and  thence  doubt;  to  slumber, 
in  the  internal  sense,  is  to  grow  slothful  by  delay  in  the  things 
appertaining  to  the  church ;  and  to  sleep  is  to  cherish  doubt ; 
the  wise  cherish  doubt  in  which  is  an  affirmative  principle,  and 
the  foolish  cherish  doubt  in  which  is  a  negative  principle.  But 
at  midnight  a  cry  was  made,  signifies  the  time  which  is  the 
last  of  the  old  church  and  the  first  of  the  new ;  in  the  "Word, 
this  time  is  called  night,  when  the  state  of  the  church  is  treated 
of;  a  cry  is  a  change.  Behold  !  the  bridegroom  cometh,  go  ye 
out  to  meet  him,  signifies  that  which  is  judgment,  viz.,  accept- 
ance and  rejection.  Then  all  those  virgins  arose  and  trimmed 
their  lamps,  signifies  a  preparation  of  all,  for  they  who  are  in 
truths  in  which  is  no  good,  believe  they  are  as  equally  accepted 
as  those  who  are  in  truths  in  which  is  good ;  for  they  suppose 
that  faith  alone  is  saving,  not  knowing  that  there  is  no  faith 
where  there  is  no  charity.  And  the  foolish  said  unto  the  wise, 
Give  us  of  your  oil,  for  our  lamps  are  gone  out,  signifies  that 
they  are  willing  that  good  should  be  communicated  from  others 
to  their  truths  which  were  void  of  it,  or  to  their  empty  faith ; 
for  in  the  other  life,  all  spiritual  and  celestial  things  are  mutu- 
ally communicated,  but  only  through  good.  But  the  wise  an- 
swered, saying,  Not  so,  lest  there  be  not  enough  for  us  and  you, 
signifies  that  it  cannot  be  communicated,  because  the  little  of 


264 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi. 


truth  which  they  had  would  be  taken  away ;  for  so  the  case  is 
with  the  communication  of  good  with  those  who  are  in  truths 
without  good  in  the  other  life,  they  as  it  were  take  away  good 
from  them,  and  appropriate  it  to  themselves,  and  do  not  com- 
municate with  others,  but  defile  it,  wherefore  no  communica- 
tion of  good  is  effected  with  them  :  on  this  subject  more  will  be 
seen  from  experience  at  the  close  of  chapter  xxxvii.  But  go 
•ye  rather  to  them  that  sell,  and  buy  for  yourselves,  signifies  the 
good  of  merit ;  they  who  boast  of  that  good,  are  they  who  sell ; 
they  also  who  are  in  truth  in  which  is  no  good,  are  particularly 
forward  in  the  other  life  to  make  all  that  meritorious  which 
they  have  apparently  done  as  good  in  the  external  form,  al- 
though it  was  evil  in  the  internal,  according  to  what  the  Lord 
saith  in  Matthew,  "  Many  will  say  to  me  in  that  day,  Lord, 
Lord,  have  we  not  prophesied  in  thy  name  ?  and  in  thy  name 
cast  out  demons?  and  in  thy  name  done  many  virtues?  But 
then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew  yon ;  depart  from 
me,  ye  workers  of  iniquity,"  vii.  22,  23 ;  and  in  Luke,  "  When 
once  the  master  of  the  house  hath  risen,  and  hath  shut  the  door, 
then  shall  ye  begin  to  stand  without,  and  knock  at  the  door, 
saying.  Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us ;  but  he  answering  shall  say 
unto  you,  I  know  you  not  whence  ye  are  ;  then  shall  ye  begin  to 
say,  We  have  eaten  and  drunk  in  thy  presence,  and  thou  hast 
taught  in  our  streets ;  but  he  shall  say,  I  tell  you,  I  know  you 
not  whence  ye  are;  depart  from  me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity," 
xiii.  25,  26,  27  ;  such  are  they  who  are  here  meant  by  the 
foolish  virgins,  wherefore  it  is  said  of  them  in  like  manner  in 
these  words,  "  They  also  came,  saying,  Lord,  Lord,  opon  to  us ; 
but  he  answered  and  said,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  know  you  not." 
But  while  they  were  gone  to  buy,  the  bridegroom  came,  signifies 
unseasonable  application.  And  they  who  were  ready  went  in 
with  him  to  the  wedding,  signifies  that  they  who  were  in  good, 
and  thence  in  truth,  were  received*  into  heaven  ;  heaven  is  lik- 
ened to  a  wedding  by  reason  of  the  heavenly  marriage,  which 
is  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth ;  and  the  Lord  is  likened  to 
a  bridegroom,  because  they  are  then  conjoined  to  Him,  whence 
the  church  is  called  a  bride.  And  the  door  was  shut,  signifies 
that  others  cannot  enter.  Afterwards  came  also  the  other  vir- 
gins, saying,  Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us,  signifies  that  they  wish  to 
enter  from  faith  alone  without  charity,  and  from  works  in  which 
there  is  not  the  Lord's  life,  but  the  life  of  self.  But  he  an- 
swered and  said,  Verily  L  say  unto  you,  L  know  you  not,  signi- 
fies rejection  ;  not  to  have  known  them,  in  the  internal  sense, 
is  not  to  be  in  any  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  and  thereby 
in  conjunction  with  the  Lord  ;  they  who  are  not  in  conjunction, 
are  said  not  to  be  known.  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  know  nei- 
ther the  day  nor  the  hour  in  which  the  Son  of  Man  will  come, 
Bignities  study  of  the  life  according  to  the  precepts  of  faith, 


4638.] 


GENESIS. 


265 


which. is  to  watch;  the  time  of  acceptance,  which  is  unknown 
to  man,  and  the  state,  are  signified  by  not  knowing  the  day  nor 
the  hour  in  which  the  Son  of  Man  will  come.  He  who  is  in 
good,  that  is,  who  acts  according  to  the  commandments,  is 
called  wise;  but  he  who  is  in  the  knowledges  of  the  truth,  and 
does  them  not,  is  called  foolish,  by  the  Lord  also,  in  another 
passage  in  Matthew,  "  Every  one  who  heareth  my  words,  and 
doeth  them,  I  will  liken  him  unto  a  wise  man;  .  .  .  and  every 
one  that  heareth  my  words,  but  doeth  them  not,  shall  be  likened 
unto  a  foolish  man,"  vii.  24,  26. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

1.  AND  these  are  the  generations  of  Esau ;  himself  is 
Edom. 

2.  Esau  took  his  wives  from  the  daughters  of  Canaan ;  Adah 
the  daughter  of  Elon  the  Hittite,  and  Aholibamah  the  daugh- 
ter of  Anah,  the  daughter  of  Zibeon  the  Hivite ; 

3.  And  Bashemath  the  daughter  of  Ishmael,  the  sister  of 
Nebajoth. 

4.  And  Adah  bare  to  Esan,  Eliphaz ;  and  Bashemath  bare 
Reuel ; 

5.  And  Aholibamah  bare  Jeush,  and  Jaalam,  and  Korah. 
These  are  the  sons  of  Esau  wnich  were  born  unto  him  in  the 
land  of  Canaan. 

6.  And  Esau  took  his  wives,  and  his  sons,  and  his  daughters, 
and  all  the  souls  of  his  house,  and  his  cattle,  and  every  beast 
of  his,  and  all  that  he  had  purchased,  which  he  had  got  in  the 
land  of  Canaan,  and  went  to  the  land  from  before  Jacob  his 
brother. 

7.  For  their  riches  were  more  than  that  they  might  dwell 
together ;  and  the  land  of  their  sojournings  could  not  bear  them 
because  of  their  possessions. 

8.  And  Esau  dwelt  in  Mount  Seir.    Esau  himself  is  Edom. 

9.  And  these  are  the  generations  of  Esau,  the  father  of 
Edom,  in  Mount  Seir. 

10.  These  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Esau ;  Eliphaz  the 
son  of  Adah  the  wife  of  Esau ;  Reuel  the  son  of  Bashemath  the 
wife  of  Esau. 

11.  And  the  sons  of  Eliphaz  were  Teman,  Omar,  Zepho, 
and  Gatam,  and  Kenaz. 

12.  And  Timna  was  concubine  to  Eliphaz,  Esau's  son ;  and 
she  bare  to  Eliphaz  Amalek :  these  are  the  sons  of  Adah,  Esau's 
wife. 

13.  And  these  are  the  sons  of  Reuel ;  Nahath  and  Zerath, 


266 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi. 


Shammah  and  Mizzah ;  these  are  the  sons  of  Bashemath,  the 
wife  of  Esau. 

14.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Aholibamah  the  daughter 
of  Anah,  the  daughter  of  Zibeon,  the  wife  of  Esau ;  and  sho 
bare  to  Esau,  Jeush,  and  Jaalam,  and  Korah. 

15.  These  were  dukes  of  the  sons  of  Esau ;  the  sons  of  Eli 
phaz,  Esau's  first-born ;  duke  Teman,  duke  Omar,  duke  Zepho, 
duke  Kenaz, 

16.  Duke  Korah,  duke  Gatam,  duke  Amalek.  These  were 
the  dukes  of  Eliphaz  in  the  land  of  Edom :  these  were  the  sons 
of  Adah. 

17.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Reuel,  the  son  of  Esau  • 
duke  Nahath,  duke  Zerah,  duke  Shammah,  duke  Mizzah.  These 
were  the  dukes  of  Reuel  in  the  land  of  Edom :  these  were  the 
sons  of  Bashemath,  the  wife  of  Esau. 

18.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Aholibamah,  the  wife  of 
Esau  ;  duke  Jeush,  duke  Jaalam,  duke  Korah.  These  were  the 
dukes  of  Aholibamah  the  daughter  of  Anah,  the  wife  of  Esau. 

19.  These  were  the  sons  of  Esau,  and  these  their  dukes ; 
himself  is  Edom. 

20.  These  were  the  sons  of  Seir  the  Horite,  inhabitants  of 
the  land ;  Lotun,  and  Shobal,  and  Zibeon,  and  Anah, 

21.  And  Dishon,  and  Ezer,  and  Dishan.  These  were  the 
dukes  of  the  Horite,  the  sons  of  Seir  in  the  land  of  Edom. 

22.  And  the  sons  of  Lotan  were  Hori,  and  Heman;  and 
Timna  was  the  sister  of  Lotan. 

23.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Shobal ;  Alvau,  and  Mana- 
hath,  and  Ebal,  Shepho,  and  Onam. 

21.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Zibeon;  both  Ajah,  and 
Anah :  this  was  that  Anah  who  found  the  mules  in  the  wilder- 
ness, as  he  was  feeding  the  asses  of  Zibeon  his  father. 

25.  And  these  were  the  children  of  Anah;  Dishon,  and 
Aholibamah  the  daughter  of  Anah. 

26.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Dishon;  Hemdan,  and 
Eshban,  and  Ithran,  and  Cheran. 

27.  These  were  the  sons  of  Ezer ;  Bilhan,  and  Zaavan,  and 
Akan. 

28.  These  were  the  sons  of  Dishan ;  Uz,  and  Aran. 

29.  These  were  the  dukes  of  the  Horite ;  duke  Lotan,  duke 
Shobal,  duke  Zibeon,  duke  Anah, 

30.  Duke  Dishon,  duke  Ezer,  duke  Dishan.  These  were 
the  dukes  of  the  Horite,  as  to  their  dukes  in  the  land  of  Seir. 

31.  And  these  were  the  kings  who  reigned  in  the  land  of 
Edom,  before  a  king  reigned  over  the  sons  of  Israel. 

32.  And  Bela  the  son  of  Beor  reigned  in  Edom :  and  the 
name  of  his  city  was  Dinhabah. 

33.  And  Bela  died  ;  and  Jobab  the  son  of  Zerah  of  Bozrah 
reigned  in  his  stead. 


4639—4641.] 


GENESIS. 


267 


34.  And  Jobab  died  ;  and  Ilusliam  of  the  land  of  theTeman- 
ites  reigned  in  his  stead. 

35.  And  Husham  died ;  and  Hadad  the  son  of  Bedad,  who 
emote  Midian  in  the  field  of  Hoab,  reigned  in  his  stead ;  and 
the  name  of  his  city  was  Avith. 

36.  And  Hadad  died ;  and  Samlah  of  Masrekah  reigned  in 
his  stead. 

37.  And  Samlah  died ;  and  Saul  of  Rehoboth  by  the  river 
reigned  in  his  stead. 

38.  And  Saul  died;  and  Baal-hanan  the  son  of  Achbor 
reigned  in  his  stead. 

39.  And  Baal-hanan  the  son  of  Achbor  died ;  and  Hadar 
reigned  in  his  stead  :  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Pau ;  and 
the  name  of  his  wife  Mehetabel,  the  daughter  of  Matred,  the 
daughter  of  Mezahab. 

40.  And  these  are  the  names  of  the  dukes  of  Esau,  accord- 
ing to  their  families,  as  to  their  places,  in  their  names :  duke 
Timnah,  duke  Alvah,  duke  Jetheth, 

41.  Duke  Aholibamah,  duke  Elah,  duke  Pinon, 

42.  Dnke  Kenaz,  duke  Teman,  duke  Mibzar, 

43.  Duke  Magdiel,  duke  Irani.  These  are  the  dukes  of 
Edom,  according  to  their  habitations,  in  the  land  of  their  pos- 
session ;  Esau  himself  is  the  father  of  Edom. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

4639.  THE  subject  here  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense,  is 
concerning  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  good,  and  every  order  of 
that  good  is  described  by  names ;  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural 
good  is  Esau. 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

4640.  Terse  1.  AND  these  are  the  generations  of  Esau  ; 
himself  is  Edom.  These  are  the  generations  of  Esau,  signifies 
derivations  in  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  good :  himself  is 
Edom,  signifies  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  as  to  the 
natural  and  corporeal. 

4641.  "  These  are  the  generations  of  Esau." — That  hereby 
are  signified  derivations  in  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  good, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  generations,  as  denoting 
derivations,  viz.,  of  good  and  truth,  see  n.  1330,  3263,  3279, 
8860,  3868,  4070  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Esau,  as 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi. 


denoting  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  good,  see  n.  3302,  3322, 
3491,  3504,  3576,  3599;  this  good  is  now  treated  of  in  this 
chapter ;  but  as  it  is  such  a  good  as  does  not  fall  .into  the  im- 
derstanding  of  any  man,  and  scarcely  of  any  angel,  it  is  de- 
scribed by  mere  names.  For  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  good, 
represented  by  Esau,  is  what  was  divine  to  Him  from  nativity, 
for  He  was  conceived  from  Jehovah ;  hence  He  had  a  divine 
esse  from  nativity,  which  was  to  Him  for  a  soul,  and  conse- 
quently the  inmost  principle  of  His  life.  This  divine  esse  was 
exteriorly  clothed  with  what  He  assumed  from  the  mother, 
which  latter,  as  it  was  not  good,  but  in  itself  evil,  He  expelled 
by  His  own  proper  power,  chiefly  by  temptation-combats  ;  and 
afterwards  He  conjoined  this  human  principle,  which  He  made 
new  in  Himself,  with  the  Divine' Good  which  He  had  from 
nativity.  Jacob  represented  that  good  which  He  procured  to 
Himself  by  His  own  proper  power,  and  which  is  treated  of  in  the 
foregoing  chapters,  and  this  is  the  good  which  He  conjoined  to 
the  Divine  Good ;  thus  He  made  the  human  principle  in  Him- 
self all  divine.  The  good  which  Esau  represents,  flowed-in  by 
an  internal  way,  and  through  rational  good  into  natural,  imme- 
diately ;  but  the  good  represented  by  Jacob  and  Israel,  flowed- 
in  by  an  external  way,  and  met  the  Divine  principle  through 
rational  good,  but  mediately  through  the  truth  of  the  rational 
principle  into  the  natural ;  Isaac  represents  that  rational  good, 
and  Rebekah  that  truth,  see  what  was  said  above  concerning 
these  latter,  n.  3314,  3573,  4503. 

4642.  "  Himself  is  Edom." — That  hereby  is  signified  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  as  to  the  natural  and  corporeal, 
appears  from  the  representation  of  Edom,  as  denoting  the  Lord's 
Divine  Human  principle  as  to  natural  good  to  which  the  doc- 
trinals  of  truth  are  adjoined,  see  n.  3302,  3322,  4241,  thus  as 
to  the  natural  and  corporeal  principle ;  for  doctrinals  are  like 
a  body  to  truth,  or  in  a  spiritual  sense  they  are  the  corporeal 
things  of  natural  truth.  Hence  it  is,  that  by  Edom  is  represented 
the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  as  to  the  natural  and  cor- 
poreal ;  the  reason  why  doctrine  is  as  it  were  the  embodying 
of  truth,  is,  because  doctrine  is  not  in  itself  truth,  but  truth  is 
in  doctrine,  as  the  soul  in  its  body.  The  subject  treated  of  in 
what  now  follows  is  concerning  the  Divine  Natural  good  of  the 
Lord,  but  its  derivations  are  described  by  names,  because,  as 
was  said  above,  the  derivations  of  that  good  exceed  the  under- 
standing of  any  man,  and  even  of  any  angel ;  for  the  angels  are 
finite,  and  the  'finite  does  not  comprehend  the  Infinite.  Never- 
theless, when  this  chapter  is  read,  the  derivations  contained  in 
the  names  are  represented  to  the  angels  in  a  common  or  general 
view  by  an  influx  of  divine  love  from  the  Lord,  and  the  influx 
by  a  celestial  flame  which  affects  them  with  divine  good.  He 
who  believes  that  the  Word  is  not  inspired  as  to  the  smallesl 


4642— 4644.] 


GENESIS. 


269 


iota,  or  that  it  is  otherwise  inspired  than  that  each  series  con- 
tained in  it  represents  divine  things,  and  thence  celestial  and 
spiritual  things,  and  that  every  single  expression  signifies  those 
wings,  cannot  suppose  otherwise  than  that  these  names  involve 
nothing  more  than  a  genealogical  account  of  Esau ;  hut  what 
has  such  a  genealogical  account  to  do  with  the  Word,  and  what 
Divine  principle  can  there  he  therein?  That  all  names  in  the 
Word  signify  things,  see  n.  1224,  1264,  1876,  1888,  4442,  and 
in  other  "places  throughout,  where  the  significations  of  names 
have  heen  explained. 

4643.  Verses  2  to  5.  Esau  took  his  wives  from  the  daughters 
of  Canaan,  Adah  the  daughter  of  Eton  the  Hittite,  and  Aholi- 
bamah  the  daughter  ofAnah,  the  daughter  of  Zibeon  the  Hivitej 
and  Bashemath  the  daughter  of  Ishmael,  the  sister  of  Hebajoth. 
And  Adah  hare  to  Esau,  Eltphasj  Bashemath  bare  Reuel ; 
and  Aholibamah  bare  Jeush,  and  Jaalam,  and  Korah.  These 
are  the  sons  of  Esau,  which  were  born  unto  him  in  the  land  of 
Canaan.  Esau  took  his  wives  from  the  daughters  of  Canaan, 
signifies  the  first  conjunction  of  natural  good  with  the  affection 
of  apparent  truth :  Adah  the  daughter  of  Elon  the  Hittite,  and 
Aholibamah  the  daughter  of  Anah,  the  daughter  of  Zibeon  the 
Hivite,  signifies  the  quality  which  was  from  the  ancient  church : 
and  Bashemath  the  daughter  of  Ishmael,  the  sister  of  Nebajoth, 
signifies  another  conjunction  with  the  affection  of  truth  from  a 
divine  stock  :  and  Adah  hare  to  Esau,  Eliphaz  ;  and  Bashemath 
bare  Reuel,  signifies  the  first  derivations  thence :  and  Aholi- 
bamah bare  Jeush,  and  Jaalam,  and  Korah,  signifies  another 
derivation :  these  are  the  sons  of  Esau,  which  were  born  unto 
him  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  signifies  from  the  good  of  the  Lord's 
kingdom. 

4644.  Inasmuch  as  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  concerning 
the  good  which  was  divine  in  the  Lord  from  nativity,  and  the 
conjunction  of  that  good  with  the  truth  and  good  which  He 
acquired  to  Himself  as  a  man  born,  and  also  concerning  the 
derivations  thence ;  and  as  these  things  are  such  as  do  not  fall 
into  the  understanding,  not  even  of  the  angels,  as  was  said  above, 
therefore  they  cannot  be  explained  as  to  their  singulars.  More- 
over, they  are  mere  names,  by  which  that  Divine  principle  with 
its  derivations  is  described  ;  and  to  explain  mere  names,  without 
any  preceding  and  subsequent  historical  sense  to  give  confirm- 
ing light,  would  be  to  induce  doubt,  for  few  can  believe  that 
things  are  signified  by  names  in  the  Word,  howsoever  it  is 
pointed  out  to  them.  For  these  reasons  it  is  allowed  only  to 
transcribe  what  is  written  in  this  chapter,  and  to  adjoin  some 
general  explanation  by  such  things  as  may  be  adequate  to  the 
apprehension,  which  are  only  shadings :  for  the  things  in  the 
Divine  principle  never  appear  to  any  one ;  but  the  things  from 
the  Divine  principle  appear  in  a  most  common  or  general  view 


270 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi. 


according  to  the  understanding  into  which  they  fall,  and  this 
only  as  shades.  It  is  moreover  to  be  noted,  that  not  one 
amongst  men  is  born  into  any  good,  but  every  one  into  evil, 
into  interior  evil  from  the  father,  and  into  exterior  evil  from  the 
mother,  for  evil  is  hereditary  to  every  one ;  but  the  Lord  alone 
was  born  into  good  and  into  the  Divine  Good  itself,  so  far  as 
from  the  Father.  This  Divine  Good,  in  which  the  Lord  was 
born,  is  the  subject  here  treated  of ;  its  derivations  are  what 
were  in  the  Lord's  Human  principle  when  He  made  it  divine, 
and  through  which  He  glorified  it :  hence  it  is  that  some  general 
explanation  may  be  adjoined. 

4645.  Verses  6,  7,  8.  And  Esau  took  his  wives,  mid  his 
sons,  and  his  daughters,  and  all  the  souls  of  his  house,  and  his 
cattle,  and  every  beast  of  his,  and  all  that  he  had  purchased, 
which  he  had  got  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  went  to  the  land 
from  before  Jacob  his  brother.  For  their  riches  were  more  than 
that  they  might  dwell  together  ;  and  the  land  of  their  sojourn- 
ings  could  not  bear  them  because  of  their  possessions.  And 
Esau  dwelt  in  Mount  Seir.  Esau  hi?nself  is  Edom.  Esau 
took  his  wives,  and  his  sons,  and  his  daughters,  and  all  the 
souls  of  his  house,  and  his  cattle,  and  every  beast  of  his,  and 
all  that  he  had  purchased,  which  he  had  got  in  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  went  to  the  land  from  before  Jacob  his  brother, 
signifies  all  things  of  divine  good  and  of  truth  thence  derived, 
which  ever  appertained  to  him,  with  which  there  is  correspond- 
ence in  heaven,  and  thence  heaven,  receding  from  Jacob  by 
reason  of  representation :  for  their  riches  were  more,  signifies 
on  account  of  infinity :  than  that  they  could  dwell  together, 
signifies  representatives:  and  the  land  of  their  sojournings 
could  not  bear  them  because  of  their  possessions,  signifies  that 
all  things  cannot  be  described  :  and  Esau  dwelt  in  Mount  Seir, 
signifies  the  truth  of  natural  good  :  Esau  himself  is  Edom,  sig- 
nifies the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle. 

4646.  Verses  9  to  14.  And  these  are  the  generations  of  Esau, 
the  father  of  Edom,  in  Mount  Seir.  These  are  the  names  of  the 
sons  of  Esau;  Eliphaz  the  son  of  Adah,  the  wife  of  Esau ; 
Reuel  the  son  of  Bashemath,  the  wife  of  Esau.  And  the  sons 
of  Eliphaz  were  Teman,  Omar,  Zepho,  and  Gatam,  and  Kenaz. 
And  Timna  was  concubine  to  Eliphaz,  the  son  of  Esau,  and 
she  bare  to  Eliphaz  Amaleh:  these  are  the  sons  of  Adah,  the 
wife  of  Esau.  And  these  are  the  sons  of  Reuel ;  Nahath,and 
Zerah,  Sham  ma h,  and  Mizzah  :  these  were  the  sons  of  Bashe- 
math, the  wife  of  Esau.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Aholiba 
inah,  the  daughter  of  Ana h,  the  dauqhter  of  Ziheon,  the  wife 
of  Esau :  and  she  bare  to  Esau,  Jeush,  and  Jaalam,  and 
Korah.  These  are  the  generations  of  Esau,  the  father  of  Edom, 
signifies  derivations  in  Divine  Natural  good  ;  the  father  of 
Edom  is  the  Divine  Good  from  which  others  were  derived:  in 


4615—4647.]  GENESIS.  271 

Mount  Seir,  signifies  as  to  the  truths  of  good :  these  are  the 
names  of  the  sons  of  Esau,  signifies  the  quality  of  the  deriva- 
tions :  Eliphaz  the  son  of  Adah  the  wife  of  Esau,  Iteuel  the  son 
of  Basheniath  the  wife  of  Esau,  signifies  the  states  of  those 
derivations  from  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth  :  and  the  sons 
of  Eliphaz  were  Teman,  Omar,  Zepho,  and  Gatam,  and  Kenaz, 
signifies  the  first  derivation  of  good  :  and  Timna  was  concubine 
to  Eliphaz  the  son  of  Esau,  signifies  things  subservient  to  them  : 
and  she  bare  to  Eliphaz  Anialek,  signifies  the  sensual  principle: 
these  are  the  sons  of  Adah  the  wife  of  Esau,  signifies  another 
derivation :  and  these  are  the  sons  of  Reuel ;  Nahath,  and 
Zerah,  Shammah,  and  Mizzah ;  these  were  the  sons  of  Bashe- 
niath, the  wife  of  Esau,  signifies  a  third  derivation  :  and  these 
were  the  sons  of  Aholibamah  the  daughter  of  Anah,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Zibeon,  the  wife  of  Esau ;  and  she  bare  to  Esau  Jeush, 
and  Jaalam,  and  Korah,  signifies  a  following  derivation. 

4647.  Verses  15  to  19.  These  were  the  dukes  of  the  sons  of 
Esau :  the  sons  of  Eliphaz,  Esau's  first-bom  :  duke  Teman, 
duke  Omar,  duke  Zepho,  duke  Kenaz,  duke  Korah,  duke  Ga- 
tam, duke  Amalek.  These  were  the  dukes  of  Eliphaz  in  the 
land  of  Edom  /  these  were  the  sons  of  Adah.  And  these  were 
the  sons  of  Keuel,  the  son  of  Esau  :  duke  Nahath,  duke  Zerah, 
duke  Shammah,  duke  Jfizzah.  These  toere  the  dukes  of  Heuel 
in  the  land  of  Edom  •  these  xoere  the  sons  of  Bashemath,  the 
wife  of  Esau.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Aholibamah,  the 
wife  of  Esau  f  duke  Jeush,  duke  Jaalam,  duke  Korah.  These 
were  the  dukes  of  Aholibamah,  the  daughter  of  Anah,  the  toife 
of  Esau.  These  were  the  sons  of  Esau,,  and  these  their  dukes  ; 
himself  is  Edom.  These  were  the  dukes  of  the  sons  of  Esau, 
signifies  the  chief  truths  of  good :  the  sons  of  Eliphaz,  Esau's 
first-born,  duke  Teman,  duke  Omar,  duke  Zepho,  duke  Kenaz, 
duke  Korah,  duke  Gatam,  duke  Amalek,  signifies  the  first 
classification,  and  their  quality,  and  what  their  qualities  are 
also  in  the  Lord's  kingdom :  these  were  the  dukes  of  Eliphaz 
in  the  land  of  Edom ;  these  were  the  sons  of  Adah,  signifies  the 
chief  truths  of  good  of  the  first  class  :  and  these  were  the  sons 
of  Keuel  the  son  of  Esau  ;  duke  Nahath,  duke  Zerah,  duke 
Shammah,  duke  Mizzah,  signifies  another  class,  and  their 
quality,  as  in  heaven:  these  were  the  dukes  of  Reuel  in  the 
land  of  Edom,  signifies  the  second  classification :  these  were 
the  sons  of  Bashemath  the  wife  of  Esau,  signifies  from  the 
marriage  of  good  and  truth :  and  these  were  the  sons  of 
Aholibamah  the  wife  of  Esau,  signifies  the  chief  truths  of 
oods  of  the  third  classification :  duke  Jeush,  duke  Jaalam, 
uke  Korah,  signifies  their  quality,  thence  their  quality  in  the 
Lord's  kingdom:  these  were  the  dukes  of  Aholibamah  the 
daughter  of  Anah  the  wife  of  Esau,  signifies  the  chief  truths  of 


272 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi. 


good  from  the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth ;  these  twelve 
dukes  are  as  the  twelve  tribes,  according  to  arrangement  from 
good  :  these  were  the  sons  of  Esau,  and  these  their  dukes,  sig- 
nifies that  these  are  the  chief  of  the  truths  of  good  :  himself  is 
Edom,  signifies  in  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle. 

4648.  Verses  20  to  28.  These  were  the  sons  of  Seir  the  Hor- 
ite, the  inhabitants  of  the  land  ;  Lotan,  and  Shobal,  and  Zibeon, 
and  Anah,  and  Dishon,  and  Ezer,  and  Dishan.  These  wer& 
the  dukes  of  the  Horite,  the  sons  of  Seir  in  the  land  of  Edom. 
And  the  sons  of  Lotan  were  Hori,  and  Heman  •  and  Tin  ma 
was  the  sister  of  Lotan.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Shobal ; 
Alvan,  and  Manahath,  and  Ebal,  Shepho,  and  Onam.  And 
these  were  the  sons  of  Zibeon  ;  both  Ajah,  and  Anah.  This 
was  that  Anah  who  found  the  mules  in  the  wilderness,  as  he 
was  feeding  the  asses  of  Zibeon  his  father.  And  these  were  the 
children  of  Anah  ;  Dishon,  and  Aholibamah  the  daughter  of 
Anah.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Dishon  /  Hemden,  and 
Eshban,  and  Ithran,  and  Cheran.  These  were  the  so?is  of 
Ezer  /  Bilhan,  and  Zaavan,  and  Akan.  These  were  the  sons 
of  Dishan  •  TJz,  and  Aran.  These  were  the  sons  of  Seir  the 
Horite,  the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  signifies  truths  thence  in 
order :  Lotan,  and  Shobal,  and  Zibeon,  and  Anah,  and  Dishon, 
and  Eber,  and  Dishan,  signifies  their  quality :  these  were  the 
dukes  of  the  Horite,  the  sons  of  Seir,  signifies  the  chief  truths 
of  good  from  the  foregoing:  in  the  land  of  Edom,  signifies  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human  principle:  and  the  sons  of  Lotan  were 
Hori,  and  Heman  ;  and  Tiinna  was  the  sister  of  Lotan,  signifies 
another  class  of  truths :  and  these  were  the  sons  of  Shobal ; 
Alvan,  and  Manahath,  and  Ebal,  Shepho,  and  Onam,  signifies 
a  third  class  and  their  quality :  and  these  were  the  sons  of 
Zibeon ;  both  Ajah,  and  Anah,  signifies  a  third  class  and 
quality :  this  is  that  Anah  who  found  the  mules  in  the  wilder- 
ness, signifies  truths  from  scientifics :  as  he  was  feeding  the 
asses  of  Zibeon  his  father,  signifies  when  he  was  in  scientifics : 
and  these  were  the  children  of  Anah ;  Dishon,  and  Aholiba- 
mah the  daughter  of  Anah,  signifies  a  third  class  and  quality : 
and  these  were  the  sons  of  Dishon  ;  Hemdan,  and  Eshban,  and 
Ithran,  and  Cheran,  signifies  a  fourth  class  and  quality :  these 
were  the  sons  of  Ezer;  Bilhan,  and  Zaavan,  and  Akan,  signi- 
fies a  fourth  class  and  quality  :  these  were  the  sons  of  Dishan ; 
Uz,  and  Aran,  signifies  a  fifth  class  and  quality. 

4649.  Verses  29,  30.  These  were  the  dukes  of  the  Horite  • 
duke  Lotan,  duke  Shobal,  duke  Zibeon,  duke  Anah,  duke  Di- 
shon, duke  Ezer,  duke  Dishan.  These  were  the  dukes'  of  the 
Horite,  as  to  their  dukes  in  the  land  of  Seir.  These  were  the 
dukes  of  the  Horite,  signifies  the  chief  of  those  which  follow  : 
duke  Lotan,  duke  Shobal,  duke  Zibeon,  duke  Anah,  duke  Di- 


4648—4651.] 


GENESIS. 


273 


shon,  duke  Ezcr,  duke  Dishan,  signifies  their  quality  :  these 
were  the  dukes  of  the  Horite,  as  to  their  dukes  in  the  land  of 
Seir,  signifies  the  chief  in  the  successive  principles. 

4650.  Verses  31  to  39.  And  these  were  the  kings  who  reigned 
in  the  land  of  Edom,  before  a  king  reigned  over  the  sons  of 
Israel.  And  Bela  the  son  of  Beor  reigned  in  Edom  ;  and  the 
name  of  his  city  was  Dinhabah.  And  Bela  died,  and  Johab 
the  so?i  of  Ze  rah  from  Bozrah  reigned  in  his  stead.  And  Jobab 
died,  and  Ilusham  from  the  land  of  the  Temanites  reigned  in 
his  stead.  And.  JIusham  died,  and  Iladad  the  son  of  Bedad, 
who  smote  Midian  in  the  field  of  2[oah,  reigned  in  his  stead ; 
and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Avith.  And  Hadad  died,  and 
Samlah  from  Jfasrekah  reigned  in  his  stead.  And  Samlah 
died,  and  Said  from  Rehoboth  by  the  river  reigned  in  his  stead. 
And  Saul  died,  and  Baal-IIanan  the  son  of  Achbor  reigned  in 
his  stead.  And  Baal-hanan  the  son  of  Achbor  died,  and  Ha- 
dar  reigned  in  his  stead:  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Pau, 
and  the  name  of  his  wife  Ifche  'abel,  the  daughter  of  Matred, 
the  daughter  of  Mezahab.  These  were  the  kings  who  reigned 
in  the  land  of  Edom,  signifies  principal  truths  in  the  Lord's 
Divine  Human  principle:  before  a  king  reigned  over  the  sons 
of  Israel,  signifies  when  spiritual  interior  natural  truth  was  not 
as  yet  risen :  and  Bela  the  son  of  Beor  reigned  in  Edom,  sig- 
nifies the  first  truth :  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Dinhabah, 
signifies  doctrine  thence :  and  Bela  died,  and  Jobab  the  son  of 
Zerah  from  Bozrah  reigned  in  his  stead,  signifies  what  was 
thence  derived  as  from  its  essential,  and  its  quality:  and  Jobab 
died,  and  Husham  reigned  in  his  stead,  signifies  what  was 
thence  derived :  from  the  land  of  the  Temanites,  signifies 
whence :  and  Husham  died,  and  Hadad  the  son  of  Bedad 
reigned  in  his  stead,  signifies  what  was  thence  derived:  who 
smote  Midian  in  the  field  of  Moab,  signifies  purification  from 
the  false :  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Avith,  signifies  doctri- 
nals  thence :  and  Hadad  died,  and  Samlah  from  Masrekah 
reigned  in  his  stead,  signifies  what  was  thence  derived,  and  its 
quality  :  and  Samlah  died,  and  Saul  reigned  in  his  stead,  signi- 
fies what  was  thence  :  from  Rehoboth  by  the  river,  signifies 
quality :  and  Saul  died,  and  Baal-Hanan  the  son  of  Achbor 
reigned  in  his  stead,  signifies  what  was  thence,  and  its  quality: 
and  Baal-Hanan  the  son  of  Achbor  died,  and  Hadar  reigned  in 
his  stead,  signifies  what  was  thence:  and  the  name  of  his  city 
was  Pau,  signifies  doctrine  :  and  the  name  of  his  wife  was  Me- 
hetabel,  the  daughter  of  Matred,  the  daughter  of  Mezahab,  sig- 
nifies the  good  thereof. 

4651.  Verses  40  to  43.  And  these  are  the  names  of  the 
diikes  of  Esau,  according  to  their  families,  as  to  their  places,  in 
their  names  i  duke  Timnah,  duke  Alvah,  duke  Jetheth,  duke 
Aholibamah,  dukeElah.  duke  Pinon,  duke  Kenaz,  duke  Te?nan, 

vol.  v.  18 


274 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi. 


duke  Mibsar,  duke  Magdiel,  duke  Tram  .  These  were  the  dukes 
of  Edam  according  to  their  habitations,  in  the  land  of  their 
possession  ;  Esau  himself  is  the  father  of  Edom.  These  are 
the  names  of  the  dukes  of  Esau,  according  to  their  families,  as 
to  their  places,  in  their  names,  signifies  the  doctrinals  of  good 
derived  from  them,  and  their  rise,  state,  and  quality :  duke 
Timnah,  duke  Alvah,  duke  Jetheth,  duke  Aholibamah,  duke 
Elah,  duke  Pinon,  duke  Kenaz,  duke  Teman,  duke  Mibzar, 
duke  Magdiel,  duke  Iram,  signifies  the  quality  of  those  doc- 
trinals :  these  were  the  dukes  of  Edom,  signifies  chief  doc- 
trinals :  according  to  their  habitations,  in  the  land  of  their 
possession,  signifies  as  to  truths  and  goods  :  Esau  himself  is  the 
father  of  Edom,  signifies  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  good  in 
His  Divine  Human  principle. 


A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  SUBJECT  CONCERNING  CORRESPONDENCE 
WITH  THE  GRAND  MAN,  OR  WITH  HEAVEN;  ESPECIALLY  ON  THE 
CORRESPONDENCE  OF  HEARING  AND  OF  THE  EARS  WITH  THAT 
MAN. 

4652.  THE  nature  of  the  correspondence  between  the  soul 
and  the  body,  or  between  the  things  appertaining  to  the  spirit 
which  is  within  man,  and  those  appertaining  to  the  body,  which 
are  out  of  him,  may  appear  manifest  from  the  correspondence, 
influx,  and  communication  of  the  thought  and  perception  belong- 
ing to  the  spirit,  with  the  speech  and  hearing  belonging  to  the 
body.  The  thought  of  a  man,  whilst  speaking,  is  nothing  but  the 
speech  of  his  spirit,  and  the  perception  of  speech  is  nothing  hit 
the  tearing  of  his  spirit;  when  man  speaks,  thought  does  not 
indeed  appear  to  him  as  speech,  because  it  conjoins  itself  with 
the  speech  of  the  body,  and  is  in  it ;  and  when  he  hears,  per- 
ception does  not  appear  otherioise  than  as  hearing  in  the  ear. 
Hence  it  is,  that  the  gencr<dity  of  people,  who  have  not  reflected, 
know  no  other  than  that  all  sense  is  in  the  organs  of  the  body, 
and  consequently  that  when  those  organs  fall  to  decay  by  death, 
•  nothing  of  sense  survives  ;  when  yet  man,  that  is,  his  spirit, 
then  comes  into  his  veriest  sensitive  life.  That  it  is  the  spirit 
which  speaks  and  hears,  was  made  manifest  to  me  from  dis- 
courses with  spirits,'  when  their  speech  was  communicated  to 
my  spirit,  it  fell  into  my  interior  speech,  and  thence  into  the 
corresponding  organs,  and  there  closed  in  an  effort,  which  occa- 
sionally I  have  manifestly  perceived.  Hence  their  speech  was 
heard  by  me  as  sonorously  as  the  speech  of  man.  At  times, 
when  spirits  have  spoken  with  me  in  the  midst  of  the  company 
of  men,  some  of  them  have  supposed,  because  their  speech  was 


4652—4654.] 


GKXESIS. 


275 


heard  so  sonorously,  that  they  would  be  heard  also  by  those  who 
were  there  present;  but  reply  was  made,  that  it  is  not  so,  inas- 
much OS  their  speech  flowed  into  my  ear  by  an  internal  way, 
and  human  speech  by  an  external  way.  Hence  it  is  evident  how 
the  spirit  spake  xoith  the  prophets,  not  as  man  with  man,  but  as 
a  spirit  xoith  a  man,  viz.,  in  him,  Zechariah  i.  9,  13;  ii.  3; 
iv.  1,  4,  5  ;  v.  5,  10;  vi.  4,  and  in  other  places.-  But  I  know 
that  these  things  cannot  be  comprehended  by  those  who  do  not 
believe  that  man  is  a  spirit,  and  that  the  body  serves  him  for 
uses  in  the  world  :  they  xoho  have  confirmed  themselves  in  such 
disbelief,  are  indeed  unwilling  to  hear  of  any  correspondence, 
and,  if  they  hear  it,  they  reject  it,  because  they  are  in  a  negative 
principle  ;  yea,  they  are  also  made  sad  at  the  thought  that  any 
thing  is  taken  away  from  the  body. 

4653.  The  spirits  who  correspond  to  the  hearing,  or  constitute 
the  province  of  the  ear,  are  such  as  are  in  simple  obedience,  viz., 
who  do  not  reason  xohether  a  thing  be  so,  but  xoho  believe  it  to  be 
so,  because  it  is  said  to  be  so  by  others :  hence  they  may  be  called 
obediences.  They  are  of  such  a  quality,  because  hearing  is  to 
speech,  as  the  passive  is  to  the  active,  or  as  he  who  hears  a  person 
speaking  and  acquiesces ;  hence  also  in  common  discourse,  to 
give  ear  to  any  one  is  to  be  obedient,  and  to  hearken  to  the 
voice  is  to  obey  ;  for  the  interior  things  of  man's  discourse  for 
the  most  part  have  derived  their  origin  from  correspondence, 
because  the  spirit  of  man  is  amongst  spirits  in  the  other  life, 
and  thinks  there :  of  which  circumstance  man  is  altogether 
ignorant,  neither  is  the  corporeal  man  willing  to  know  it. 

There  are  several  differences  of  the  spirits  who  correspond  to 
the  ear,  that  is,  to  its  f  unctions  and  offices ;  some  have  inference 
to  each  of  its  little  organs,  to  the  external  ear,  to  the  membrane 
thereof  which  is  called  the  drum  of  the  ear,  to  the  interior  mem- 
branes called  windows,  to  the  hammer,  the  stirrup,  the  anvil, 
the  cylinders,  the  cochlea;*  and  some  have  x'eference  to  parts 
still  xnore  inxoard,  even  to  those  substantiated  parts  which  are 
more  proper  to  the  spirit,  and  which  at  length  are  in  the  spirit, 
and  at  last  are  intimately  conjoined  with  those  who  appertain 
to  the  internal  sight,  from  whom  they  are  distinguished  by  their 
not  having  so  much  discernment,  but  assenting  to  them  as  pas- 
sive. 

4654.  There  were  spirits  attendant  xipon  me,  xoho  flowed 
very  strongly  into  the  thought,  when  things  relating  to  Provi- 
dence xoere  treated  of,  especially  when  I  thought  that  those  things 
would  not  come  to  pass  which  I  expected  axid  desired  J 'the  axigels 
said  that  they  were  spirits,  who,  whilst  they  lived  in  the  body, 
and  prayed  for  any  thing,  and  did  not  obtain  it,  were  indig- 

*  These  are  the  several  interior  parts  and  forms  of  the  material  ear,  -which 
are  well  known  to  anatomists,  and  have  been  abundantly  described  by  them.  Sec 
the  author's  Animal  Kingdom,  and  the  Economy  of  the  Animal  Kingdom. 


276 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi. 


nant,  and  on  that  account  they  were  led  to  entertain  doubt  con- 
cerning Providence  /  but  still  that,  when  they  were  out  of  that 
state,  they  exercised  piety  according  to  what  others  told  them  : 
thus  that  they  were  in  simple  obedience.  It  was  said  that  such 
belong  to  the  province  of  the  external  ear  or  auricle',  they  also 
appeared  there  when  they  spake  with  me. 

4655.  Moreover,  on  many  occasions  I  have  observed  spirits 
near  about  the  ear,  aud  also  as  it  were  within  it  I  the  reason  of 
their  being  observed  within,  is,  because  it  so  appears,  state  in  the 
other  life  being  the  cause  of  appearance.  They  were  all  simple 
and  obedient. 

4656.  There  was  a  spirit  who  spake  with  me  at  the  left 
auricle,  at  its  hinder  part  where  are  the  elevating  muscles  (mus- 
culi  elevatores)  of  the  auricle  ;  he  said  to  me,  that  he  was  sent 
to  say  that  he  reflected  nothing  upon  what  others  speak,  pro- 
vided he  takes  it  in  with  his  ears.  When  he  spake,  he  as  it  were 
belched  out  the  expression,  and  he  said  also  that  this  was  his 
manner  of  speaking.  Hence  it  teas  given  me  to  know  that  inte- 
rior things  were  not  in  his  speech,  thus  there  ivas  little  of  life 
in  it,  and  that  hence  came  such  eructation.  It  was  said,  that 
such  as  attend  but  little  to  the  sense  of  a  thing,  belong  to  the  car- 
tilaginous and  bony  part  of  the  external  ear. 

4657.  There  are  spirits,  who  have  occasionally  spoken  with 
me,  but  in  a  kind  of  mutter,  and  this  nearer  to  the  left  ear,  as  if 
they  were  desirous  to  speak  in  the  ear  so  that  no  one  might  hear: 
but  it  was  given  me  to  tell  them,  that  this  is  not  proper  in  the- 
other  life,  because  it  manifests  that  they  were  whisperers,  and 
that  hence  also  they  have  now  con  tracted  the  habit  of  whispering  ; 
and  that  the  greater  part  of  them  arc  of  such  a  nature,  that  they 
observe  the  faults  and  failings  of  others,  and  tell  them  to  their 
associates,  out  of  the  hearing  of  any  one  /  or,  whilst  those  others 
are  present,  by  whispering  into  the  ear  j  and  that  they  see  and 
interpret  all  things  unfavourably,  and  prefer  themselves  to 
others ;  and  that  on  this  account  they  can  in  no  wise  be  admitted 
into  the  company  of  good  spirits,  who  are  such  that  they  do  not 
conceal  their  thoughts.  It  teas  said,  that  such  speech  in  the  other 
life  is  heard  more  loudly  than  open  speech. 

4658.  Those  belong  to  the  interiors  of  the  ear,  who  have  a 
sight  of  the  interior  hearing,  obey  what  its  spirit  there  dictates, 
and  give  apt  expressions  to  its  dictcdes ;  their  nature  and  quality 
were  also  shown  me.  Something  sonorous  was  perceived  pene- 
trating from  beneath,  near  the  left  side  even  to  the  left  car  /  1 
observed  that  they  who  thus  endeavoured  to  burst  forth,  were 
spirits,  but  of  what  quality  they  were,  I  could  not  know  ;  but 
when  they  were  burst  forth,  they  spake  with  me,  saying,  That 
they  were  logicians  and  metaphysicians,  and  that  they  immersed 
their  thoughts  in  such  things  without  any  other  end  than  to  be 
noted  for  their  learning,  and  thereby  to  attain  honours  and 


4655—4658.] 


GENESIS. 


277 


riches;  lamenting  that  now  they  spend  a  miserable  life,  because 
they  had  given  in  to  such  speculations  without  a  view  to  any 
other  use.  and  thus  had  not  perfected  their  rational  principle  ; 
their  speech  was  slow  and  in  a  low  tone  of  voice.  In  the  mean 
while,  there  were  two  above  the  head  speaking  to  each  other,  and 
when  inquiry  toas  made  who  they  were,  it  was  said,  That  one  of 
them  was  a  person  of  the  highest  reputation  in  the  learned  world, 
and  it  was  given  me  to  believe  that  he  was  Aristotle  /  who  the 
other  was,  was  not  said ;  the  former  was  then  remitted  into  the 
state  in  which  he  was  when  he  lived  in  the  world,  for  every  one 
can  easily  be  remitted  into  the  state  of  his  life  which  he  had  in 
the  world,  inasmuch  as  he  has  every  state  of  his  life  with  him. 
But  {which  surprised  me)  he  applied  himself  to  the  right  ear, 
and  there  spake  hoarsely,  but  still  sanely  /*  from  the  sense  of 
his  speech  I  perceived  that  lie  was  of  a  genius  altogether  differ- 
ent from  those  scholastics  who  first  emerged,  in  that  he  pro- 
duced from  his  own  thought  the  things  which  he  had  written, 
and  thence  deduced  his  philosophy  /  so  that  the  terms  ichich  he 
invented  and  imposed  on  the  things  of  thought  were  formulce  by 
which  he  described  interior  things,  also  that  he  was  excited  to 
such  things  by  the  delight  of  affection  and  the  desire  of  knowing 
the  things  appertaining  to  thought,  and  that  he  followed  obedi- 
ently what  his  spirit  had  dictated,  /  on  which  account  he  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  right  ear,  contrary  to  the  manner  of  his 
followers,  called  scholastics,  who  do  not  go  from  thoughts  to 
terms,  but  from  terms  to  thoughts,  thus  in  a  contrary  way  /  and 
the  generality  of  them  do  not  even  go  to  thoughts,  but  stick  in 
terms  only,  which  if  they  apply,  it  is  to  confirm  whatsoever 
they  will,  and  to  impose  on  false  principles  an  appearance  of 
truth  according  to  the  desire  of  persuading ;  hence  the  things 
af  philosophy  are  to  them  the  means  of  becoming  insane,  rather 
than  of  growing  wise,  and  hence  they  have  darkness  instead  of 
light.  I  discoursed  with  him  afterwards  concerning  the  an- 
alytic science,  and  it  was  given  me  to  say,  that  a  child  speaks 
more  philosophically,  analytically,  and  logically  in  the  space 
of  half  an  hour,  than  he  could  describe  by  volumes,  because  all 
things  of  the  thought  and  thence  of  human  speech  are  analyti- 
cal, whose  laws  are  from  the  spiritual  world  ;  and  that  he,  who 
is  desirous  to  think  analytically  from  terms,  is  not  unlike  a 
dancer,  who  is  desirous  to  learn  to  dance  from  the  science  of 
the  moving  fibres  and  muscles,  in  which  if  his  mind  was  to 

*  The  term  in  the  original  here  rendered  sanely  is  sane,  which  is  derived  from 
the  adjective  sanus,  denoting  a  person  of  a  sound  moral  mind.  We  have  no  other 
English  term  which  singly  can  so  well  express  the  idea  here  suggested.  Sensibly 
approaches  nearest  to  it.  but  does  not  appear  to  convey  the  author's  meaning  pre- 
cisely. A  sensible  man  is  one  who  has  acquired  much  knowledge  of  the  things  of 
sense,  and  from  that  knowledge  can  talk  sensibly  abont  them.  But  a  sane  man  ii 
one  who  has  acquired  knowledge  of  what  is  just  and  equitable,  aud  from  that  know- 
ledge can  talk  sanely  about  justice  and  equity. 


278 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvi 


trammel  itself  in  dancing,  he  would  scarce  he  able  to  stir  afoot; 
and  yet  without  that  science  he  moves  all  the  moving  fibres 
throughout  the  whole  body,  and  as  occasion  requires,  the  lungs, 
the  diaphragm,  the  sides,  the  arms,  the  neck,  and  the  rest  of  the 
members,  for  describing  which  volumes  would  not  suffice;  and 
that  the  case  is  similar  with  those  who  are  desirous  to  think 
from  terms.  These  observations  he  approved,  saying,  If  they 
are  taught  in  that  way,  they  proceed  in  inverted  order  ;  and  he 
added,  If  any  one  is  willing  to  be  infatuated,  let  him  so  pro- 
ceed ;  but  let  him  think  continually  concerning  use,  and  from 
an  interior  principle.  He  next  showed  me  what  idea  he  had 
had  concerning  the  Supreme  Deity,  viz.,  he  represented  Him  to 
himself  with  a  human  face,  and  encompassed  about  the  head 
with  a  radiant  circle ;  mid  he  now  knows  that  the  lord  is  that 
very  Man,  and  that  the  radiant  circle  is  the  Divine  principle 
proceeding  from  Him,  which  not  only  flows  into  heaven,  but  also 
into  the  universe,  and  arranges  and  rules  them.  He  added,  He 
who  arranges  and  rides  heaven,  also  a?*ra?iges  and  rules  the  uni- 
verse, because  the  one  cannot  be  separated  from  the  other  ;  and 
he  further  said,  That  he  believed  in  only  one  God,  whose  attri- 
butes and  qualities  had  been  marked  by  as  many  names  as  there 
were  gods  worshipped  by  others.  A  woman  was  seen  by  me,  who 
stretched  out  her  hand,  being  desirous  to  stroke  his  cheek  ;  at 
which  when  I  wondered,  he  said,  that  whilst  he  was  in  the 
world,  such  a  woman  often  appeared  to  him,  who  as  it  were 
stroked  his  cheek,  and  that  her  hand  was  beautiful.  The  angelic 
spirit  said,  that  such  women  were  sometimes  seen  by  the  ancients, 
and  vjere  called  by  them  Pallases,  and  that  such  a  one  appeared 
to  him  from  those  sjririts,  who,  when  they  lived  men  in  ancient 
times,  were  delighted  with  ideas  and  indulged  in  thoughts,  but 
without  p>hilosophy  ;  and,  because  such  spirits  were  attendant 
upon  him,  and  were  delighted  with  him  in  consequence  of  his 
thinking  from  an  interior  principle,  therefore  they  representa- 
tively exhibited  such  a  woman,  jle  lastly  declared  what  kind 
of  idea  he  had  entertained  concerning  the  soul  or  spir  it  of  man, 
which  he  called pneuma,  vis.,  that  it  was  an  unseen  vital  prin- 
ciple, like  something  ethereal :  and  he  said  that  he  knew  his 
spirit  wmtld  live  after  death,  because  it  was  his  interior  essence, 
which  cannot  die,  because  it  can  think;  and  further,  that  he 
could  not  think  distinctly  concerning  it,  but  only  obscurely,  be- 
cause he  had  not  had  any  knowledge  conceiving  it  from  any 
other  source  than  from  himself,  and  very  little  even  from  the 
ancimts.  Moreover,  Aristotle  is  amongst  saw  spirits  in  the 
other  life,  and  several  of  his  followers  are  amongst  the  infatu- 
ated. 

4659.  It  was  said  in  n.  4652,  that  man  is  a  spirit,  a?id  that 
the  body  serves  him  for  uses  in  the  world;  and  in  other  places 
throughout  this  worn,  that  the  spirit  is  the  internal  of  man.  anJ 


4659—4662.] 


GENESIS. 


279 


the  body  his  external.  They  who  dd  not  apprehend  how  the  ease 
is  in  regard  to  the  spirit  of  man  and  his  body,  may  hence  sup- 
pose, that  thus  the  spirit  dwells  within  the  body,  and  that  the 
body  as  it  were  encompasses  and  clothes  it:  but  it  is  to  be  noted, 
that  the  spirit  of  man  is  in  the  body,  in  the  whole  and  in  every 
jpart  thereof,  and  that  it  is  the  purest  substance  thereof,  both  in 
its  organs  of  motion  and  of  sense,  and  everywhere  else,  and  that 
the  body  is  a  material  principle  every  where  annexed  to  it,  ad- 
apted to  the  world  in  which  it  then  is :  this  is  what  is  meant  by 
man  being  a  spirit,  and  the  body  clothing  it  for  uses  in  the 
world  /  and  by  the  spirit  being  the  internal  of  man,  and  the 
body  his  external.  Hence  also  it  is  manifest,  that  man  after 
death  is  in  like  manner  in  active  and  sensitive  life  y  and  also 
in  a  human  form,  as  in  the  world,  but  in  a  more  perfect  one. 

4660.  The  subject  concerning  correspondence  with  the  Grand 
Jfan  or  heaven  will  be  'continued  at  the  close  of  the  following 
chapter,  where  the  correspondence  of  the  taste  and  of  the  tongue 
therewith  will  be  treated  of. 


GENESIS. 

.CHAPTER  THE  THIRTY-SEVENTH. 


4661.  AS  a  preface  to  the  preceding  chapter,  a  continuation 
was  given  of  the  explanation  of  what  the  Lord  foretold  con- 
cerning the  last  time  of  the  church  ;  and  in  that  preface  was 
explained  what  He  had  foretold  in  the  parable  of  the  ten  vir- 
gis,  Matt.  xxv.  1  to  14.  Next  follows  another  parable,  viz.,  of 
the  servants,  to  whom  a  man.  on  going  abroad,  gave  talents,  to 
one  five,  to  another  two,  and  to  a  third  one,  that  they  might 
trade  therewith ;  of  which  servants,  he  who  had  received  five 
talents,  gained  by  them  other  five,  he  who  had  received  two, 
gained  by  them  also  two,  and  he  who  had  received  one,  hid  it 
in  the  earth.  But  as  this  parable  involves  nearly  the  same 
meaning  as  the  parable  of  the  ten  virgins,  we  shall  pass  on  to 
the  concluding  part  of  the  same  chapter,  and  explain  that, 
which,  from  verse  31  to  the  end,  is  in  the  letter  as  follows  : 

4662.  When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and 
all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne 
of  his  glory  •  and  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations ;  and 
he  shall  separate  them  the  one  from  the  other,  as  a  shepherd  di- 
videth  the  sheep  from  the  goats  j  and  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on 


280 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


his  right  hand,  and  the  goats  on  the  left.  Then  shall  the  king 
say  unto  those  on  his  right  hand,  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father, 
inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world :  for  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  me  to  eat ;  I  was 
thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  to  drink  ;  I  was  a  sojourner,  and  ye 
gathered  me  /  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  f  I  was  sick,  and  ye 
visited  me  j  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me.  Then  will 
the  just  answer,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  hungry,  and 
fed  thee?  or  thirsty,  and  gave  thee  to  drink?  when  saw  we  tJiee 
a  sojourner,  and  gathered  thee  ?  or  naked,  and  clothed  thee  f 
when  saw  we  thee  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  came  to  thee  ?  But 
the  King  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  to  one  of  tlie  least  of  these  my 
brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.  Then  shall  he  say  also  unto 
those  on  the  left  hand,  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlast- 
ing fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels :  for  I  was  hungry , 
and  ye  did  not  give  me  to  eat  /  I  teas  thirsty,  and  ye  did  not 
give  me  to  drink  /  I  was  a  sojourner,  and  ye  did  not  gather  me  j 
naked,  and  ye  did  not  clothe  me.  Then  will  they  also  answer 
him,  saying,  When  saw  we  thee  hungry,  or  thirsty,  or  a  sojourn- 
er, or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  did  not  minister  unto 
thee  ?  Then  shall  he  answer  them,  saying,  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye 
did  it  not  to  me.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  pun- 
ishment, but  the  just  into  life  eternal.  , 

4663.  lie  who  is  unacquainted  with  the  internal  sense,  can- 
not suppose  otherwise  than  that  these  words  were  spoken  by 
the  Lord  concerning  some  last  day,  in  which  all  in  the  univer- 
sal orb  of  earths  shall  be  gathered  together  before  the  Lord, 
and  shall  then  be  judged ;  and  also  that  the  process  of  the 
judgment  will  be  altogether  such  as  is  described  in  the  letter, 
viz.,  that  He  shall  set  them  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left, 
and  shall  so  speak  to  them.  But  he  who  is  acquainted  with 
the  internal  sense,  and  who  has  learnt  from  other  passages  in 
the  Word,  that  the  Lord  in  no  case  judges  any  one  to  eternal 
fire,  but  that  every  one  judges  himself,  that  is,  casts  himself 
into  it ;  and  who  has  also  learnt  that  every  one's  last  judgment 
takes  place  when  he  dies,  he  may  in  some  measure  know  what 
the  above  words  in  general  involve ;  and  he  who  knows  the 
interior  meaning  of  the  expressions  from  the  internal  sense  and 
from  correspondence,  may  know  what  the  words  specifically 
signify,  viz.,  that  every  one,  according  to  his  life  in  the  world, 
receives  reward  in  the  other  life.  They  who  vaunt  the  salva- 
tion of  man  by  faith  alone,  cannot  explain  the  above  words  in 
any  other  sense  than  this,  that  the  works  of  which  the  Lord 
speaks  are  the  fruits  of  faith,  and  that  He  mentioned  these 
fruits  only  for  the  sake  of  the  simple,  who  are  unacquainted 
with  mysteries ;  but  granting  it  to  be  according  to  their  senti- 


4663,  4664.] 


GENESIS. 


281 


mcnts,  still  it  is  evident  that  the  fruits  of  faith  are  what  make 
man  blessed  and  happy  after  death.  The  fruits  of  faith  are 
nothing  else  than  a  life  according  to  the  precepts  of  faith  ;  con- 
sequently a  life  according  to  those  precepts  is  saving,  but  not 
faith  without  the  life ;  for  after  death  man  carries  with  him  all 
the  states  of  his  life,  so  that  he  is  such  as  he  had  been  in  the 
body ;  as,  for  instance,  he  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  had  de- 
spised others  in  comparison  with  himself,  in  the  other  life  also 
despises  others  in  comparison  with  himself ;  he  who  in  the  life 
of  the  body  had  hated  his  neighbour,  in  the  other  life  also 
hates  his  neighbour ;  he  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  had  dealt 
deceitfully  towards  his  companions,  in  the  other  life  also  deals 
deceitfully  towards  his  companions;  and  so  in  other  cases. 
In  the  other  life,  every  one  retajns  that  nature  which  he  had 
put  on  in  the  life  of  the  body ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  na- 
ture* cannot  be  expelled,  and  if  it  be  expelled,  that  nothing 
of  life  remains.  Hence  then  it  is,  that  works  of  charity  alone 
are  mentioned  by  the  Lord  ;  for  he  who  is  in  the  works  of 
charity  (or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  in  the  life  of  faith),  is  in 
the  faculty  of  receiving  faith,  if  not  in  the  body,  yet  in  the 
other  life;  but  he  who  is  not  in  the  works  of  charity,  or  in  the 
life  of  faith,  is  in  no  wise  in  any  faculty  of  receiving  faith, 
neither  in  the  body  nor  in  the  other  life ;  for  evil  never  agrees 
with  truth,  but  one  rejects  the  other ;  and  if  they  who  are  in 
evil  speak  truths,  they  speak  them  from  the  mouth,  and  not 
from  the  heart,  and  thus  evil  and  truths  are  at  the  utmost  dis- 
tance from  each  other. 

4664.  But  what  those  things,  which  the  Lord  here  speaks 
concerning  the  last  judgment,  that  is,  concerning  the  last  judg- 
ment of  every  one  after  death,  involve  in  the  internal  sense,  is 
too  prolix  to  be  explained  before  this  chapter ;  wherefore,  by 
the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  it  shall  be  explained  in  order 
before  the  chapters  which  follow. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

1.  AND  Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  sojournings  of  his 
father,  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

2.  These  are  the  generations  of  Jacob.    Joseph  a  son  of 

*  It  is  to  be  observed,  that  by  nature  the  author  here  means  the  life  which 
man  has  contracted  in  the  world,  not  the  particular  evil  nature  into  which  he  is 
born.  The  evils  of  the  latter,  the  author  asserts  over  and  over,  may  be  expelled 
by  a  life  in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of  heavenly  wisdom  ;  but  it  is  impossible 
to  expel  the  former  without  depriving  man  at  the  same  time  of  the  whole  of  his 
life,  because  every  one's  life  must  necessarily  be  that  nature  which  he  has  con- 
tracted. 


282 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


seventeen  years,  was  feeding  the  flock  with  his  brethren ;  and 
the  boy  was  with  the  sons  of  Bilhah,  and  with  the  sons  of  Zil- 
pah,  his  father's  women :  and  Joseph  brought  an  evil  report 
of  them  unto  their  father. 

3.  And  Israel  loved  Joseph  more  than  all  his  sons,  because 
he  was  the  son  of  his  old  age ;  and  he  made  him  a  coat  of 
various  colours. 

4.  And  his  brethren  saw  that  their  father  loved  him  more 
than  all  his  brethren,  and  they  hated  him,  and  could  not  speak 
peaceably  unto  him. 

5.  And  Joseph  dreamed  a  dream,  and  told  his  brethren : 
and  they  hated  him  yet  the  more. 

6.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Hear,  I  pray  you,  this  dream 
which  I  have  dreamed  : 

7.  For  behold !  we  were  binding  sheaves  in  the  midst  of  a 
field,  and,  lo !  my  sheaf  arose,  and  also  stood  upright ;  and, 
behold !  your  sheaves  stood  round  about,  and  bowed  them- 
selves to  my  sheaf. 

8.  And  his  brethren  said  unto  him,  In  reigning  shalt  thou 
reign  over  us  ?  if  having  dominion  shalt  thou  have  dominion 
into  us  ?  And  they  added  yet  to  hate  him  for  his  dreams,  and 
for  his  words. 

9.  And  he  dreamed  yet  another  dream,  and  told  it  to  his 
brethren,  and  said,  Lo !  1  dreamed  yet  a  dream •  and,  behold! 
the  sun,  and  the  moon,  and  the  eleven  stars,  bowed  themselves 
to  me. 

10.  And  he  told  it  to  his  father,  and  to  his  brethren ;  and 
his  father  rebuked  him,  and  said  unto  him,  "What  is  this  dream 
which  thou  hast  dreamed  ?  Shall  I,  and  thy  mother,  and  thy 
brethren,  coming  come  to  bow  down  ourselves  to  thee,  to  the 
earth  ? 

11.  And  his  brethren  envied  him;  but  his  father  kept  the 
word. 

12.  And  his  brethren  went  to  feed  their  father's  flock  in 
Shechem. 

13.  And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph,  Are  not  thy  brethren 
feeding  in  Shechem  ?  Go,  and  I  will  send  thee  to  them.  And 
he  said  unto  him,  Behold  me  ! 

14.  And  he  said  to  him,  Go,  I  pray  thee,  see  the  peace  of 
thy  brethren,  and  the  peace  of  the  flock ;  and  bring  me  word 
again.  And  lie  sent  liim  from  the  valley  of  Hebron,  and  he 
came  to  Shechem. 

15.  And  a  man  (vir)  found  him,  and,  behold !  he  was  wan- 
dering in  the  field ;  and  the  man  asked  him,  saying,  What 
seekest  thou? 

16.  And  he  said,  I  am  seeking  my  brethren :  tell  me,  I 
pray,  where  they  are  feeding. 

17.  And  the  man  said," They  are  departed  hence:  for  1 


Chap,  xxxvii.] 


GENESIS. 


28'3 


heard 'them  saying,  Let  us  go  to  Dothan.  And  Joseph  went 
after  his  brethren,  and  found  them  in  Dothan. 

18.  And  they  saw  him  afar  off,  and  before  lie  came  near 
unto  them,  they  conspired  against  him,  to  cause  him  to  die. 

19.  And  they  said  a  man  (vir)  to  his  brother,  Behold !  that 
lord  of  dreams  cometh. 

20.  Come  now,  and  let  lis  slay  him,  and  let  us  cast  him  into 
one  of  the  pits,  and  we  will  say,  An  evil  beast  hath  devoured 
him  :  and  we  will  see  what  his  dreams  will  be. 

21.  And  Reuben  heard,  and  rescued  him  out  of  their  hand  , 
and  said,  Let  us  not  smite  his  soul. 

22.  And  Reuben  said  unto  them,  Shed  not  blood ;  cast  him 
into  that  pit  which  is  in  the  wilderness,  and  lay  no  hand  upon 
him :  that  he  might  rescue  him  out  of  their  hand,  to  deliver 
him  to  his  father  again. 

23.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Joseph  was  come  to  his 
brethren,  that  they  stripped  Joseph  of  his  coat,  the  coat  of 
various  colours  which  was  upon  him  : 

24.  And  they  took  him,  and  cast  him  into  the  pit :  and  the 
pit  was  empty,  there  was  no  water  in  it. 

25.  And  they  sat  down  to  eat  bread ;  and  lifted  up  their 
eyes  and  looked,  and,  behold  !  a  company  of  Ishmaelites  came 
from  Gilead,  and  their  camels  bearing  spices,  and  balm,  and 
myrrh,  going  to  carry  down  to  Egypt. 

26.  And  Judah  said  unto  his  brethren,  "What  gain  is  it  that 
we  slay  our  brother,  and  cover  his  blood  ? 

27.  Come,  and  let  us  sell  him  to  the  Ishmaelites,  and  let 
not  our  hand  be  upon  him ;  for  he  is  our  brother,  our  flesh : 
and  his  brethren  hearkened. 

28.  And  there  passed  by  men,  Hidianites,  traders ;  and 
they  drew  out  and  caused  Joseph  to  come  up  out  of  the  pit, 
and  they  sold  Joseph  to  the  Ishmaelites  for  twenty  pieces  of 
silver :  and  they  brought  Joseph  into  Egypt. 

29.  And  Reuben  returned  unto  the  pit ;  and,  behold ! 
Joseph  was  not  in  the  pit :  and  he  rent  his  garments. 

30.  And  he  returned  unto  his  brethren,  and  said,  The  son 
is  no  more ;  and  I,  whither  do  I  come  ? 

31.  And  they  took  Joseph's  coat,  and  they  killed  a  he-goat 
of  the  she-goats,  and  dipped  the  coat  in  the  blood : 

32.  And  they  sent  the  coat  of  various  colours,  and  they 
brought  it  to  their  father,  and  said,  This  have  we  found :  know, 
I  pray,  whether  this  be  thy  son's  coat,  or  not. 

33.  And  he  knew  It,  and  said,  It  is  my  son's  coat :  an  evil 
beast  hath  devoured  him:  Joseph  is  without  doubt  torn  tc 
pieces. 

34.  And  Jacob  rent  his  garments,  and  put  sackcloth  upou 
his  loins,  and  mourned  for  his  son  many  days. 

35.  And  all  his  sons  rose  up,  and  ail  his  daughters,  to  coir 


284 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii 


fort  him ;  but  he  refused  to  be  comforted,  and  said,  For  I  will 
go  down  into  the  grave  unto  my  son,  mourning.  And  his 
lather  wept  for  him. 

36.  And  the  Hidianites  sold  him  into  Egypt,  to  Potiphar, 
Pharaoh's  chamberlain,  prince  of  the  guards. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

4665.  THE  subject  treated  of  in  this  chapter  in  the  internal 
sense  is  that  the  divine  truths,  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human 
principle,  were  in  process  of  time  rejected  in  the  church,  and 
at  length  falses  were  received  in  their  place.  The  subject  spe- 
cifically treated  of  is  concerning  those  who  are  principled  in 
faith  separate  from  charity,  that  they  are  against  the  Lord's 
Divine  Human. 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

4666.  VERSES  1,  2,  3.  And  Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the 
sojournings  of  his  father,  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  These  are 
the  generations  of  Jacob.  Joseph,  a  son  of  seventeen  years,  was 
feeding  the  flock  with  his  bretliren  f  ana  the  boy  xoas  with  the 
sons  of  Bilhah,  and  with  the  sons  of  Zilpah,  his  father's 
women :  and  Joseph  brought  an  evil  report  of  them  unto  their 
father.  And  Israel  loved  Joseph  more  than  all  his  sons, 
because  he  was  the  son  of  his  old  age  ;  and  he  made  him  a  coat 
of  various  colours.  Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  sojournings 
of  his  father,  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  signifies  the  Lord's  Divine 
Natural  principle,  as  being  in  agreement  beneath  Divine  Ra- 
tional good :  these  are  the  generations  of  Jacob,  signifies  those 
things  which  follow  :  Joseph  signifies  the  Lord's  Divine  Human 
Spiritual  principle  :  a  son  of  seventeen  years,  signifies  the  state 
thereof:  was  feeding  the  flock  with  his  brethren,  signifies  that 
he  was  present  amongst  those  principled  in  faith  who  taught: 
and  the  boy  was,  signifies  what  is  first :  with  the  sons  of  Bil- 
hah and  with  the  sons  of  Zilpah,  his  father's  women,  sign i ties 
that  he  was  rejected  by  them :  and  Joseph  brought  an  evil 
report  of  them  unto  their  father,  signifies  that  from  him  it 
appeared  what  was  their  quality:  and  Israel  loved  Joseph 
more  than  all  his  sons,  signifies  the  conjunction  of  the  divine 
spiritual  of  the  rational  principle  with  the  divine  spiritual  of 
the  natural  principle :  because  he  was  the  son  of  his  old  age, 
signifies  his  own  life  in  him :  and  he  made  him  a  coat  of  vati 


4665 — 466S.J 


GENESIS. 


285 


ous  colours,  signifies  the  appearances  of  truth  thence  derived, 
whereby  the  spiritual  of  the  natural  principle  is  known  and 
distinguished. 

4607.  Ver.  1.  "And  Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  sojourn- 
ings  of  his  father,  in  the  land  of  Canaan." — That  hereby  is 
signified  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle,  as  being  in  agree- 
ment beneath  Divine  Rational  good,  appears  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  dwelling,  as  denoting  to  live,  see  n.  1293,  3384, 
3613,  4451 ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Jacob,  as  denoting 
in  the  supreme  sense  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle,  see 
n.  3305,  3509,  3525,  3546,  3576,  3599,  3775,  4234,  4239,  4286, 
4538,  4570 ;  (3.)  from  the  representation  of  Isaac,  who  is  here 
the  father,  as  denoting  the  Lord's  Divine  Rational  principle  as 
to  good,  see  n.  1893,  2066,  2630,  3012,  3194,  3210;  and  (4.) 
from  the  signification  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  as  denoting  in 
the  supreme  sense  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  see 
n.  3038,  3705.  Hence  now  it  is,  that  by  Jacob  dwelling  in  the 
land  of  the  sojournings  of  his  father,  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  is 
signified  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle  living  together 
or  being  in  agreement  beneath  Divine  Rational  good,  in  the 
Divine  Human  principle.  The  subject  treated  of  above,  in 
chap,  xxxv.,  verses  22  to  26,  was  concerning  the  Lord's  Natural 
principle,  in  that  all  things  therein  were  now  Divine,  see  n. 
4602  to  4610  ;  and  in  the  following  verses  of  the  same  chapter. 
27,  28,  29,  the  subject  treated  of  was  concerning  the  conjunc- 
tion of  the  Lord's  Divine  Natural  principle  with  His  Divine 
Rational,  see  n.  4611  to  4619 ;  here  now  is  the  conclusion,  viz., 
that  the  Divine  Natural  principle  acted  in  agreement  of  life 
beneath  Divine  Rational  good.  It  is  said  beneath  Divine 
Rational  good,  because  the  natural  principle  lives  beneath  it ; 
for  the  rational  principle  is  superior  or  interior,  or,  according 
to  a  customary  form  of  expression,  is  prior,  whereas  the  natural 
principle  is  inferior  or  exterior,  consequently  posterior,  thus  the 
latter  is  subordinate  to  the  former ;  yea,  when  they  agree,  the 
natural  principle  is  nothing  else  but  the  common  or  general 
principle  of  the  rational ;  for  whatsoever  the  natural  principle 
has,  is  not  then  its  own,  but  belongs  to  the  rational :  the  differ- 
ence only  is  such  as  exists  between  particulars  and  their  com- 
mon or  general  principle,  or  between  singulars  and  their  form, 
in  which  singulars  appear  as  one.  It  is  known  to  the  learned, 
that  the  end  is  the  all  in  the  cause,  and  the  cause  is  the  all  in 
the  effect ;  thus  the  cause  is  a  formed  end,  and  the  effect  a 
formed  cause ;  and  hence  the  effect  altogether  perishes  if  you 
take  away  the  cause,  and  the  cause  altogether  perishes  if  you 
take  away  the  end,  and  moreover,  the  cause  is  beneath  the  end, 
and  the  effect  beneath  the  cause ;  the  case  is  similar  in  regard 
to  the  natural  and  the  rational  principles. 

4668.  Ver.  2.  "These  are  the  generations  of  Jacob." — That 


286 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


hereby  are  signified  those  things  which  follow,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  generations,  as  denoting  the  derivations  of 
those  things  which  are  of  the  church,  viz.,  of  truth  from  good, 
or  of  faith  from  love ;  for  no  other  generations  are  meant  in 
the  internal  sense  of  the  Word  ;  these  also  are  treated  of  in 
what  follows,  wherefore  it  is  said,  that  the  generations  of  Jacob 
are  these  things  which  follow.  That  such  things  are  signified 
by  generations,  appears  also  from  this  consideration,  that  in 
what  follows  there  is  no  mention  made  of  any  genealogical 
generations,  or  nativities,  for  the  subject  treated  of  is  Joseph, 
his  dreams,  the  machinations  of  his  brethren  against  him,  and 
at  length  his  being  carried  away  into  Eg}'pt.  That  generations 
are  the  derivations  of  such  things,  may  be  seen  in  n.  1145, 1255, 
1330,  3263,  3279,  3860,  3S68,  4070. 

4669.  "  Joseph." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  Lord's  Divine 
Human  Spiritual  principle,  appears  from  the  representation  of 
Joseph,  as  denoting  in  the  supreme  sense  the  Lord  as  to  the 
Divine  Spiritual,  see  n.  3969.  That  the  Lord  is  represented 
b}7  Joseph,  is  a  thing  known  in  the  church,  for  when  the  hea- 
venly Joseph  is  mentioned,  no  other  is  meant. ;  but  what  prin- 
ciple of  the  Lord  is  represented  by  Joseph,  is  not  so  known, 
for  it  is  the  Divine  Spiritual  which  proceeds  from  His  Divine 
Human  principle,  and  is  the  Divine  Truth,  which  is  from  Him 
in  heaven  and  in  the  church ;  the  spiritual  [principle]  in  its 
essence  being  nothing  else.  The  Divine  Spiritual  principle,  or 
Divine  Truth,  is  also  what  is  called  the  Lord's  regal  principle, 
and  is  likewise  signified  by  Christ  or  the  Messiah,  see  n.  2015, 
3009,  3670 ;  and  this  being  so,  Joseph  was  made  as  a  king  in 
Egypt,  to  the  intent  that  he  might  then  represent  those  things 
which  appertain  to  the  Lord's  regal  principle. 

4670.  "  A  son  of  seventeen  years.  — That  hereby  is  signified 
the  state  thereof,  appears  from  the  years  of  the  ages  of  those 
who  are  mentioned  in  the  "Word,  as  signifying  things  and  states 
in  like  manner  as  other  numbers  ;  that  all  numbers  in  the  Word 
signify  things  and  states,  see  n.  575,  647,  648, 19S8,  2075,  2252, 
3252,  4264,  4495  ;  and  that  years  also,  see  n.  487,  4S8,  493,  893. 
It  appears  indeed  as  if  numbers  of  years,  or  years  of  ages,  sig- 
nify nothing  else,  because  there  is  in  them  something  more 
historical  than  in  other  numbers  ;  but  still  they  also  involve 
things  and  states,  as  is  evident  from  what  has  been  explained 
in  the  fifth  chapter  of  Genesis,  and  concerning  the  age  of  Abra- 
ham, Gen.  xvii.  1 ;  xxv.  7 ;  and  of  Isaac,  xxxv.  28 ;  and  more- 
over from  this  consideration,  that  there  is  not  any  historical  in 
the  Word,  which  does  not  involve  that  which  is  celestial,  into 
which  it  is  also  changed  in  passing  from  the  thought  of  the 
man  who  reads,  to  the  angels  who  are  attendant  upon  him,  and 
through  the  angels  to  heaven,  where  a  spiritual  sense  is  obtained 
from  every  historical  of  the  Word.    But  what  Joseph's  age  of 


< 


4669—4672.] 


GENESIS. 


287 


seventeen  years  signifies,  may  appear  from  the  signification  of 
this  number  in  other  places,  viz.,  as  denoting  a  beginning,  in 
the  present  case  the  beginning  of  the  representation  by  Joseph; 
(that  it  denotes  a  beginning,  and  what  is  new,  see  n.  755,  853  ;) 
and  besides,  this  number  involves  in  the  general  and  as  it  were 
in  potency  all  the  things  represented  by  Joseph  ;  for  seven  sig- 
nify what  is  holy,  and  ten  remains  :  that  seven  in  the  Word 
add  a  holiness,  see  n.  881,  and  that  ten  denote  remains,  see  n. 
576,  1906,  2284;  that  the  remains  appertaining  to  the  Lord 
were  divine  and  His  own,  by  which  He  united  the  Human 
essence  to  the  Divine,  see  n.  1906. 

4671.  "  Was  feeding  the  flock  with  his  brethren."— That 
hereby  is  signified  that  he  was  present  amongst  those  principled 
in  faith  who  taught,  appears  from  the  signification  of  feeding 
the  flock,  as  denoting  to  teach  those  who  are  in  the  church, 
specifically  from  doctrinals;  he  who  feeds  a  flock,  or  a  shepherd, 
is  one  who  teaches,  see  n.  343,  3772,  3795  :  in.  the  present  case, 
it  denotes  that  he  was  present  amongst  those  who  taught,  be- 
cause it  is  said,  "feeding  with  his  brethren;"  for  in  this  chapter 
his  brethren  represent  the  church  which  turned  away  from 
charity  to  faith,  and  at  length  to  faith  separate,  and  thereby  to 
falses  ;  as  will  be  evident  from  what  follows. 

4672.  "  And  the  boy  was." — That  hereby  is  signified  what 
is  first,  appears  from  the  signification  of  a  boy,  when  predicated 
of  a  new  church,  as  denoting  what  is  first  or  its  first  state,  for 
the  church  is  circumstanced  as  an  infant,  as  a  boy,  as  a  man 
(vir),  and  at  length  as  an  old  man,  inasmuch  as  it  passes  through 
its  ages  like  man  (homo);  the  church  also  is  as  a  man  in  com- 
mon (or  general),  and  likewise  it  is  so  called.  In  the  church 
also,  which  from  its  age  is  called  a  boy,  and  which  is  such  as 
quickly  to  turn  away,  the  Lord  at  first  is  present,  both  with 
those  who  teach  and  with  those  who  learn ;  but  afterwards  He 
is  alienated  from  them,  which  is  also  represented  by  Joseph 
being  cast  by  his  brethren  into  a  pit,  and  sold.  Every  church 
is  such  which  commences  from  faith,  but  it  is  otherwise  with 
the  church  which  commences  from  charity:  that  which  com- 
mences from  faith,  has  no  other  regulator  than  the  understand- 
ing, and  the  understanding  has  no  other  regulator  than  that 
which  is  hereditary  to  man,  viz.,  self-love  and  the  love  of  the 
world  ;  these  persuade  the  understanding  to  procure  tenets  from 
the  Word  to  confirm  their  interests,  and  to  interpret  [in  their 
favour]  those  which  do  not  confirm.  It  is  otherwise  with  the 
church  wdiich  commences  from  charity,  it  has  good  for  its  regu- 
lator, and  in  good  the  Lord;  for  the  good  of  charity  and  love 
passes  between  the  Lord  and  faith,  and  without  this  intermediate 
principle  no  spiritual  communication  is  given,  as  there  is  no 
effective  influx  without  an  intermediate  ;  if  evil  be  in  the  place 
of  good,  it  drives  away  the  Lord,  and  rejects  or  perverts  all 


288 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


those  things  which  are  of  the  Lord,  thus  all  the  things  of  faith, 
for  faith  is  from  Him  through  good. 

4673.  "  "With  the  sons  of  Bilhah,  and  with  the  sons  of  Zil- 
pah,  his  father's  women." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  he  was 
rejected  by  them,  appears  from  the  signification  of  the  sons  of 
2ilhah,  and  of  the  sons  of  Zilpah,  as  denoting  exterior  or  infe- 
rior affections  of  truth  serving  for  mediums,  see  n.  3849,  3931 ; 
thus  "  with  the  sons  of  Bilhah  and  with  the  sons  of  Zilpah," 
signifies  that  Divine  Truth,  which  is  Joseph,  was  rejected  to 
inferior  things,  which  respectively  are  for  service.  Divine  Truth 
is  said  to  be  rejected  to  inferior  things,  when  faith  is  preferred 
to  charity,  or  when  it  is  made  antecedent  in  the  heart,  and 
charity  is  set  after,  and  is  made  consequent.  For  all  divine 
truth  is  from  divine  good,  proceeding  thence  ;  and  if  it  does  not 
proceed  in  like  manner  with  man,  he  is  not  in  the  Lord.  This 
divine  truth  is  the  very  holy  principle  itself  of  the  Spirit  which 
proceeds  from  the  Lord,  and  is  called  "  the  Paraclete  and  Spirit 
of  truth,"  John  xiv.  16,  17. 

4674.  "  And  Joseph  brought  an  evil  report  of  them  unto 
their  father." — That  hereby  is  signified,  that  from  him  it  ap- 
peared what  was  their  quality,  appears  (1.)  from  the  represent- 
ation of  Joseph,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Spiritual  principle  or 
Divine  Truth  from  the  Lord,  see  n.  4286,  4675 ;  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  father,  as  denoting  good,  see  n.  3703,  3704.  in 
the  present  case  the  good  of  the  ancient  church,  which  is  repre- 
sented by  Joseph,  as  will  be  seen  at  the  end  of  this  chapter ; 
and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  an  evil  report,  as  denoting  the 
blemishes  and  vices  in  those  signified  by  Joseph's  brethren, 
who  are  they  of  the  church  that  turn  away  from  good  and  truth, 
as  was  said  above,  n.  4671.  Hence  it  is  evident  what  is  signi- 
fied by  the  above  words  in  the  internal  proximate  sense,  viz., 
that  the  blemishes  and  vices  signified  by  the  brethren  of  Joseph 
were  exposed  to  view  or  rendered  apparent  by  divine  truth,  in 
looking  at  them  from  the  good  of  the  ancient  church  ;  or,  what 
is  the  same  tiling,  that  it  appeared  from  him  what  was  their 
quality.  In  regard  to  these  things,  the  case  is  this  :  the  falses 
and  evils  of  the  church  (that  is,  of  those  who  are  in  the  church) 
do  not  appear  to  those  who  are  therein ;  for  falses  arc  not  viewed 
from  falses,  nor  evils  from  evils,  inasmuch  as  the  principles  of 
false  entirely  overshadow  truths,  and  the  life  of  evil  extinguishes 
them :  both  the  principles  of  false  and  the  life  of  evil  induce 
appearances  as  if  falses  were  truths,  and  truths  falses,  and  as  if 
good  was  evil,  and  evil  good ;  that  this  is  the  case  is  evident 
from  manifold  experience.  But  the  church,  or  they  who  are  in 
the  church,  appear  altogether  otherwise  in  heaven ;  for  in  heaven 
there  is  divine  truth  from  the  Lord,  which  in  heaven  is  light, 
and  in  this  light  they  appear  according  to  their  quality ;  for 
every  man,  as  to  his  soul  or  spirit,  is  in  some  society  either  an- 


4673—4675.] 


GENESIS. 


2S9 


gelic.il  or  diabolical,  his  thought  is  there,  but  his  speech  and 
actions  are  amongst  men  in  their  associations.  How  the  case 
further  is  in  this  respect,  viz.,  that  they  who  are  in  the  church 
appear  from  the  divine  truth,  or  in  the  divine  light,  according 
to  their  quality,  may  be  manifest  from  the  following  particu  - 
lars. Before  those  evil  spirits,  who  are  recently  deceased,  cast 
themselves  into  hell,  they  conceive  more  than  other  spirits  that 
they  may  be  received  into  heaven,  as  they  believe  that  it  con- 
sists in  reception  only,  and  that  every  one  may  be  admitted 
into  heaven  by  grace,  without  regard  to  his  quality  ;  but  some- 
times they  are  told,  that  heaven  is  not  denied  by  the  Lord  to 
any,  and  that  they  may  be  admitted  if  they  can  abide  there; 
some  of  them  also  are  elevated  into  the  first  societies  which  are 
in  the  entrance  to  heaven:  but  .when  they  come  thither,  they 
begin  to  be  tormented,  and  almost  to  be  sutfocated,  the  life  of 
their  thought  and  will  being  thereby  in  distress,  the  life  of  the 
thought  from  principles  of  false,  and  the  life  of  the  will  from 
the  life  of  evil  in  the  world;  and  when  they  view  themselves 
in  the  light  therein,  they  appear  to  themselves  as  devils,  some 
as  carcasses,  and  others  as  monsters:  wherefore  they  cast  them- 
selves down  headlong  from  that  society,  and  from  the  light 
there  into  some  infernal  mist,  where  they  receive  their  former 
respiration,  and  appear  to  themselves  from  phantasy  as  spirits 
not  evil ;  thus  they  know  of  what  quality  they  are.  Hence 
now  it  is  clear  in  what  manner  it  is  meant,  that  from  him,  viz., 
from  divine  truth,  they  appear  according  to  their  quality. 

4675.  Ver.  3.  "  And  Israel  loved  Joseph  more  than  all  his 
sons." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  conjunction  of  the  divine 
spiritual  of  the  rational  principle  with  the  divine  spiritual  of  the 
natural  principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Jacob 
as  Israel,  as  denoting  the  divine  spiritual  of  the  natural  prin- 
ciple, or  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  from  the  natural,  see  n. 
4286,  4598  ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Joseph,  as  denoting 
the  divine  spiritual  of  the  rational  principle,  or  the  celestial  of 
the  spiritual  from  the  rational,  see  n.  4286,  4592  ;  and  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  loving,  as  denoting  to  be  conjoined,  for  love 
is  spiritual  conjunction.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  Israel 
loving  Joseph,  is  signified  the  conjunction  of  the  divine  spiritual 
of  the  rational  with  the  divine  spiritual  of  the  natural  principle. 
Inasmuch  as  this  conjunction  is  here  treated  of,  therefore  Jacob 
is  not  here  called  Jacob,  as  above,  in  verses  1  and  2,  but  Israel; 
it  may  also  be  concluded  from  the  change  of  the  name,  that 
there  is  some  arcanum  here  contained  in  the  internal  sense. 
But  how  the  case  is  with  this  conjunction  of  the  divine  spiritual 
of  the  rational  with  the  divine  spiritual  of  the  natural  princi- 
ple, cannot  as  yet  be  explained,  because  it  is  not  treated  of  in 
this  chapter,  but  in  the  following  chapters,  in  which  that  arca- 
num will  come  to  be  explained  as  far  as  possible.  We  shall 
vol.  v.  19 


290 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


here  only  observe,  that  what  is  spiritual  is  predicated  both  of 
the  rational  and  of  the  natural  principles,  for  what  is  spiritual 
is  the  divine  truth  which  is  from  the  Lord,  which,  when  it 
shines  in  the  rational  principle  or  in  the  internal  man,  is  called 
the  spiritual  of  the  rational ;  and  when  it  shines  in  the  natural 
principle  or  in  the  external  man,  it  is  called  the  spiritual  of  the 
natural. 

4676.  "  Because  he  was  the  son  of  his  old  age." — That 
hereby  is  signified  his  own  life  in  him,  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  old  age,  as  denoting  putting  off  a  former  state  and 
putting  on  a  new  one,  also  as  denoting  a  new  principle  of  life, 
see  n.  3192,  4620.  For  old  age  in  the  internal  sense  does  not 
signify  old  age,  because  the  internal  man,  or  the  spirit  of  man, 
does  not  know  what  old  age  is ;  but  as  the  body  or  external 
man  grows  old,  he  passes  into  a  new  state  of  life,  the  spirit  of 
man  being  perfected  by  age  as  his  corporeal  principle  decays  ; 
and  still  more  so  in  the  other  life,  they  who  are  in  heaven  being 
continually  brought  by  the  Lord  into  more  perfect  life,  and  at 
length  into  the  flower  of  youth ;  this  is  the  case  also  with  those 
who  have  died  in  a  good  old  age  :  hence  it  may  appear  manifest, 
that  by  old  age,  in  the  internal  sense,  is  signified  life.  What 
is  meant  by  his  own  life  in  him,  has  been  explained  above,  n. 
4667.  It  was  said  that  the  spirit  of  man,  or  the  internal  man, 
does  not  know  what  old  age  is  ;  and  yet  it  was  said  above,  that 
it  is  this  man  who  thinks  in  the  body,  also  that  the  body  has 
life  from  him  :  the  reason  why  this  his  thought  cannot  be  com- 
municated to  the  body,  and  man  thereby  know  that  he  lives 
after  death,  is,  because  so  long  as  his  spirit  remains  in  the  body, 
it  cannot  think  otherwise  than  from  principles  which  his  natural 
man  had  imbibed;  and  when  the  principle  and  persuasion  is, 
that  only  the  body  lives,  and  that  when  it  dies,  every  principle 
of  man  dies  also,  in  this  case  the  influx  of  the  above  thought 
is  not  received.  Nevertheless,  the  influx  manifests  itself  by  this, 
that  the  generality  are  solicitous  about  their  funeral  rites,  about 
encomiums  after  death,  and  some  about  their  future  reputation ; 
on  which  account  also  they  erect  for  themselves  magnificent 
monuments,  to  the  intent  that  their  memory  may  not  perish. 
Into  such  things  is  the  influx  from  heaven  respecting  the  per- 
manence of  life  changed,  with  those  who  in  other  respects  be- 
lieve nothing  about  it;  for  without  that  influx  .they  would  be 
altogether  indifferent  to  whatever  might  regard  their  memory 
after  they  were  dead. 

4677.  "  And  he  made  him  a  coat  of  various  colours." — That 
hereby  are  signified  the  appearances  of  truth  thence  derived, 
whereby  the  spiritual  of  the  natural  principle  is  known  and 
distinguished,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  coat,  as  de- 
noting truth  of  the  natural  principle,  of  which  we  shall  speak 
presently ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  various  colours,  as 


4670,  4677.] 


GENESIS. 


291 


denoting  the  appearances  of  truth  whereby  the  spiritual  of  the 
natural  principle  is  known  and  distinguished.  That  these  things 
are  signified  by  various  colours,  cannot  be  known  to  any  one, 
unless  he  knows  that  colours  in  the  other  life  appear  as  in  this 
world,  and  indeed  in  beauty  and  variety  they  much  exceed 
colours  in  the  world,  and  unless  he  knows  also  whence  those 
colours  are  derived.  The  colours,  which  appear  in  the  other 
life,  are  from  the  variegation  of  light  in  that  world,  and  are 
(to  use  the  expression)  modifications  of  intelligence  and  wisdom ; 
for  the  light  which  appears  there  is  from  the  Divine  Truth  which 
is  from  the  Lord,  or  it  is  the  Divine  Spiritual  principle  from 
Him;  or  what  is  the  same  thing,  divine  intelligence  and  wis- 
dom ;  this  appears  as  light  before  the  eyes  of  angels  and  spirits. 
Hence  it  is  evident  what  is  signified  by  colours  from  that  light, 
viz.,  they  signify  the  qualities  and  thus  the  appearances  of 
truth,  and  they  appear  from  the  affections  of  good  and  truth ; 
concerning  colours  in  the  other  life,  see  n.  1042,  1043,  1053, 
1624,  3993,  4530.  That  the  coat  denotes  the  truth  of  the  natu- 
ral principle,  was  said  above  in  n.  3301 :  but.  as  it  was  not  there 
shown  to  have  such  a  signification,  it  may  be  expedient  here  to 
confirm  it  from  other  passages  in  the  Word.  As  in  the  Jewish 
church  kings  represented  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Spiritual 
principle  or  the  Divine  Truth,  n.  2015,  2069,  3009,  3670,  there- 
fore their  daughters  were  clad  in  coats  of  various  colours ;  for 
hy  daughters  were  signified  the  affections  of  good  and  truth, 
and  thence  of  the  church,  n.  2362,  3963  ;  concerning  whom  it 
is  thus  written  in  Book  II.  of  Samuel,  "There  was  upon  Tamar, 
David's  daughter,  a  coat  of  various  colours /  because  with  such 
robes  were  the  king's  daughters,  who  were  virgins,  apparelled," 
xiii.  18.  And  as  the  chief  priests  represented  the  Lord  as  to 
the  Divine  Celestial  principle,  or  Divine  Good,  therefore  Aaron 
was  clad  with  garments  which  represented  the  divine  truth  from 
the  divine  good  of  the  Lord,  for  divine  good  is  in  the  Lord, 
but  divine  truth  proceeds  from  Him ;  this  was  what  was  rep- 
resented by  garments.  In  like  manner,  when  the  Lord  was 
transformed  before  Peter,  James,  and  John,  the  divine  good 
appeared  as  a  sun,  and  the  divine  truth  was  exhibited  by  vest- 
ments which  appeared  as  light,  Matt.  xvii.  2.  Concerning  the 
garments  with  which  Aaron  and  his  sons  were  clad,  it  is  thus 
written  in  Moses,  "  Thou  shalt  make  for  Aaron  a  coat  of  fine 
linen,  a  mitre  of  fine  linen,  and  thou  shalt  make  a  girdle  of 
needle-work.  And  for  the  sons  of  Aaron  thou  shalt  make  coats, 
and  thou  shalt  make  for  them  girdles,  and  bonnets  shalt  thou 
make  for  them,  for  glory  and  for  beauty,"  Exod.  xxviii.  39,  40. 
Each  of  these  things  signified  some  principle  relating  to  the 
divine  truth  from  the  divine  good  of  the  Lord ;  the  coat  of  fine 
linen  specifically  signifies  the  divine  spiritual  principle.  In  like 
manner  in  another  place,  "  Thou  shalt  take  the  garments,  and 


292 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


shalt  put  upon  Aaron  the  coat,  and  the  robe  of  the  ephod,  and  the 
ephod,  and  the  breastplate,  and  shalt  gird  him  with  the  girdle  of 
the  ephod  :  .  .  .  afterwards  thou  shalt  make  his  sons  to  approach, 
and  shalt  put  coats  upon  them,'1'1  xxix.  5,  8;  xl.  14.  What  each 
of  these  things  signifies,  will  be  shown,  by  the  divine  mercy  of 
the  Lord,  when  we  come  to  treat  of  them ;  that  garments  in 
general  denote  truths,  may  be  seen  in  n.  297,  1073,  2576,  4545. 
The  prophets  also  were  clad  with  coats,  but  with  coats  of  hair, 
because  the  prophets  represented  the  Lord  as  to  truths  of  doc- 
trine; and  as  these  are  of  the  natural  or  external  man,  therefore 
they  had  coats  of  hair ;  for  hair  signifies  the  natural  principle, 
see  n.  3301.  That  coat  signifies  divine  truth  from  the  Lord, 
appears  yet  more  manifestly  from  those  passages  where  men- 
tion is  made  of  coat  in  the  New  Testament ;  as  in  John,  "  The 
soldiers  took  his  garments  (and  made  four  parts,  to  each  soldier 
a  part) ;  and  also  his  coat:  but  the  coat  was  without  seam,  woven 
from  the  top  throughout.  They  said  therefore  among  them- 
selves, Let  us  not  rend  it,  but  cast  lots  for  it,  whose  it  shall  be : 
that  the  Scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  which  saith,  They  divided 
my  garments  to  themselves,  and  upon  my  coat  they  did  cast 
lots,"  xix.  23,  24.  He  who  reads  these  words,  may  suppose 
that  they  involve  nothing  more  concealed,  than  that  the  gar- 
ments were  divided  amongst  the  soldiers,  and  that  lots  were 
cast  upon  the  coat ;  when  yet  they  were  each  representative  and 
significative  of  divine  things,  as  well  as  to  the  division  of  the 
garments  into  four  parts,  as  to  the  coat  not  being  divided,  but 
lots  being  cast  upon  it,  and  especially  as  to  the  coat  being  with- 
out seam,  and  woven  from  the  top  throughout ;  for  by  the  coat 
was  signified  the  Lord's  Divine  Truth  ;  as  this  Divine  Truth  is 
one  only  [unicum],*  and  derived  from  good,  it  was  represented 
by  the  coat  being  without  seam,  and  woven  from  the  top 
throughout.  The  like  was  signified  by  Aaron's  coat,  which 
was  woven,  or  the  work  of  the  weaver,  as  is  evident  from  Mo- 
ses, "They  made  coats  of  fine  linen,  the  work  of  the  weaver,  for 
Aaron  and  for  his  sons,"  Exod.  xxxix.  27.  It  was  also  repre- 
sented, that  the  Lord  did  not  suffer  divine  truth  to  be  pulled 
asunder  into  parts,  as  was  done  with  the  inferior  truths  of  the 
church  by  the  Jews.  Inasmuch  as  divine  truth  is  one  only 
\unicum\  viz.,  which  is  derived  from  divine  good,  it  was  also 
enjoined  the  twelve  disciples,  when  they  were  sent  to  preach 
the  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  that  they  should  not  have  two  coats; 
as  it  is  thus  written  in  Luke,  "  Jesus  sent  the  twelve  disciples 

*  Tt  is  not  easy  in  the  English  language  to  express  the  idea  here  intended  to 
be  oonveyed  by  the  Latin  adjective  unicum,  and  therefore  (for  want  of  a  better 
expression)  wehavc  been  eonipelled  to  render  it  by  the  terms  one  only.  The  Eng- 
lish reader  will  be  at  no  los9  to  apprehend  the  idea  intended  to  be  expressed,  if 
he  only  keeps  in  mind  that  the  Latin  unicum  is  an  adjective  denoting  the  one-neu 
of  that  thing  to  whieh  it  is  applied,  in  the  present  ease  denoting  the  one-net*  of 
divine  truth. 


4678.] 


GENESIS. 


293 


to  preach  the  kingdom  of  God,  .  .  .  and  said  unto  them,  Take 
nothing  for  the  way,  neither  staves,  nor  scrip,  nor  bread,  nor 
silver;  neither  have  two  coats  apiece,"  ix.  2,  3;  and  in  Mark, 
"  He  commanded  them  that  they  should  take  nothing  for  the 
way,  save  a  Staff  only;  no  scrip,  nor  bread,  nor  brass  in  their 
purses  ;  but  be  shod  with  sandals,  and  not  put  on  two  coats,"  vi. 
8,  9 ;  and  in  Matthew,  "  Possess  not  gold,  neither  silver,  nor 
brass  in  your  purses  ;  nor  a  scrip  for  the  way,  neither  two  coats, 
nor  shoes,  nor  staves,"  x.  9,  10.  Every  single  thing  contained 
in  these  passages  is  representative  of  the  celestial  and  spiritual 
things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  which  they  were  sent  to  preach; 
the  reason  why  they  were  not  to  take  gold,  silver,  brass,  scrip, 
or  bread  with  them,  was,  because  those  things  signified  goods 
and  truths,  which  are  from  the  Lord  alone ;  viz.,,  gold  signifies 
good,  n.  113,  1551,  1552;  silver,  truth  thence  derived,  1551, 
2954  ;  brass,  natural  good,  n.  425,  1551 ;  bread,  the  good  of 
love,  or  celestial,  n.  276,  680,  2165,  2177,  3478,  3735,  4211, 
4217 ;  but  a  coat,  and  a  sandal,  or  shoe,  signified  the  truths  with 
which  they  were  clad,  and  a  staff  the  power  of  truth  from  good ; 
that  a  staff  denotes  that  power,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4013,  4015 ; 
the  shoe  denotes  the  lowest  natural  principle,  see  n.  1748,  in 
the  above  passages  as  to  truth.  But  the  coat  denotes  interior 
natural  truth;  and  as  these  latter  things  ought  not  to  be  double, 
but  single  [unicd],  it  was  forbidden  to  have  two  staves,  two 
pairs  of  shoes,  and  two  coats.  These  are  the  arcana  contained 
in  the  above  command  of  the  Lord,  which  cannot  possibly  be 
known,  unless  from  the  internal  sense.  All  and  each  of  the 
things  which  the  Lord  spake,  were  representative  of  divine 
things,  consequently  of  the  celestial  and  spiritual  things  of  liis 
kingdom,  and  thereby  adapted  to  the  apprehension  of  men,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  the  understanding  of  spirits  and  of  angels ; 
wherefore  those  things  which  the  Lord  spake,  filled  and  yet  fill 
the  universal  heaven.  Hence  also  it  is  manifest  of  what  advan- 
tage and  importance  it  is  to  be  acquainted  with  the  internal 
sense  of  the  Word ;  without  that  sense  also  it  is  in  the  power  of 
any  one  to  confirm  from  the  Word  whatsoever  doctrinal  tenet 
he  pleases,  and  as  it  appears  to  be  confirmed  to  those  who  are 
in  evil,  they  ridicule  the  Word  on  that  account,  and  are  dis- 
posed  to  believe  any  thing  rather  than  that  it  is  divine. 

4678.  Verses  4  to  11.  And  his  brethren  saw  that  their  father 
loved  him  more  than  all  his  brethren  /  and  they  hated  him,  and 
could  not  speak  peaceably  unto  him.  And  Joseph  dreamed  a 
dream,  and  told  his  brethren :  and  they  hated  him  yet  the  more. 
And  he  said  unto  them,  Hear,  I  pray  you,  this  dream  which  1 
have  dreamed:  For  behold!  we  were  binding  sheaves  in  the 
•midst  of  a  field,  and  lo  /  my  sheaf  arose,  and  also  stood  upright  / 
ami  behold!  your  sheaves  stood  round  about,  and  bowed  them- 
selves to  my  sheaf.   And  his  brethren  said  unto  him,  In  reign- 


294 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


ing  shall  thou  reign  over  usf  if  having  dominion,  shalt  thou 
have  dominion  into  us  ?  And  they  added  yet  to  hate  him  for 
his  dreams,  and  for  his  words.  And  he  dreamed  yet  another 
dream,  and  told  it  to  his  brethren,  and  said,  Lo  !  I  dreamed 
yet  a  dream /  and,  behold!  the  sun,  and  the  moon,  and  the 
eleven  stars,  bowed  themselves  to  me.  And  he  told  it  to  his 
father,  and  to  his  brethren  ;  and  his  father  rebuked  him,  and 
said  unto  him,  What  is  this  dream  which  thou  hast  dreamed  f 
Shall  I,  and  thy  mother,  and  thy  brethren,  coming  come  to  bow 
down  ourselves  to  thee,  to  the  earth  f  And  his  brethren  envied 
him  ;  but  his  father  kept  the  word.  And  his  brethren  saw, 
signifies  those  tilings  which  are  of  faith ;  in  the  proximate  sense, 
the  posterity  of  Jacob  :  that  their  lather  loved  him  more  than 
all  his  brethren,  signifies  that  he  was  conjoined  with  the  divine 
natural  principle ;  in  the  proximate  sense,  with  the  ancient 
church,  which  is  the  father :  and  they  hated  him,  and  could 
not  speak  peaceably  unto  him,  signifies  contempt  and  aversion : 
and  Joseph  dreamed  a  dream,  signifies  predication  concerning 
himself:  and  told  his  brethren,  signifies  before  those  who  are 
of  faith  separate  from  charity :  and  they  hated  him  yet  the 
more,  signifies  still  greater  contempt  and  aversion:  and  he  said 
unto  them,  Hear,  I  pray  you,  this  dream  which  I  have  dreamed, 
signifies  the  contents  of  the  predication:  for  behold!  we  were 
binding  sheaves  in  the  midst  of  afield,  signifies  those  who  teach 
from  doctrine  :  and  lo !  my  sheaf  arose  and  also  stood  upright, 
signifies  the  doctrinal  tenet  concerning  the  Lord's  Divine  Hu- 
man principle :  and,  behold  !  your  sheaves  stood  round  about, 
signifies  those  who  were  in  faith  :  and  bowed  themselves  to  my 
sheaf,  signifies  adoration :  and  his  brethren  said  unto  him,  sig- 
nifies those  Avho  are  of  faith  separate  from  charity  :  in  reigning 
shalt  thou  reign  over  us,  if  having  dominion  shalt  thou  have 
dominion  into  us?  signifies  were  they  to  be  subject  as  to  the 
things  of  the  understanding  and  of  the  will :  and  they  added 
yet  to  hate  him  for  his  dreams  and  for  his  words,  signifies  still 
greater  contempt  and  aversion  by  reason  of  the  predication  of 
the  Word  :  and  he  dreamed  vet  another  dream,  signifies  further 
predication :  and  told  it  to  his  brethren,  and  said,  signifies  in 
the  presence  of  those  who  are  of  faith  separate  from  charity : 
lo!  I  dreamed  yet  a  dream,  signifies  the  contents  of  predica- 
tion :  and  behold  !  the  sun  and  moon,  signifies  natural  good 
and  truth  :  and  the  eleven  stars,  signifies  the  knowledges  of 
good  and  truth :  bowed  themselves  to  me,  signifies  adoration  : 
an<?  he  told  it  to  his  father  and  to  his  brethren,  signifies  that  it 
was  given  to  know  it:  and  his  father  relinked  him,  and  said 
unto  him,  What  is  this  dream,  -which  thou  hast  dreamed?  signi 
fies  indignation  ;  father,  in  this  passage,  is  the  Jewish  religion 
derived  from  the  ancient :  shall  I,  and  thy  mother,  and  thy 
brethren,  coming  come  to  bow  down  ourselves  to  thee  to  the 


4679,  4680.] 


GENESIS. 


295 


earth  ?  signifies  must  the  church  adore :  and  his  brethren  envied 
him,  signifies  their  aversion  :  but  his  father  kept  the  word,  sig- 
nifies that  truth  remained  in  their  religious  worship. 

4679.  Ver.  4.  "And  his  brethren  saw." — That  hereby  are 
signified  those  things  which  are  of  faith,  and  in  the  proximate 
sense  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  seeing,  as  denoting  to  perceive  and  understand,  see  n.  2150, 
2325,  2807,  3764,  3863;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of 
the  brethren  of  Joseph,  as  denoting  those  tilings  which  are  of 
faith  :  for  Joseph  in  this  chapter  represents  the  Divine  Spiritual 
[principle]  or  Divine  Truth  of  the  Lord;  and  his  brethren  rep- 
resent the  church  which  turns  aside  from  charity  to  faith,  next 
to  faith  separate  from  charity,  and  finally  to  falses,  see  above, 
n.  4665,  4671.  Hence  it  is,  that  by  the  brethren  of  Joseph  are 
here  signified  those  things  which  are  of  faith ;  and  as  the  pos- 
terity of  Jacob  was  such,  therefore  in  the  proximate  sense  that 
posterity  is  signified. 

4680.  "  That  their  father  loved  him  more  than  all  his  breth- 
ren."— That  hereby  is  signified  that  he  was  conjoined  with  the 
divine  natural  principle,  in  the  proximate  sense,  with  the  an- 
cient church,  which  is  the  father,  appears  from  what  was  ex- 
plained above,  n.  4675,  where  the  like  words  occur.  In  the 
proximate  sense,  his  conjunction  with  the  ancient  church  is 
denoted,  and  that  church  is  in  that  sense  meant  by  father,  be- 
cause (as  was  said  above,  n.  4679),  by  the  brethren  of  Joseph, 
in  the  proximate  sense,  are  signified  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  con- 
sequently the  church  which  was  represented  amongst  them ; 
how  this  case  is,  has  been  occasionally  shown  above,  but  for 
the  sake  of  the  series  of  the  things  which  follow,  it  may  be  ex- 
pedient briefly  to  recapitulate  it.  The  ancient  church,  which 
was  established  anew  by  the  Lord  after  the  flood,  was  a  repre- 
sentative church  ;  of  such  a  nature,  that  all  and  each  of  its  ex- 
ternals of  worship  represented  the  celestial  and  spiritual  things 
of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  in  the  supreme  sense  the  divine 
things  themselves  of  the  Lord  ;  but  all  and  each  of  its  internals 
of  worship  had  reference  to  charity.  That  church  was  spread 
through  a  great  part  of  the  Asiatic  world,  and  through  several 
kingdoms  therein ;  and  although  they  differed  as  to  doctrinals 
of  faith,  still  the  church  was  one,  because  all  in  every  part  of 
it  made  charity  its  essential;  they  who  at  that  time  separated 
faith  from  charity,  and  made  faith  the  essential  of  the  church, 
were  called  Ham.  But  in  process  of  time  this  church  turned 
away  to  idolatrous  things,  and  in  Egypt,  Babel",  and  other 
places,  to  things  of  magic  ;  for  they  began  to  worship  external 
things  without  internal,  and  as  thereby  they  receded  from  char- 
ity, heaven  also  receded  from  them,  and  in  its  place  came 
spirits  from  hell,  who  led  them.  When  this  church  was  deso- 
lated, a  certain  new  church  commenced  from  Eber,  which  was 


296 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


called  the  Hebrew  church,  and  prevailed  in  Syria  and  Mesopo- 
tamia, and  also  amongst  some  nations  in  the  land  of  Canaan ; 
but  this  church  differed  from  the  ancient,  for  it  placed  the  es- 
sential of  external  worship  in  sacrifices ;  it  acknowledged  indeed 
the  internal  of  worship  to  be  charity,  but  not  so  much  in  heart 
as  the  ancient  church ;  nevertheless,  this  church  also  became 
idolatrous.  At  length  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  establish  a  new 
principle  of  a  church  amongst  the  posterity  of  Abraham  de- 
scended from  Jacob,  and  to  introduce  the  externals  of  the  wor- 
ship of  the  ancient  church  amongst  them  ;  but  that  nation  was 
such,  that  it  could  not  receive  any  internal  principle  of  a  church, 
because  their  hearts  were  altogether  against  charity  ;  wherefore 
the  representative  of  a  church  only  was  instituted  in  that  nation. 
Hence  now  it  is,  that  in  the  proximate  sense,  the  sons  of  Jacob 
or  the  brethren  of  Joseph  signify  such  a  church,  and  that  Jacob 
their  father  signifies  the  ancient  church ;  in  several  other  parts 
of  the  Word  also,  especially  the  prophetic,  by  Jacob  is  meant 
the  ancient  church ;  and  that  church,  viz.,  the  ancient,  is  also 
occasionally  called  Father  and  Mother,  father  as  to  its  good, 
and  mother  as  to  its  truth.  Hence  now  it  is  evident,  that  by 
their  father  loving  Joseph  more  than  all  his  brethren,  is  signi- 
fied that  the  Divine  Truth  of  the  Lord  was  conjoined  with  the 
ancient  church. 

4681.  "  And  they  hated  him,  and  could  not  speak  peaceably 
unto  him." — That  hereby  is  signified  contempt  and  aversion, 
viz.,  contempt  for  the  divine  truth  represented  by  Joseph,  and 
aversion  from  it,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  hathig, 
as  denoting  to  despise ;  for  hatred  in  the  internal  sense  does 
not  signify  such  hatred  as  prevails  amongst  men  who  are  in 
hatred,  for  the  signification  of  that  expression  grows  mild  as 
it  ascends  into  heaven,  because  in  heaven  they  do  not  know 
what  hatred  is,  therefore  it  is  contempt  which  is  signified  ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  not  being  able  to  speak  jxaecably 
unto  him,  as  denoting  to  avert  themselves.  To  speak  peace- 
ably, denotes  to  will  well  to  any  one  :  for  by  peace,  the  ancients 
meant  in  the  supreme  sense  the  Lord  Himself;  in  the  internal 
sense,  His  kingdom,  and  life  in  Him  or  salvation ;  but  in  the 
external  sense,  safety  in  the  world,  or  health:  the  contrary 
thereof  is,  not  to  be  able  to  speak  peaceably  unto  him,  that  is, 
not  to  will  well  to  any  one ;  thus  to  avert  oneself,  in  the  present 
case  from  divine  truth. 

4682.  Ver.  5.  "And  Joseph  dreamed  a  dream." — That 
hereby  is  signified  predication  concerning  himself,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  dreaming  a  dream,  as  denoting  to  predicate; 
and  as  the  dream  treats  of  Joseph,  it  denotes  to  predicate  con- 
cerning the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle.  The  dream  here 
signifies  predication,  because  Joseph's  two  dreams  contain  in  a 
summary  all  those  things  which  were  foreseen  and  provided 


46S1— 4083.] 


GENESIS. 


297 


concerning  Joseph;  or  in  the  internal  sense,  concerning  divine 
truth  within  the  church,  such  as  is  represented  by  Joseph's 
brethren,  or  commences  from  faith.  Moreover,  in  old  time 
divine  truths  were  manifested  either  by  speech,  visions,  or 
dreams,  and  from  them  were  predications  :  hence  in  the  Word, 
by  prophets  to  whom  divine  truth  was  manifested  either  by 
speech,  visions,  or  dreams,  are  signified  they  who  teach  truths; 
and  in  the  abstract  sense,  truths  of  doctrine,  n.  2534 ;  and  so  in 
like  manner  by  seeing  visions  and  dreaming  dreams,  as  in  Joel, 
"  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and  your  sons  and 
your  daughters  shall  prophesy ,  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams, 
your  youmj  men  shall  see  visions:  also  upon  the  servants  and 
the  handmaids  in  those  days  will  I  pour  out  my  Spirit,"  ii.  28, 
29.  To  pour  out  the  Spirit  upon*  them,  denotes  to  instruct  con- 
cerning truths ;  to  prophesy,  denotes  to  teach  and  proclaim 
those  truths,  so  likewise  to  dream  dreams  ;  old  men,  denote  the 
wise;  young  men,  the  intelligent;  servants,  those  who  know. 
So  in  Jeremiah,  "  Thus  saith  Jehovah  Zebaoth,  Hearken  not 
unto  the  words  of  the  prophets  who  prophesy  unto  you  ;  they 
make  you  vain :  they  speak  a  vision  of  their  own  heart,  not 
from  the  mouth  of  Jehovah.  .  .  I  have  heard  what  the p?'ophets 
said,  who  prophesied  lies  in  my  name,  saying,  /  have  dreamed, 
I  have  dreamed.  .  .  .  The  prophet  with  whom  is  a  dream,  shall 
relate  a  dream  /  but  with  whom  is  my  word,  shall  relate  my 
word  in  truth.  .  .  .  Behold !  I  am  against  those  who  prophesy 
dreams  of  a  lie,  saith  Jehovah ;  they  relate  them,  and  seduce 
my  people  by  their  lies,"  xxiii.  16,  25,  28,  32.  In  this  passage, 
to  prophesy,  also  denotes  to  teach  and  predicate,  but  from 
dreams  of  a  lie,  from  which  is  their  predication  ;  in  like  manner 
in  other  places,  as  in  Jeremiah  xxix.  8,  9 ;  Zech.  x.  2.  So  in 
Moses,  "When  there  ariseth  in  the  midst  of  thee  a  prophet,  or 
a  dreamer  of  dreams,  who  shall  give  thee  a  sign  or  a  wonder, 
and  the  sign  or  wonder  shall  come  to  pass,  which  he  spake  to 
thee,  saying,  Let  us  go  to  other  gods,  whom  thou  hast  not 
known,  and  let  us  serve  them ;  thou  shalt  not  obey  the  words 
of  that  prophet,  or  that  dreamer  of  dreams.  .  .  .  And  that 
prophet,  or  that  dreamer  of  dreams,  shall  be  slain,  because  he 
hath  spoken  revolt  against  Jehovah  your  God,"  Deut.  xiii.  1, 
2,  3,  5.  Both  the  prophet,  and  the  dreamer  of  a  dream,  denote 
one  who  teaches  and  predicates,  in  the  above  case  falses. 

4683.  "  And  told  his  brethren." — That  hereby  is  signified, 
before  those  who  are  of  faith  separate  from  charity,  appears 
from  the  representation  of  Joseph's  brethren,  as  denoting  the 
church  which  turns  away  from  charity  to  faith,  or,  in  the  ab- 
stract sense,  the  things  of  faith,  see  n.  4665,  4671,  4679.  They 
here  denote  those  who  are  of  faith  separate  from  charity,  because 
it  follows,  that  they  hated  him  yet  the  more,  by  which  words  is 
signified  still  greater  contempt  and  aversion.    For  the  case  with 


298 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii 


such  a  church  is  this :  at  its  first  commencement  charity  is 
preached,  but  only  from  doctrinals,  thus  from  the  scientific 
principle,  but  not  from  charity  itself,  and  consequently  not  from 
the  affection  of  the  heart ;  in  process  of  time,  as  charity  and  its 
affection  are  obliterated  in  the  heart,  faith  is  preached ;  and  at 
length,  when  there  is  no  longer  any  charity,  faith  alone  is 
preached,  and  this  latter  is  said  to  be  saving  without  works ; 
then,  also,  works  are  no  longer  called  works  of  charity,  but  of 
faith,  and  are  named  fruits  of  faith  ;  they  are  indeed  thus  con- 
joined, but  only  from  doctrine,  not  from  life.  As  they  who  are 
in  such  a  church  thus  place  nothing  of  salvation  in  the  life  of 
faith,  or  in  good,  but  only  in  faith,  and  yet  they  know  plainly 
from  the  Word,  and  also  from  their  intellectual  principle,  that 
doctrine  is  nothing  without  life,  or  that  faith  is  nothing  without 
fruits,  they  place  the  saving  principle  of  faith  in  confidence, 
that  thereby  also, they  may  recede  from  fruits;  not  knowing 
that  all  confidence  derives  its  esse  from  the  end  of  life  (which 
man  proposes  to  himself),  and  that  genuine  confidence  cannot 
possibly  have  place  except  in  good,  whereas  spurious  and  false 
confidence  may  have  place  in  evil  likewise.  And,  that  they 
may  separate  faith  still  more  from  charity,  they  also  persuade 
that  the  confidence  of  a  single  moment,  even  in  the  last  moment 
of  death,  is  saving,  without  any  regard  for  the  past  life ;  al- 
though they  are  aware  that  every  one's  own  life  awaits  him 
after  death,  and  that  every  one  will  be  judged  according  to  the 
works  of  his  life.  From  these  few  observations,  it  may  appear 
what  is  the  quality  of  faith  separate  from  charity,  consequently 
what  is  the  quality  of  the  church,  which  makes  faith  the  essen- 
tial, but  not  the  life  of  faith.  Concerning  the  falses  which  flow 
hence,  as  from  their  source,  we  shall,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the 
Lord,  speak  in  what  follows. 

4684.  "  And  they  hated  him  yet  the  more." — That  hereby 
is  signified  still  greater  contempt  and  aversion,  appears  from 
what  was  said  above,  n.  4681,  where  similar  words  occur. 

4G85.  Ver.  6.  "  And  he  said  unto  them,  Hear,  I  pray  you, 
this  dream  which  I  have  dreamed." — That  hereby  are  signified 
the  contents  of  the  predication,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  dreaming  a  dream,  as  denoting  predication,  see  above,  n. 
4682,  in  the  present  case  the  contents  of  predication,  because  it 
now  follows  what  kind  of  dream  he  had. 

4686.  Ver.  7.  "  For,  behold !  we  were  binding  sheaves  in 
the  midst  of  a  field." — That  hereby  are  signified  those  who 
teach  from  doctrine,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  shea/, 
as  denoting  doctrine,  and  hence  of  binding  sheaves,  as  denoting 
to  teach  from  doctrine ;  of  which  signification  we  shall  speak 
presentlv ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  field,  as  denoting 
the  church,  see  n.  -2971,  3766,  4440,  4443  ;  the  midst  of  a  field 
denotes  interiorly  in  the  church,  as  are  they  who  are  principled 


4684—4687.] 


GENESIS. 


299 


in  the  faith  of  any  charity  ;  for  the  midst,  in  the  internal  sense, 
denotes  that  which  is  interior  and  inmost,  see  n.  1074,  2940, 
2973 ;  for  in  every  church  there  are  those  who  are  in  the  midst 
thereof,  or  who  are  inmost,  and  they  are  such  as  are  principled 
in  charity ;  in  the  present  case,  those  who  are  in  the  faith  of 
any  charity.  With  such  the  Lord  is  present,  because  He  is  in 
charity,  and  through  charity  in  faith,  n.  4672  ;  that  such  are 
signified,  is  evident  also  from  what  follows,  that  Joseph's  sheaf 
arose,  and  the  rest  of  the  sheaves  encompassed  it ;  for  by  Jo- 
seph's sheaf  is  signified  doctrine  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Truth. 
A  sheaf  denotes  doctrine,  because  the  field  is  the  church,  as 
was  just  now  said,  and  standing  corn  in  a  field  denotes  truth  in 
the  church  ;  thus  a  sheaf,  in  which  there  is  corn,  denotes  doc- 
trine in  which  there  is  truth.  The  like  is  signified  by  sheaves 
in  David,  "  They  who  sow  in  tears,  shall  reap  Avith  singing. 
Going  he  shall  go  with  weeping,  bearing  the  casting  seed  ;  but 
coming  he  shall  come  with  singing,  bearing  his  sheaves"  Psalm 
exxvi.  5,  6  ;  speaking  of  those  who  have  been  in  spiritual  cap- 
tivity, and  are  set  at  liberty  ;  to  bear  the  casting  seed,  denotes 
instruction  in  truths  ;  to  come  with  singing,  denotes  the  glad- 
ness of  the  affection  of  truth  ;  to  bear  sheaves,  denotes  the  doc- 
trinals of  that  truth. 

46S7.  "And,  lo!  my  sheaf  arose,  and  also  stood  upright." 
■ — That  hereby  is  signified  the  doctrinal  tenet  concerning  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  sheaf,  as  denoting  a  doctrinal  tenet,  see  just  above ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  arising  and  standing  upright, 
as  denoting  the  supreme  principle  which  was  about  to  reign,  and 
which  they  were  about  to  adore.  That  this  principle  is  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human,  is  evident  from  what  follows,  viz.,  that 
the  eleven  sheaves  bowed  themselves  to  that  sheaf ;  and  in  the 
other  dream,  that  the  sun  and  moon  and  eleven  stars  bowed 
themselves  to  Joseph ;  by  which  is  signified  that  the  supreme 
principle  should  reign,  and  that  they  should  adore  it ;  where- 
fore also  Jacob  saith,  "Shall  I,  and  thy  mother,  and  thy  breth- 
ren, come  to  bow  down  ourselves  to  thee,  to  the  earth  ?"  The 
Divine  Truth  of  the  Lord  is  what  is  represented  by  Joseph,  as 
was  said  above  ;  its  supreme  principle  is  the  Lord  Himself,  and 
the  supreme  amongst  doctrinals  that  His  Human  principle  is 
Divine.  With  this  supreme  of  doctrinals  the  case  is  this  :  the 
most  ancient  church,  which  was  celestial,  and  in  preference  to 
the  rest  was  called  Man,  adored  the  Infinite  Esse,  and  hence 
the  Infinite  Existing:  and  whereas  they  could  not  have  any 
perception  of  the  Infinite  Esse,  but  coiild  have  some  of  the  In- 
finite thence  existing,  from  what  was  perceptible  in  their  inter- 
nal man,  and  sensible  in  their  external,  and  likewise  from  what 
they  were  enabled  to  behold  in  the  world,  therefore  they  adored 
the  Infinite  Existing,  in  which  is  the  Infinite  Esse.    The  Infir  ve 


300 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


Existing  in  which  is  the  Infinite  Esse,  they  perceived  as  a  Divine 
Man,  because  they  knew  that  the  Infinite  Existing  was  brought 
forth  from  the  Infinite  Esse  through  heaven ;  and  as  heaven  is 
the  Grand  Man  Corresponding  to  all  and  each  of  the  things  in 
man  (as  has  been  shown  at  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapters, 
and  will  be  shown  at  the  close  of  some  of  the  subsequent  ones), 
therefore  they  could  not  have  any  other  idea  of  perception  con- 
cerning the  Infinite  Existing  from  the  Infinite  Esse,  than  as  of 
a  Divine  Man  ;  for  whatever  passes  through  heaven  as  through 
the  Grand  Man  from  the  Infinite  Esse,  has  with  it  an  image 
thereof,  in  all  things,  and  in  eacli  of  them.  When  that  celes- 
tial church  began  to  fall  away,  they  foresaw  that  this  Infinite 
Existing  could  no  longer  have  an  influx  into  the  minds  of  men, 
and  consequently  that  the  human  race  would  perish  ;  therefore 
they  were  informed  from  revelation,  that  one  should  be  born  who 
should  make  the  Human  in  Himself  Divine,  and  thus  should 
become  the  very  Infinite  Existing,  such  as  had  been  before ; 
and  at  length  should  become  one  with  the  Infinite  Esse,  as  also 
had  been  before  ;  hence  their  prophetic  enunciation  concerning 
the  Lord,  Genesis  iii.  15.  This  is  thus  described  in  John,  "  In 
the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and 
God  was  the  Word.  This  was  in  the  beginning  with  God.  All 
things  were  made  by  him ;  and  without  him  was  not  any  thing 
made  which  was  made.  In  him  was  the  life ;  and  the  life  was 
the  light  of  men.  .  .  .  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt 
in  us  (aud  we  saw  his  glory,  as  of  the  onlv-begotten  of  the 
Father),  full  of  grace  and  truth,"  i.  1,  2,  3,  4,  14.  The  Word 
is  the  Divine  Truth,  which  in  its  essence  is  the  Infinite  Existing 
from  the  Infinite  Esse,  and  is  the  Lord  Himself  as  to  His  Hu- 
man principle ;  this  is  the  A'ery  principle  itself  from  which 
divine  truth  is  now  proceeding  and  flowing  into  heaven,  and 
through  heaven  into  human  minds  ;  consequently  it  is  that  prin- 
ciple which  rules  and  governs  the  universe,  as  it  has  ruled  and 

f overned  it  from  eternity,  since  it  is  the  same  and  one  with  the 
nfinite  Esse,  for  it  conjoined  the  Human  to  the  Di\  inc.  which 
it  effected  by  making  the  Human  principle  in  itself  also  Divine, 
Hence  now  it  may  appeal'  that  the  supreme  of  Divine  Truth 
is  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle ;  and  hence  that  it  is 
the  supreme  tenet  amongst  the  doctrinals  of  the  church,  that 
His  Human  is  Divine. 

4688.  "And,  behold!  your  sheaves  stood  round  about." — 
That  hereby  are  signified  those  who  were  in  faith,  viz.,  in  the 
faith  of  some  charity,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
standing  round  about,  as  denoting  here  access  to  adore,  for  it 
follows  that  they  bowed  themselves  to  his  sheaf,  by  which  is 
signified  adoration ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  sheaf,  as 
denoting  doctrine,  see  just  above,  n.  4686  ;  in  the  present  case 
all  things  of  doctrine  or  of  faith.   The  sheaves  here  signify  such 


4688,  4689.] 


GENESIS. 


301 


things,  because  in  the  genuine  sense  by  all  the  sons  of  Jacob 
all  the  things  of  faith  are  represented,  see  n.  3858,  3926  ;  so 
likewise  by  the  sheaves,  because  they  were  in  the  place  of  the 
sons  of  Jacob  in  the  dream ;  and  as  this  was  seen  in  the  midst 
of  a  field,  and  by  the  midst  of  a  field  is  signified  what  is  interior, 
or  they  who  are  interior  in  the  church,  which  is  treated  of,  n. 
4686,  thus  they  who  are  in  the  faith  of  any  charity,  therefore 
these  are  the  sheaves  which  stood  round  about,  and  bowed 
themselves  to  the  sheaf  of  Joseph.  That  they  who  are  exterior 
or  more  remote  from  the  midst,  who  in  the  proper  sense  are 
here  the  brethren  of  Joseph,  are  not  meant,  is  evident  from 
the  preceding  and  subsequent  context,  that  they  hated  him 
more  and  more,  that  is,  that  tliey  despised  him  and  averted 
themselves ;  for  by  hating,  not  speaking  peaceably,  and  envy- 
ing, which  are  said  of  his  brethren,  are  signified  contempt  and 
aversion. 

4689.  "  And  bowed  themselves  to  my  sheaf." — That  hereby 
is  signified  adoration,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  bow- 
ing themselves,  as  denoting  the  effect  of  humiliation,  see  n.  2153, 
consequently  adoration ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
Joseph's  sheaf,  as  here  denoting  the  doctrinal  concerning  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  see  n.  4687;  thus  denoting  the 
Divine  Human  principle  which  they  who  are  in  the  interior  of 
the  church  adored.  But  they  wTho  are  exterior,  that  is,  they 
who  are  of  faith  separate  from  charity,  are  the  furthest  possible 
from  adoration ;  which  is  a  necessary  consequence  of  such  a 
faith,  because,  as  was  said,  the  Lord  is  present  in  charity,  and 
in  faith  only  through  charity,  for  charity  is  the  conjoining  me- 
dium. What  is  truth  without  good,  and  what  is  the  intellectual 
principle  without  the  will-principle?  thus  what  is  faith  without 
charity,  or  what  is  confidence  without  its  essence?  That  they 
who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  do  not  in  the  least  adore 
the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  was  manifested  to  me  by 
spirits  of  this  character  who  come  into  the  other  life  from  the 
Christian  world,  with  several  of  whom  I  have  discoursed ;  for 
in  that  life  the  heart  speaks,  and  not  the  mouth  as  in  the  world ; 
the  thoughts  of  every  one  are  there  communicated  much  more 
openly  than  by  any  speech  in  the  world,  nor  is  it  there  allowed 
to  speak  otherwise  than  as  they  think,  thus  as  they  believe. 
Many  of  those  who  have  even  preached  the  Lord  in  the  world, 
there  altogether  deny  Him  ;  and  when  it  is  inquired  from  what 
end  or  from  what  cause  they  preached  Him,  and  paid  Him  holy 
adoration  in  the  external  form,  it  was  found  that  they  did  so 
because  it  was  enjoined  them  from  their  office,  and  because 
they  gained  honours  and  wealth  thereby ;  those  also  who  did 
not  preach,  but  yet  confessed  Him,  did  so  because  they  were 
born  in  the  church,  and  because  they  would  lose  their  reputa- 
tion if  they  spake  against  religion.    Not  even  one  from  the 


302 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


Christian  world  knew  that  His  Human  principle  is  divine;  and 
scarcely  any  one  that  He  alone  governs  heaven  and  the  universe, 
still  less  that  his  Divine  Human  principle  is  the  all  in  heaven  ; 
that  this  is  the  case,  could  not  openly  be  revealed,  because  it 
was  foreseen  by  the  Lord  that  the  Christian  church  would  turn 
away  from  charity  to  faith,  consequently  would  separate  itself 
from  Him,  and  thereby  would  not  only  reject  but  also  profane 
the  holy  principle  which  is  from  His  Divine  Human  principle  ; 
for  faith  separate  from  charity  cannot  do  otherwise.  That  faith 
is  at  this  day  separated  from  charity,  is  evident ;  for  churches 
separate  themselves  according  to  their  dogmas,  and  he  who 
believes  otherwise  than  as  the  dogma  teaches,  is  cast  out  from 
their  communion,  and  defamed  also;  but  he  who  is  guilty  of 
theft,  who  without  mercy  deprives  others  of  their  goods  (if  he 
does  not  do  so  openly),  who  clevises  treacherous  purposes  against 
his  neighbour,  who  brings  disgrace  upon  works  of  charity,  and 
who  is  guilty  of  adultery,  such  a  one  is  still  called  a  Christian, 
provided  he  only  frequents  sacred  worship,  and  speaks  from 
doctrine.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  at  this  day  it  is  doctrine 
which  constitutes  the  church,  but  not  life ;  and  that  the  fruits 
which  they  adjoin  to  faith,  are  only  in  their  doctrine,  and  nothing 
in  their  minds. 

4690.  Ver.  8.  "And  his  brethren  said  unto  him."— That 
hereby  are  signified  they  who  are  of  faith  separate  from  charity, 
appears  from  the  representation  of  Joseph's  brethren,  as  denoting 
a  church  which  turns  away  from  charity  to  faith,  and  at  length 
separates  faith  from  charity,  see  n.  4665,  4671,  4679 ;  but  they 
who  are  interior  in  that  church  are  signified  by  the  sheaves  in 
the  dream,  n.  4686,  4688.  The  reason  why  the  brethren  of 
•  Joseph  represent  that  church,  is,  because  in  the  proximate  sense 
they  signify  the  representative  of  a  church,  or  the  religious 
worship,  which  was  instituted  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob; 
to  those  indeed  who  did  not  know  any  thing  concerning  the 
faith  spoken  of  in  the  Christian  church,  but  concerning  truth, 
truth  was  the  same  as  Christian  faith,  and  also  in  the  original 
each  is  expressed  by  the  same  term.  But  by  truth,  the  Jewish 
church  understood  the  precepts  of  the  Decalogue,  and  also  the 
laws,  judgments,  testimonies,  and  ordinances  which  were  deliv- 
ered by  Moses ;  the  interior  things  of  truth  they  neither  knew, 
nor  were  they  willing  to  know.  But  the  Christian  church  gives 
the  name  of  faith  to  those  doctrinals  which  are  the  interiors  of 
the  church,  and  are  said  to  be  necessary  to  be  believed ;  for  by 
faith  the  vulgar  mean  no  other  than  the  faith  of  creeds,  or  that 
which  books  of  creeds  teach  ;  but  they  who  think  that  the  doc- 
trinals of  faith,  or  the  science  thereof,  can  save  no  one,  and 
that  few  are  in  the  life  of  faith,  call  faith  confidence  ;  these, 
however,  are  above  the  vulgar,  and  are  more  learned  than 
others.    From  these  considerations  it  may  appear,  that  in  the 


4690— 4692.] 


GENESIS. 


303 


internal  sense,  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  not  only  concerning 
the  representative  of  a  church,  which  was  instituted  amongst 
the  posterity  of  Jacob,  but  also  concerning  the  Christian  church 
which  succeeded :  for  the  Word  of  the  Lord  is  universal,  and 
comprehends  in  general  every  church ;  as  it  was  alike  foreseen 
by  the  Lord,  how  the  case  would  be  with  the  Christian  church, 
and  with  the  Jewish  church,  but  proximately  with  the  Jewish ; 
wherefore  that  sense  is  called  the  proximate  sense,  or  the  inter- 
nal historical  sense,  and  the  other  the  internal  sense. 

4691.  "  In  reigning  shalt  thou  reign  over  us  ?  if  having  do- 
minion shalt  thou  have  dominion  into  us?" — That  hereby  is 
signified  were  they  to  be  subject  as  to  the  things  of  the  under- 
standing and  of  the  will,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
reigning,  as  denoting  to  be  subject  as  to  the  things  of  the  under- 
standing ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  having  dominion, 
as  denoting  to  be  subject  as  to  those  of  the  will.  That  to  reign 
over  them,  and  to  have  dominion  into  them,  denotes  to  be  made 
subject,  is  evident;  but  the  reason  why  mention  is  made  both 
of  reigning  and  of  having  dominion,  is,  because  one  expression 
has  respect  to  the  things  of  the  understanding,  and  the  other 
to  those  of  the  will ;  it  is  common  in  the  Word,  especially  the 
prophetic,  to  express  one  thing  by  two  expressions.  He  who  is 
not  acquainted  with  the  arcanum  contained  in  this  circumstance, 
cannot  suppose  otherwise  than  that  it  is  merely  a  repetition  for 
the  sake  of  emphasis ;  this,  however,  is  not  the  case ;  in  each 
single  thing  of  the  Word  there  is  a  heavenly  marriage  of  truth 
with  good  and  of  good  with  truth,  as  there  is  a  marriage  of  the 
understanding  and  will  in  man ;  one  expression  relates  to  truth, 
and  the  other  to  good,  thus  one  to  the  intellectual  principle,  for 
truth  is  of  this  principle,  and  the  other  to  the  will  principle, 
good  being  of  this ;  the  expressions  also  in  the  Word  consist  of 
those  terms  which  constantly  signify  such  things.  This  is  the 
arcanum  which  lies  concealed  in  this  circumstance,  that  one 
thing  is  expressed  by  two  expressions,  see  n.  683,  793,  801, 
2173,  2516,  2712,  4138  ;  so  also  in  this  passage,  to  reign  over 
them,  and  to  have  dominion  into  them ;  to  reign  also  has  respect 
to  truth  which  is  of  the  understanding ;  but  dominion,  to  good 
which  is  of  the  will ;  kingdom  likewise  is  predicated  of  truth, 
n.  1672,  2547,  and  dominion  of  good ;  as  also  in  Daniel,  where 
the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  is  likewise  treated  of,  "  To 
him  was  given  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all 
people,  nations,  and  tongues  should  worship  him.  His  dominion 
is  an  eternal  dominion  which  shal  not  pass  away,  and  his  king- 
dom that  which  shall  not  perish, ':  vii.  14;  and  in  David,  "Thy 
kingdom  is  the  kingdom  of  all  eternities,  and  thy  dominion  into 
every  generation  and  generation,"  Psalm  cxlv.  13. 

4692.  "  And  they  added  yet  to  hate  him  for  his  dreams  and 
for  his  words." — That  hereby  is  signified  st:ll  greater  contempt 


304 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


and  aversion  by  reason  of  the  predication  of  truth,  viz.,  in  the 
present  case  concerning  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle, 
appeal's  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  adding,  as  denoting  what 
is  greater ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  hating,  as  denoting  tc 
despise  and  to  avert  themselves,  see  n.  4681 ;  (3.)  from  the  sig* 
nification  of  dream,  as  denoting  predication,  see  n.  4682,  4685 ; 
and  (4.)  from  the  signification  of  words,  as  denoting  truths  ;  the 
reason  why  words  denote  truths,  is,  because  all  the  Word  iu 
heaven  is  from  the  Lord,  therefore  words  in  the  internal  sense 
signify  truths,  and  the  Word  in  general  all  divine  truth.  Iu 
regard  to  the  essential  thing  here  treated  of,  the  case  is  this :  it 
is  the  supreme  amongst  truths,  which  the  church  that  has  sepa- 
rated faith  from  charity  chiefly  despises,  and  from  which  it 
averts  itself,  viz.,  that  the  Human  principle  of  the  Lord  is  Di- 
vine. All  who  were  of  the  ancient  church,  and  did  not  separate 
faith  from  charity,  believed  that  the  God  of  the  universe  was  a 
Divine  Man,  and  that  He  was  the  Divine  Esse;  hence  also  they 
named  Him  Jehovah :  this  they  knew  from  the  most  ancient 
people,  and  also  from  this  circumstance,  that  He  had  appeared 
to  several  of  their  brethren  as  a  man ;  they  knew  also  that  all 
the  rituals  and  externals  of  their  church  represented  Him.  But 
they  who  were  of  faith  separate  from  charity  could  not  believe 
this,  because  they  could  not  comprehend  how  the  Human  prin- 
ciple could  be  Divine,  and  that  the  divine  love  effected  this ; 
for  whatsoever  they  did  not  comprehend  from  some  idea  received 
through  the  external  sensual  principles  of  the  body,  they  con- 
ceived to  be  of  no  account.  This  is  a  persuasion  which  ever 
attends  faith  separate  from  charity;  for  the  internal  principle 
of  perception  is  closed  with  those  who  are  in  that  faith,  \\va<- 
.  much  as  there  is  no  intermediate  principle  as  a  medium  of 
influx.  The  Jewish  church,  which  succeeded,  believed  indeed 
that  Jehovah  was  Man,  and  also  God,  because  he  had  appeared 
to  Moses  and  the  prophets  as  a  man,  wherefore  they  named 
every  angel  who  appeared,  Jehovah ;  but  still  they  had  no  othe'* 
idea  of  Him,  than  the  Gentiles  had  of  their  gods,  to  whom  they 
preferred  Jehovah  God,  because  He  could  do  miracles,  n.  4299 ; 
not  knowing  that  Jehovah  was  the  Lord  in  the  Word,  n.  2921, 
3035,  and  that  it  was  His  Divine  Human  principle  which  all 
their  rituals  represented.  Of  the  Messiah  or  Christ  they  had 
no  other  thought,  than  that  he  was  to  be  the  grand  prophet, 
greater  than  Moses,  and  the  grand  king,  greater  than  David, 
who  would  introduce  them  into  the  land  of  Canaan  with  stu- 
pendous miracles ;  they  were  not  willing  to  hear  any  thing 
celestial  concerning  his  kingdom,  because  they  had  no  appre- 
hension of  any  but  worldly  tilings,  for  they  were  separated  from 
charity.  But  the  Christian  church  adores  indeed  the  Lord's 
Human  principle  as  Divine  in  the  external  worship,  especially 
in  tire  Ib'iy  Supper,  because  lie  had  said  that  the  bread  in  that 


4693—4696.] 


GENESIS. 


305 


supper  is  His  body,  and  the  wine  His  blood ;  but  they  do  not 
make  His  Human  principle  Divine  in  doctrine,  for  they  distin- 
guish between  the  Divine  nature  and  the  Human  nature;  this 
also  is  because  the  church  had  turned  away  from  charity  to  faith, 
and  at  length  to  faith  separate;  and  whereas  they  acknowledge 
the  Lord's  human  principle  as  not  divine,  many  scandalize  them- 
selves (secmdaUsant  se*)  and  deny  Him  in  heart,  n.  4689  ;  when 
yet  the  case  is  this,  that  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  is 
the  Divine  Existing  from  the  Divine  Esse,  spoken  of  above,  n. 
4687,  and  that  He  is  the  Divine  Esse;  for  the  Divine  Esse  and 
the  Divine  Existing  are  one,  as  also  the  Lord  manifestly  teaches 
in  John,  "Jesus  said  to  Philip,  Have  I  been  so  long  time  with 
you,  and  hast  thou  not  known  me  I  He  that  hath  seen  me, 
hath  seen  the  Father ;  .  .  .  believest  thou  not  that  I  am  in  the 
Father,  and  the  Father  in  me  ?  .  .  .  Believe  me  that  I  am  in  the 
Father,  and  the  Father  in  me,"  xiv.  9,  10, 11,  and  also  in  other 
places ;  for  the  Divine  Existing  is  the  very  Divine  principle 
itself  proceeding  from  the  Divine  Esse,  and  in  image  is  a  man, 
because  heaven,  of  which  it  is  the  all,  represents  a  Grand  Man, 
as  was  said  above,  in  n.  4687,  and  has  been  shown  at  the  close 
of  the  chapters,  speaking  of  the  correspondence  therewith  of  all 
things  appertaining  to  man.  The  Lord  indeed  was  born  like 
another  man,  and  had  an  infirm  human  principle  from  the 
mother,  but  He  totally  expelled  this  human  principle,  so  that 
He  was  no  longer  the  son  of  Mary,  and  made  the  Human  in 
Himself  Divine,  which  is  meant  by  His  being  glorified ;  and 
He  also  showed  to  Peter,  James,  and  John,  that  He  was  a 
Divine  Man,  when  He  was  transformed. 

4693.  Ver.  9.  "And  he  dreamed  yet  another  dream." — That 
hereby  is  signified  further  predication,  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  dream,  as  denoting  predication,  see  above,  n.  4682. 

4694.  "And  told  it  to  his  brethren,  and  said." — That  hereby 
is  signified  in  the  presence  of  those  who  were  of  faith  separate 
from  charity,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Joseph's  breth- 
ren, as  denoting  those  who  were  of  faith  separate,  see  above,  n. 
4665,  4671,  4679,  4690. 

4695.  "  Lo !  I  dreamed  yet  a  dream." — That  hereby  are  sig- 
nified the  contents  of  predication,  appears  from  what  was  said 
above,  n.  4685. 

4696.  "  And,  behold !  the  sun  and  the  moon." — That  hereby 
are  signified  natural  good  and  truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  sun,  as  denoting  celestial  good,  see  n.  1529,  1530, 
2120,  2441,  2495,  3636,  3643,  4060 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  moon,  as  denoting  spiritual  good,  or  truth,  see  n. 
1529,  1530,  2495.    In  the  supreme  sense,  the  sun  signifies  the 

*  The  idea  here  intended  to  be  suggested  by  the  expression  they  scandalize 
themselves,  appears  to  be  this,  that  they  cause  offences  or  stumbling-blocks  to 
themselves,  which  have  no  ground  but  in  the  perversities  of  their  owif  spirits. 

VOL.  V.  20 


306 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvu. 


Lord,  because  He  appears  as  a  sun  to  those  in  heaA'en  who  are 
in  celestial  love ;  and  in  this  sense,  the  moon  also  signifies  the 
Lord,  because  He  appears  as  a  moon  to  those  in  heaven  who 
are  in  spiritual  love ;  the  all  of  light  in  heaven  is  also  hence 
derived ;  the  light  therefore  from  the  sun  in  heaven  is  the 
celestial  principle  of  love,  or  good,  and  the  light  from  the  moon 
in  heaven  is  the  spiritual  principle  of  love,  or  truth.  In  the 
present  case,  therefore,  the  sun  denotes  natural  good,  and  the 
moon  natural  truth,  because  they  are  predicated  of  Jacob  and 
Leah ;  as  is  evident  from  verse  10,  where  Jacob  saith,  "  Shall 
I,  and  thy  mother,  and  thy  brethren,  coming  come  to  bow 
down  ourselves  to  thee,  to  the  earth?"  for  by  Jacob  is  repre- 
sented natural  good,  and  by  Leah  natural  truth,  as  has  been 
shown  above  throughout.  The  Divine  principle  which  comes 
from  the  Lord,  is,  in  the  supreme  sense,  the  Divine  principle 
in  Himself ;  but  in  the  respective  sense,  it  is  the  Divine  prin- 
ciple from  Him ;  the  divine  good  which  is  from  Him  is  called 
celestial,  and  the  divine  truth  which  is  from  Him  is  called 
spiritual.  When  the  rational  principle  receives  those  princi- 
ples, the  good  and  truth  of  the  rational  principle  are  signified ; 
but  when  the  natural  principle  receives  them,  the  good  and 
truth  of  the  natural  principle  are  signified ;  in  the  present  case 
they  are  the  good  and  truth  of  the  natural  principle,  because 
they  are  predicated  of  Jacob  and  Leah. 

4697.  "  And  the  eleven  stars." — That  hereby  are  signified 
the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  stars,  as  denoting  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth. 
Stars  have  this  signification  in  the  Word,  because  they  are 
small  luminaries  which  shine  in  the  night,  and  emit  sparks  of 
light  from  themselves  into  our  atmospliere,  in  like  manner  as 
knowledges  emit  those  things  which  are  of  good  and  truth. 
That  by  stars  are  signified  those  knowledges,  may  appear  from 
several  passages)  in  the  Word;  as  in  Jeremiah,  "Thus  saith 
Jehovah,  who  giveth  the  sun  for  the  light  of  the  day,  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  moon  and  of  the  stars  for  the  light  of  the  night, 
who  moveth  the  sea  together,  that  the  waves  thereof  are 
tumultuous,"  xxxi.  35  ;  speaking  of  a  new  church,  where  by 
giving  the  sun  for  the  light«of  the  day,  is  signified  the  good  of 
love  and  of  charity  ;  and  by  the  ordinances  of  the  moon  and  of 
the  stars  for  the  light  of  the  night,  are  signified  truth  and 
knowledges.  In  like  manner  in  David,  "Jehovah  who  made 
great  hnninaries  ;  the  sun  for  dominion  in  the  day  ;  the  moon 
and  stars  for  dominion  in  the  night,''''  Ps.  cxxxvi.  7,  S,  9.  lie 
who  is  not  acquainted  with  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word, 
will  believe  that  by  sun  is  here  meant  the  sun  of  the  world ; 
and  by  moon  and  stars,  the  moon  and  stars ;  but  hence  no 
spiritual  and  celestial  sense  results,  when  yet  the  Word  in 
every  part  is  celestial ;  whence  also  it  is  evident,  that  the  good? 


4697.] 


GENESIS. 


307 


of  love  and  charity,  and  the  truths  of  faith,  with  the  know- 
ledges thereof,  are  the  things  signified.  In  like  manner  in  the 
first  chapter  of  (Tmesis,  speaking  of  the  new  creation  of  the 
celestial  man,  "God  said,  Let  there  be  luminaries  in  the 
expanse  of  the  heavens,  to  distinguish  between  the  day  and  the 
night;  and  they  shall  be  for  signs  and  for  stated  times,  and  for 
days  and  for  years;  and  they  shall  be  for  luminaries  in  the 
expanse  of  the  heavens,  to  give  light  upon  the  earth ;  and  it 
was  so.  And  God  made  two  great  luminaries,  the  greater 
luminary  to  rule  by  day,  and  the  smaller  luminary  to  rule  by 
night,  and  the  stars  ;  and  God  set  them  in  the  'expanse  of  the 
heavens  to  give  light  upon  the' earth,  and  to  rule  in  the  day 
and  in  the  night,  and  to  distinguish  between  the  light  and  the 
darkness,"  verses  14  to  18;  see  n.  30  to  38.  So  in  Matthew, 
"  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those  days,  the  sun  shall 
be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the 
stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens 
shall  be  shaken,  xxiv.  29  ;  that  by  the  sun  and  moon  are  here 
signified  love  and  charity,  or  good  and  truth,  and  by.  the  stars 
knowledges,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4060;  and  as  the  subject  there 
treated  of  is  concerning  the  last  day,  or  the  last  state  of  the 
church,  by  the  sun  being  obscured,  and  the  moon  not  giving 
her  light,  is  signified  that  at  that  time  the  good  of  love  and 
charity  shall  perish ;  and  by  the  stars  falling  from  heaven,  is 
signified  that  the  knowledges  of  good  and  of  truth  shall  also 
perish.  That  such  things  are  signified,  is  evident  from  the  pro- 
phetic parts  of  the  Word,  where  similar  things  are  said  of  the 
last  state  of  the  church ;  as  in  Isaiah,  "  Behold,  the  day  of 
Jehovah  shall  come,  cruel,  ...  to  lay  the  land  desolate,  and 
shall  destroy  sinners  out  of  it;  for  the  stars  of  the  heavens  and 
the  constellations  thereof  shall  not  shine  with  their  light,  the 
sun  shall  be  darkened  in  his  rising,  and  the  moon  shall  not 
muse  her  light  to  shine,"  xiii.  9,  10.  And  in  Joel,  "The  day 
of  Jehovah  is  near,  .  .  .  the  sun  and  the  moon  are  darkened, 
and  the  stars  have  withdrawn  their  shining,"  iii.  14,  15.  And 
in  Ezekiel,  "  When  I  shall  extinguish  thee,  I  will  cover  the 
heavens,  and  darken  the  stars  thereof,'  I  will  cover  the  sun 
toith  a  cloud,  and  the  moon  shall  not  cause  her  light  to  shine  ; 
all  the  luminaries  of  light  in  the  heaven  will  I  darken  over 
thee,  and  I  will  give  darkness  upon  thy  land,"  xxxii.  7,  S. 
And  in  the  Apocalypse,  "The  fourth  angel  sounded,  and  the 
iii i^l  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the 
moon,  and  the  third  part  of  the  stars,  so  that  the  third  part  of 
them  was  darkened y  and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part 
of  it,  and  the  night  likewise,"  viii.  12.  Moreover,  that  stars 
denote  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  is  evident  from  these 
passages :  "  Out  of  one  horn  of  the  he-goat,  came  forth  one  horn 
from  a  little  one,  and  it  increased  exceedingly  towards  the 


308 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxvii. 


south,  and  towards  the  east,  and  towards  gracefulness ;  and  it 
increased  even  to  the  host  of  the  heavens,  and  cast  down  to  the 
earth  some  of  the  host,  and  of  the  stars,  and  stamped  upon" 
them,"  Dan.  viii.  9,  10.  And  in  the  Apocalypse,  "  The  great 
dragon  with  his  fail  drew  a  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven 
and  cast  them  down  to  the  earth,"  xii.  4.  That  in  these  pas- 
sages, stars  are  not  meant,  is  manifest,  for  in  Daniel  and  in  the 
Apocalypse  the  state  of  the  church  in  the  last  times  is  treated 
of.  In  like  manner  in  David,  "Jehovah  numberetk  the  num- 
ber of  the  stars,  he  calleth  them  all  by  their  names,"  Psalm 
cxlvii.  4.  Again,  "Praise  Jehovah,  ye  sun  and  moon  ;  praise 
him,  all  ye  stars  of  light,'1''  cxlviii.  3.  And  in  the  Apocalypse, 
"  A  great  wonder  was  seen  in  heaven,  a  woman  encompassed 
with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her  head 
a  crown  of  twelve  stars,"  xii.  1.  Inasmuch  as  by  stars  are  sig- 
nified the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  by  them  are  signified 
the  doctrinals  of  the  church,  for  these  are  knowledges.  The 
doctrinal  respecting  faith  separate  from  charity  in  the  last 
times,  is  thus  described  by  a  star  in  the  Apocalypse :  "  The 
third  angel  sounded,  and  there  fell  from  heaven  a  great  star 
burning  as  a  lamp  ;  and  it  fell  upon  the  third  part  of  the  rivers, 
and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters ;  the  name  of  the  star  is  called 
Wormwood,  .  .  .  and  many  men  died  in  the  waters,  because 
they  were  made  bitter,"  viii.  10,  11 ;  the  waters,  which  were 
made  bitter  by  that  star,  are  truths,  and  the  rivers  and  foun- 
tains of  waters  are  intelligence  thence  and  wisdom  from  the 
Word.  That  waters  are  truths,  see  n.  2702,  3058,  3424 ;  that 
rivers  are  intelligence,  n.  3051 ;  and  that  fountains  are  wisdom 
from  the  Word,  n.  2702,  3424. 

4698.  "  Bowed  themselves  to  me." — That  hereby  is  signified 
adoration,  appears  from  the  signification  of  bowing  themselves, 
as  denoting  adoration,  see  above,  n.  4689. 

4699.  Ver.  10.  "And  he  told  it  to  his  father  and  to  his 
brethren." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  it  was  given  to  know 
it,  may  appear  without  explanation. 

4700.  "And  his  father  rebuked  him,  and  said  unto  him, 
What  is  this  dream  that  thou  hast  dreamed?" — That  hereby  is 
signified  indignation,  appears  from  the  signification  of  rebuking, 
as  denoting  to  be  indignant,  and  this  by  reason  of  the  predica- 
tion of  truth  concerning  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle, 
which  is  signified  by  dreaming  a  dream,  see  n.  4682,  4693, 
4695.  The"  father  and  brethren  of  Joseph  here  denote  the 
Jewish  religion  derived  from  the  ancient ;  the  external  of  that 
religion  was  for  the  most  part  like  the  external  of  the  ancient 
church  ;  but  with  those  who  were  of  the  ancient  church,  there 
was  an  internal  principle  in  their  externals,  whereas  this  was 
not  the  case  with  those  who  were  of  the  Jewish  church  ;  because 
the  Jews  did  not  acknowledge  any  internal  principle,  neither 


4698—4704.] 


GENESIS. 


309 


do  they  acknowledge  any  at  this  day ;  nevertheless,  there  was 
still  an  internal  principle  in  their  externals.  This  external  with 
its  internal  principle  is  what  is  here  called  father,  and  the 
external  without  the  internal  principle  is  what  is  called  breth- 
ren ;  hence  it  follows,  that  his  brethren  envied  him,  but  his 
father  kept  the  word ;  by  the  former  expression  is  signified  the 
aversion  of  those  who  arc  in  external  things  without  an  inter- 
nal principle;  and  by  the  latter,  that  truth  still  remained  in 
their  religious  worship.  The  case  is  similar  in  the  Christian 
church,  where  they  who  are  in  externals  without  an  internal 
principle,  eat  bread  and  drink  wine  in  the  Holy  Supper,  and 
think  no  further  than  that  this  js  to  be  done  because  it  was 
commanded,  and  has  been  a  received  ceremony  in  the  church ; 
some  of  them  believe  that  the  bread  and  the  wine  are  holy ; 
but  not  that  there  is  a  holy  principle  in  the  bread  and  wine,  in 
consequence  of  bread  being  the  holy  principle  of  love  and 
charity  in  heaven,  and  of  wine  being  the  holy  principle  of 
charity  and  faith  there,  see  n.  3464,  3735 ;  whereas  they  who 
are  in  external  worship,  and  at  the  same  time  in  internal,  do 
not  adore  the  bread  and  wine,  but  the  Lord,  whom  they  repre- 
sent, from  whom  is  the  holy  principle  of  love,  of  charity,  and 
of  faith ;  and  this,  not  from  doctrine,  but  from  love,  charity, 
and  faith,  appropriated  to  the  life. 

4701.  "  Shall  I,  and  thy  mother,  and  thy  brethren,  coming 
come  to  bow  down  ourselves  to  thee,  to  the  earth?" — That 
hereby  is  signified,  must  the  church  adore,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  coming  to  how,  as  denoting  being  about  to 
adore,  see  n.  4689,  4698 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
father,  who  is  here  I,  of  mother,  and  of  brethren,  as  denoting 
the  church,  in  the  present  case  the  Jewish  church,  as  was  just 
now  shown. 

4702.  Ver.  11.  "And  his  brethren  envied  him."— That 
hereby  is  signified  their  aversion,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  envying,  as  denoting  aversion,  like  hating  and  not  speaking 
to  him  peaceably,  as  above,  n.  4681 ;  for  in  the  original  tongue 
the  expression  to  envy  also  signifies  to  emulate  and  to  quarrel; 
and  as  emulation  and  quarrelling  are  effects  of  hatred,  by  the 
same  expression  aversion  is  also  signified. 

4703.  "  But  his  father  kept  the  word." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified that  truth  remained  in  their  religious  worship,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  father  in  this  passage,  as  denoting 
the  Jewish  religion  derived  from  the  ancient,  see  n.  4700 ;  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  keeping,  as  denoting  to  preserve  within, 
thus  to  remain  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  word,  as  de- 
noting truth,  see  above,  n.  4692.  "V^hat  is  further  meant  by 
truth  remaining  in  their  religious  wot-ship,  may  be  seen  above, 
n.  4700. 

4704.  Verses  12  to  17.  And  his  brethren  went  to  feed  the 


310 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


flock  of  their  father  in  Shechem.  And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph, 
Are  not  thy  brethren  feeding  in  Shechem  ?  Go,  and  I  will  send 
thee  to  them.  And  he  said  un  to  him,  Behold  me.  And  he  said 
to  him,  Go,  I  pray  thee,  see  the  peace  of  thy  brethren,  and  the 
peace  of  the  flock  •  and  bring  me  word  again.  And  he  sent  him, 
from  the  valley  of  Hebron,  and  he  came  to  Shechem.  And  a 
man  (vir)  found  him,  and,  behold!  he  was  wandering  in  the 
field;  and  the  man  asked  him,  saying,  What  seekest  thou? 
And  he  said,  I  am  seeking  my  brethren  ;  tell  me,  I  pray,  where 
they  are  feeding.  And  the  man  said,  They  are  departed  hence  : 
for  I  heard  them  saying,  Let  us  go  to  Dothan.  And  Joseph 
went  after  his  brethren,  and  found  them  in  Dothan.  His 
brethren  went  to  feed  the  flock,  signifies  those  who  teach  from 
faith :  of  their  father,  signifies  of  the  ancient  and  primitive 
church  :  in  Shechem,  signifies  the  first  rudiments :  and  Israel 
said  unto  Joseph,  signifies  perception  from  the  Divine  Spiritual 
principle:  Are  not  thy  brethren  feeding  in  Shechem?  signifies 
that  they  are  teaching:  go,  and  I  will  send  thee  unto  them, 
signifies  that  he  should  teach  divine  spiritual  goods:  and  he 
said  unto  him,  Behold  me,  signifies  affirmation :  and  he  said  to 
him,  Go,  I  pray  thee,  see  the  peace  of  thy  brethren,  signifies 
every  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  perception  how  the  case  was 
with  those  who  taught :  and  the  peace  of  the  flock,  signifies 
how  the  case  was  with  those  who  learnt,  or  the  church :  and 
bring  me  word  a^ain,  signifies  knowledge :  and  he  sent  him 
from  the  valley  ot  Hebron,  signifies  from  the  Divine  Natural 
and  Sensual  principles  :  and  he  came  to  Shechem,  signifies  the 
knowledge  of  common  or  general  doctrinals  :  and  a  man  found 
him,  and,  behold!  he  was  wandering  in  the  field,  signifies  that 
they  were  fallen  from  common  or  general  truth  of  the  church  : 
and  the  man  asked  him,  saying,  What  seekest  thou?  signifies 
foresight :  and  he  said,  I  am  seeking  my  brethren ;  tell  me,  I 
pray,  where  they  are  feeding,  signifies  knowledge  how  the  case 
was,  and  in  what  state  they  were  :  and  the  man  said,  They  are 
departed  hence  ;  for  I  heard  them  saying,  Let  us  go  to  Dothan, 
signifies  that  they  betook  themselves  from  common  or  general 
principles  to  special  or  particular  things  of  doctrine  :  and  Jo- 
seph went  after  his  brethren,  and  found  them  in  Dothan,  signi- 
fies that  they  were  in  the  special  or  particular  things  of  false 
principles. 

4705.  Ver.  12.  "  And  his  brethren  went  to  feed  the  flock." 
— That  hereby  are  signified  those  who  teach  from  faith,  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  Joseph's  brethren,  as  denot- 
ing those  in  the  church  who  are  of  faith,  see  above,  n.  4605, 
4671,  4679,  4690;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of feeding  the 
flock,  as  denoting  to  teach ;  see  n.  343,  3767,  3768,  3772,  37S3. 

4706.  "Of  their  father." — That  hereby  is  signified  of  the 
ancient  and  primitive  church,  appears  from  the  signification  iu 


4705—4710.] 


GENESIS. 


311 


this  passage  of  father,  or  Jacob,  as  denoting  the  ancient  church, 
see  above,  n.  4680;  that  the  primitive  Christian  church  is  also 
signified,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4690.  By  the  primitive  church  is 
meant  the  Christian  in  its  beginning.  Four  churches,  distinct 
from  each  other,  are  treated  of  in  the  "Word ;  the  first  is  that 
which  was  before  the  flood,  and  was  called  Man,  this  is  what  is 
called  the  most  ancient  church  ;  the  next  is  that  which  was  after 
the  flood,  this  is  called  the  ancient  church  ;  then  succeeded  that 
which  was  instituted  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  which  was 
not  a  church,  but  the  representative  of  a  church,  which  represent- 
ative also  is  called  religious ;  and  the  fourth  is  that  which  was 
established  after  the  Lord's  coming,  and  is  called  the  Christian 
church  ;  this,  in  its  beginning,  is  called  the  primitive  church. 

4707.  "In  Shechem." — That  hereby  are  signified  the  first 
rudiments,  appears  from  the  signification  of  Shechem,  as  denoting 
truth  from  the  ancient  divine  stock,  see  n.  4399,  4454,  and  as 
denoting  doctrine,  n.  4472,  4473  ;  in  the  present  case,  it  denotes 

.  the  first  rudiments  of  the  doctrine  of  faith  ;  for  the  predication 
of  a  name  is  according  to  the  subject  treated  of  in  its  series. 
First  rudiments  are  also  the  common  or  general  principles  of 
doctrinals  ;  these  general  principles  are  first  received,  and  spe- 
cial or  particular  principles  folloAV  afterwards. 

4708.  Ver.  13.  "  And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph."— That  here- 
by is  signified  perception  from  the  divine  spiritual  principle, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  saying,  in  the  historical 
of  the  Word,  as  denoting  perception,  see  n.  1791,  1815,  1819, 
1822,  1898,  1919,  2080,  2619,  2862,  3395,  3509;  and  (2.)  from 
the  representation  of  Joseph,  as  denoting  the  divine  spiritual' 
principle,  see  n.  4669. 

4709.  "  Are  not  thy  brethren  feeding  in  Shechem  ?" — That 
hereby  is  signified  that  they  are  teaching,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  feeding,  as  denoting  to  teach,  see  just  above,  n. 
4705;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  Shechem,  as  denoting 
the  first  rudiments  of  the  doctrine  of  faith,  see  just  above,  n. 
4707. 

4710.  "  Go,  and  I  will  send  thee  unto  them." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  he  should  teach  divine  spiritual  goods,  appears 
from  the  representation  of  Joseph,  as  denoting  the  Lord's  Divine 
Spiritual  principle,  see  n.  4669,  4708.  When  this  is  said  to  be 
sent,  it  is  to  teach  divine  spiritual  goods ;  for  in  the  internal 
sense,  to  be  sent  is  to  go  forth  and  proceed,  n.  2397,  and  also 
at  the  same  time  to  teach ;  in  the  present  case,  therefore,  to 
teach  the  divine  spiritual  goods  which  proceed  from  the  Lord's 
Divine  Spiritual  principle.  Divine  spiritual  goods  are  those 
which  are  of  love  and  charity,  but  divine  spiritual  truths  are 
those  which  are  of  faith  thence  derived;  he  who  teaches  the 
former,  teaches  the  latter  also,  for  the  latter  are  from  the  former 
and  treat  of  them.    That  to  be  sent,  in  the  internal  sense  of  the 


312 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


Word,  is  to  proceed  and  teach,  may  appear  from  many  pas- 
sages in  the  Word,  where  it  is  frequently  said  that  the  Lord  was 
sent  by  the  Father,  whereby  is  signified  that  he  proceeded  from 
Him,  that  is,  from  the  Divine  Good ;  and  also  that  the  Lord 
sends  the  Comforter  or  Spirit  of  truth,  whereby  is  signified  that  ■ 
holy  truth  proceeds  from  Him.  The  prophets  likewise  were 
sent ;  and  thereby  is  signified  that  they  taught  what  proceeds 
from  the  Lord.  Every  one  may  confirm  these  things  from  the 
Word,  for  they  frequently  occur  therein. 

4711.  "  And  he  said  unto  him,  Behold  me." — That  hereby 
is  signified  affirmation,  may  appear  without  explanation. 

4712.  Ver.  14.  "And  he  said  to  him,  Go,  I  pray  thee,  see 
the  peace  of  thy  brethren." — That  hereby  is  signified  every 
coming  of  the  Lord,  and  perception  how  the  case  was  with  those 
who  taught,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  saying,  as 
denoting  perception,  see  just  above,  n.  4708;  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification  of  peace,  as  denoting  safety,  n.  46S1,  thus  how  the 
case  was ;  and  (3.)  from  the  representation  of  brethren,  as  here  • 
denoting  those  who  teach  from  faith,  see  above,  n.  4705.  Hence 
it  is  evident,  that  by  the  above  words  is  signified  perception 
how  the  case  was  with  them  who  taught.  The  reason  why 
every  coming  of  the  Lord  is  also  signified,  is,  because  by  Joseph 
the  Lord  is  represented  as  to  the  Divine  Spiritual  principle,  n. 
4669,  4708,  4710  ;  wherefore  when  it  is  said,  that  Joseph  should 

f o  and  see  the  peace  of  his  brethren,  His  coining  is  signified, 
t  is  said,  every  coming,  when  truth  from  the  Word  flows  into 
the  thought. 

4713.  "  And  the  peace  of  the  flock." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied how  the  case  was  with  those  who  learnt,  or  the  church,  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  peace,  as  denoting  how  the 
case  was,  see  above,  n.  4712 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
flock,  as  denoting  those  who  learn  :  for  the  shepherd,  or  he  who 
feeds,  is  one  who  teaches  and  leads  to  the  good  of  charity  ;  and 
the  flock  is  he  who  learns  and  is  led,  see  n.  3-43,  thus  it  is  the 
church  likewise. 

4714.  "  And  bring  me  word  again." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied knowledge,  appears  from  the  signification  of  bringing  word 
again,  as  denoting  to  relate  how  the  case  was,  thus  denoting 
knowledge. 

4715.  "  And  he  sent  him  from  the  valley  of  Hebron." — That 
hereby  is  signified  from  the  Divine  Natural  and  Sensual  princi- 
ple, appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  being  sent,  as  denoting 
to  proceed  and  teach,  see  above,  n.  4710 ;  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  valley,  as  denoting  those  things  which  are  beneath, 
see  n.  1723,  3417 ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  Hebron, 
as  denoting  the  Lord's  church  as  to  good,  see  n.  2909.  Thus 
by  the  above  words  is  signified  that  he  taught  those  tilings  of 
the  church  which  are  inferior,  and  this  because  they  did  n  )t 


4711—4715.] 


GENESIS. 


313 


comprehend  superior  things  ;  for  he  who  teaches  faith  and  not 
charity,  cannot  possibly  perceive  the  superior  or  interior  things 
of  the  church,  since  he  lias  not  any  thing  which  guides  and  dic- 
tates whether  this  be  of  faith,  or  true  ;  but  if  he  teaches  charity, 
he  then  has  good,  which  is  to  him  a  dictate,  and  guides  him, 
for  all  truth  is  from  and  treats  of  good,  or,  what  is  the  same 
thing,  the  all  of  faith  is  from  and  treats  of  charity ;  every  one 
may  know  from  mere  natural  light,  that  the  all  of  doctrine  has 
respect  to  life.  That  by  the  above  words  is  signified  from  the 
Divine  Natural  and  Sensual  principle,  is  a  superior  sense  ;  for 
the  inferior  things  of  the  church  are  said  to  be  from  the  Lord's 
Divine  Natural  and  Sensual  principle ;  not  that  these  things 
are  inferior  in  the  Lord,  for  in  Him  and  in  His  Divine  Human 
principle  all  is  infinite,  inasmuch  as  He  is  Jehovah  as  to  each 
essence,  n.  2156,  2329,  2921,  3023,  but  because  it  is  so  with  man. 
-For  they  who  are  sensual  men,  have  a  sensual  apprehension  of 
those  things  which  are  in  and  from  the  Lord,  and  they  who 
are  natural  have  a  natural  apprehension ;  the  above  form  of 
expression  is  used,  owing  to  the  quality  of  those  who  receive 
the  Word.  But  they  who  are  celestial  men,  and  thence  truly 
rational,  have  a  perception  of  interior  things;  and  it  is  said  of 
them,  that  they  are  taught  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Rational  prin- 
ciple ;  this  is  the  superior  sense,  as  was  said,  which  is  signified 
by  the  above  words.  That  a  valley  denotes  the  inferior  things 
of  the  church,  may  appear  from  other  passages  in  the  Word,  as 
in  Isaiah,  "  The  prophecy  of  the  valley  of  vision.  What  aileth 
thee  here,  that  thou  hast  wholly  gone  up  to  the  tops  of  the 
houses  ?  .  .  .  A  day  of  tumult,  and  of  treading  under  foot,  and 
of  perplexity  by  the  Lord  Jehovah  Zebaoth,  in  the  valley  of 
vision"  xxii.  1,  5;  the  valley  of  vision  denotes  phantasies  con- 
cerning spiritual  things  arising  from  sensual  principles,  thus 
from  lower  things.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  The  choice 
of  thy  valleys  have  been  filled  with  chariots,  and  horsemen  have 
set  themselves  in  array  at  the  gate,"  xxii.  7 ;  the  choice  of  val- 
leys denotes  goods  and  truths  in  the  natural  or  external  man. 
Again,  "  The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wilderness,  Prepare 
ye  the  way  of  Jehovah,  make  plain  in  the  desert  a  highway  for 
our  God  ;  every  valley  shall  be  exalted,"  xl.  3,  4  ;  where  valley 
denotes  the  lowly.  So  in  Jeremiah,  "  How  canst  thou  say,  I 
am  not  polluted,  I  have  not  gone  after  Baalim  ?  See  thy  way 
in  the  valley,  acknowledge  what  thou  hast  done,"  ii.  23  ;  valley 
denotes  scientific  and  sensual  things,  which  are  the  inferiors,  by 
which  they  perverted  truths.  Again,  "  I  am  against  thee,  O 
inhabitant  of  the  valley,  rock  of  the  plain,  saith  Jehovah ;  ye 
who  say,  Who  shall  come  down  against  us?"  xxi.  13;  inhab- 
itant of  the  valley  and  rock  of  the  plain,  denote  faith  wherein 
is  no  charity.  Again,  "  The  spoiler  shall  come  upon  every  city, 
and  no  city  shall  .escape ;  but  the  valley  shall  perish,  and  the 


314 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


plain  shall  be  destroyed,"  xlviii.  8  ;  where  the  like  is  signified. 
Again,  "  Thou  shalt  not  glory  in  the  valleys,  thy  valley  hath 
flowed  down,  O  perverse  daughter,"  xlix.  4 ;  valley  denotes 
the  externals  in  worship,  which  are  also  the  lowest.  So  in 
Ezekiel,  "  I  will  give  unto  Gog  a  place  for  a  sepulchre  in  Israel, 
the  valley  of  them  that  pass  by.  .  .  .  There  they  shall  bury 
Gog,  and  all  his  multitude ;  whence  they  shall  call  it  the  val- 
ley of  the  multitude  of  Gog"  xxxix.  11,  15  ;  Gog  denotes  those 
who  are  in  external  worship  without  internal,  n.  1151,  hence  his 
sepulchre  is  called  the  valley  of  them  that  pass  by,  and  the  val- 
ley of  his  multitude.  So  in  David,  "  Also  when  I  shall  walk  in 
the  valley  of  shade,  I  will  fear  no  evil  to  myself,"  Psalm  xxiii. 
4 ;  where  the  valley  of  shade  denotes  inferior  things,  which  re- 
spectively are  in  a  shade.  As  valleys  were  amongst  mo\mtains 
and  hills,  and  beneath  them,  therefore  the  inferior  or  exterior 
things  of  the  church  are  signified  by  valleys,  because  its  supe- 
rior or  interior  tilings  are  signified  by  hills  and  mountains ;  by 
hills,  the  things  of  charity,  and  by  mountains  those  of  love  to  the 
Lord,  n.  795, 1430,  2722,' 4210  ;  and  as  by  the  land  of  Canaan  the 
Lord's  kingdom  and  church  are  signified,  therefore  that  land  is 
called  "  aland  of  mountains  and  valleys,  drinking  in  waters  at 
the  rain  of  heaven,"  Dent.  xi.  11.  The  reason  why  Joseph  is 
here  said  to  be  sent  forth  from  the  valley  of  Hebron,  is,  because 
he  was  sent  to  those  who  taught  concerning  faith,  n.  4705  ; 
for  they  who  are  in  faith,  and  not  in  charity,  are  in  inferior 
things,  since  with  them  faith  is  only  in  the  memory  and  thence 
in  the  mouth,  but  not  in  the  heart  and  thence  in  the  work. 

4716.  "  And  he  came  to  Shechem." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied the  knowledge  of  common  or  general  doctrinals,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  Shechem,  as  denoting  first  rudiments, 
or  what  is  the  same  thing,  the  general  principles  of  doctrinals. 

4717.  Ver.  15.  "  And  a  man  found  him,  and  behold  !  he 
was  wandering  in  the  field." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they 
were  fallen  from  the  common  or  general  truth  of  the  church, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  wandering  in  a  iield,  as  de- 
noting to  fall  from  the  general  truth  of  the  church  ;  for  field 
denotes  the  church  as  to  good,  n.  2971,  3196,  3766,  and  a  man 
of  the  field  denotes  the  good  of  life  derived  from  doctrinals,  n. 
3310  ;  it  is  said  a  man,  because  by  man  (vir)  is  signified  truth 
which  is  of  the  church,  n.  3134.  They  are  said  to  fall  from  the 
general  truth  of  the  church,  who  acknowledge  the  Lord,  but  not 
His  Divine  Human  principle  ;  and  also  they  who  acknowledge 
faith  as  essential,  but  not  charity.  Each  is  a  general  truth  of 
the  church,  from  which  when  the  man  of  the  church  recedes,  he 
falls  from  general  truth  ;  and  he  who  falls  from  this,  falls  also 
afterwards  from  the  specific  truths  which  are  treated  of  in  the 
sequel;  as  where  any  one  commences  from  a  false  principle, 
and  deduces  consequent  principles  from  it,  they  become  false, 


471G— 4720.] 


GENESIS. 


315 


because  the  beginning  or  first  principle  rules  in  those  which 
follow :  and  by  these  consequent  principles  the  first  false  prin- 
ciple is  also  corroborated. 

4718.  "  And  the  man  asked  him,  saying,  What  seekest 
thou?" — That  hereby  is  signified  foresight,  may  appear  from 
the  series  ;  for  it  involves  foresight. 

4719.  Ver.  16.  "And  he  said,  I  am  seeking  my  brethren: 
tell  me,  I  pray,  where  they  are  feeding." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified knowledge  how  the  case  was,  and  in  what  state  they  were; 
proximately  according  to  the  words,  how  the  case  was  with  those 
who  taught  from  faith,  and  that  he  knew  their  state ;  appears 
from  the  signification  of  each  expression.  For  b}r  brethren  are 
signified  those  who  teach  from  faith,  n.  4712 ;  by  seeking,  or 
seeking  their  peace,  is  signified  how  the  case  was  with  them,  n. 
4712,  4713 ;  by  where  is  signified  state,  for  all  place,  in  the 
internal  sense,  is  state,  n.  2^625,  2S37,  3356,  33S7,  4321 ;  and 
by  feeding  are  signified  those  who  teach,  n.  343,  3767,  3768, 
3772,  3783. 

4720.  Ver.  17.  "  And  the  man  said,  They  are  departed 
hence :  for  I  heard  them  saying,  Let  us  go  to  Dothan." — Thai 
hereby  is  signified  that  they  betook  themselves  from  common 
or  general  principles  to  special  or  particular  things  of  doctrine, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  departing,  as  denoting  to 
betake  themselves ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of from  Shechem, 
which  in  this  case  \%from  hence,  as  denoting  from  general  prin- 
ciples of  doctrine,  n.  4707,  4716  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification 
of  Dothan,  as  denoting  special  principles  of  doctrine.  That 
Dothan  has  this  signification,  cannot  so  well  be  confirmed  from 
other  passages  in  the  Word,  because  it  is  mentioned  only  in 
the  second  book  of  the  Kings,  vi.  13,  where  it  is  related,  that 
the  king  of  Syria  sent  chariots  and  horses  and  a  great  army  to 
Dothan,  to  take  Elisha,  and  that  they  were  smitten  with  blind- 
nesses, and  were  led  by  Elisha  to  Samaria.  As  all  the  histori- 
cal of  the  Word  are  representative  of  the  celestial  and  spiritual 
things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  so  it  is  in  this  case;  and  by  the 
king  of  Svria  are  represented  those  who  are  in  the  knowledges 
of  truth,  n.  1232,  1234,  3249,  3664,  3680,  4112,  and  in  the 
opposite  sense  those  who  are  in  the  knowledges  of  what  is  not 
true.  By  Elisha  is  represented  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  n.  2762; 
by  Dothan,  doctrinals  from  the  Word  ;  by  the  chariots  and 
horsemen,  and  the  great  arm}*  which  the  king  of  Syria  sent,  are 
signified  the  falses  of  doctrine ;  by  the  mountain  full  of  horses 
and  chariots  of  fire  round  about  Elisha,  seen  by  his  boy,  are 
signified  the  goods  and  truths  of  doctrine  from  the  Word,  n. 
2762  ;  and  by  the  blindnesses,  with  which  those  who  were  sent 
thither  by  the  king  of  Syria  were  smitten,  are  signified  the 
falsities  themselves,  n.  2383  ;  and  by  their  being  led  by  Elisha 
to  Samaria,  where  their  eyes  were  opened,  is  signified  "instruc- 


316 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvil 


tion  by  the  Word.  Such  are  the  things  involved  in  the  above 
historical  relation  ;  and  by  Dothan,  where  Elisha  was,  are  sig- 
nified the  doctrinals  of  good  and  truth  from  the  Word ;  in  like 
manner  in  the  present  passage,  for  the  special  things  of  doctrine 
are  nothing  else ;  but  in  the  present  case  it  denotes  the  special 
things  or  particulars  of  false  principles,  because  the  subject 
treated  of  is  concerning  the  church  commencing  from  faith, 
which  it  thus  separates  from  charity  immediately  from  the  be- 
ginning. The  doctrinals,  which  are  afterwards  framed,  favour 
all  the  things  of  the  common  [or  general]  first  principles,  thus 
of  faith  without  charity  ;  whence  come  the  falsities,  which  are 
the  particulars  of  false  principles.  Every  church  in  its  begin- 
ning is  acquainted  only  with  the  general  things  of  doctrine,  for 
it  is  then  in  its  simplicity,  and  as  it  were  in  its  childhood ;  in 
process  of  time  it  adds  particulars,  which  are  partly  confirmative 
of  general  principles,  partly  additions,  which  however  are  not 
repugnant  to  the  general  principle,  and  also  explanatory  that 
open  contradictions  may  be  reconciled,  and  no  outrage  be  com- 
mitted against  the  dictates  of  common  sense.  All  these  are  the 
particulars  of  false  principles  ;  for  all  things  of  every  doctrine 
have  a  mutual  respect  to  each  other  as  in  a  kind  of  society,  and 
are  joined  together  as  in  consanguinity  and  affinity,  which  ac- 
knowledge the  common  principle  as  a  father ;  hence  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  when  the  common  or  general  principle  is  false,  all 
things  have  a  taint  of  the  false. 

4721.  "  And  Joseph  went  after  his  brethren,  and  found  them 
in  Dothan. — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they  were  in  the 
special  or  particular  things  of  false  principles,  appears  (l.)from 
the  representation  of  Joseph,  as  denoting  the  Lord  as  to  Divine 
Truth,  see  n.  4669  ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  his  brethren, 
as  denoting  the  church  which  turns  away  from  charity  to  faith, 
and  at  length  to  faith  separate,  see  n.  4665,  4671,  4679,  4680, 
4690;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  Dothan,  as  denoting 
the  particulars  of  false  principles,  see  just  above,  n.  4720. 
Hence  it  is  evident  that  by  those  words  is  signified,  that  he 
found  them  in  the  particulars  of  false  principles.  In  order  to 
show  what  is  meant  by  the  particulars  of  false  principles,  let  us 
take  for  the  sake  of  illustration  some  doctrinals  of  a  church 
which  acknowledges  faith  alone  for  a  principle ;  viz.,  that  man 
is  justified  by  faith  alone;  that  in  this  case  all  his  sins  are  wiped 
away ;  that  he  may  be  saved  by  faith  alone,  even  in  the  last 
hour  of  his  life  ;  that  salvation  is  merely  admission  into  heaven 
from  grace  ;  that  infants  also  are  saved  by  faith;  that  the  Gen- 
tiles are  not  saved,  because  they  have  not  faith,  besides  several 
Others  ;  these  and  similar  doctrinals  are  the  particulars-  of  the 
principle  concerning  faith  alone.  But  if  the  church  would 
acknowledge  the  life  of  faith  for  a  principle,  it  would  acknow- 
ledge charity  towards  the  neighbour  and  love  to  the  Lord,  and 


4721,  4722.] 


GENESIS. 


317 


hence  the  works  of  charity  and  love :  and  in  this  case  all  the 
above  particulars  would  fall  to  the  ground,  and  instead  of  jus- 
tification it  would  acknowledge  regeneration;  concerning  which 
the  Lord  saith  in  John,  "  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  lie  can- 
not see  the  kingdom  of  God,"  iii.  3 ;  and  that  regeneration  is 
effected  by  the  life  of  faith,  but  not  by  faith  separate.  Neither 
would  man  acknowledge  that  in  such  case  all  his  sins  are 
wiped  away  ;  but  that  he  is  withheld  from  them  by  the  Lord's 
mercy,  and  is  kept  in  good  and  thence  in  truth  ;  and  thus  that 
all  good  is  from  the  Lord,  and  all  evil  from  liimself.  Neither 
would  he  acknowledge  that  he  may  be  saved  by  faith  in  the 
last  hour  of  his  life;  but  by  the*  life  of  faith,  which  abides  with 
him.  Neither  would  he  acknowledge  that  salvation  consists 
merely  in  admission  into  heaven  from  grace ;  for  heaven  is  not 
denied  by  the  Lord  to  any  one,  but  if  a  man's  life  is  not  such 
that  he  can  be  with  the  angels,  he  quits  them  of  his  own  accord, 
n.  4674.  Neither  would  he  acknowledge  that  infants  are  saved 
by  faith  ;  but  that  in  the  other  life  they  are  instructed  in  the 
goods  of  charity  and  truths  of  faith  by  the  Lord,  and  are  there- 
by received  into  heaven,  n.  2289  to  2308 ;  nor  would  he  ac- 
knowledge that  the  Gentiles,  because  they  have  not  faith,  are 
not  saved ;  but  that  their  life  equally  remains  with  them,  and 
that  they  who  have  lived  in  mutual  charity,  are  instructed  in 
the  goods  of  faith,  and  are  alike  received  into  heaven.  They 
who  are  principled  in  the  good  of  life,  are  also  willing  that  it 
should  be  so,  and  they  believe  that  it  is  the  case,  see  n.  2589  to 
2604 ;  so  likewise  in  several  other  cases.  The  church  which 
acknowledges  faith  alone  for  a  principle,  cannot  possibly  know 
what  charity  is,  nor  even  what  the  neighbour  is,  thus  not  what 
heaven  is ;  and  will  wonder  that  any  one  should  ever  assert 
that  the  happiness  of  the  life  after  death,  and  the  joy  in  heaven, 
is  the  divine  principle  which  flows  into  the  principle  of  well- 
willing^  and  well-doing  to  others,  and  that  the  happiness  and 
blessedness  thence  derived  exceed  all  perception,  and  that  the 
reception  of  this  influx  cannot  possibly  have  place  with  any 
one  who  had  not  lived  the  life  of  faith,  that  is,  who  had  not 
been  principled  in  the  good  of  charity.  That  the  life  of  faith 
saves,  the  Lord  also  plainly  teaches  in  Matthew,  xxv.  31  to  the 
end,  and  also  in  several  other  places  ;  and  hence  also  the  creed, 
which  is  ascribed  to  Athanasius,  teaches  at  the  end,  "  Every 
one  shall  render  an  account  of  his  works :  he  who  had  done 
well  shall  enter  into  life  eternal ;  but  he  who  had  done  evil, 
into  eternal  fire." 

4722.  Verses  18  to  22.  And  they  saw  him  afar  off,  and 
lef ore  he  came  near  unto  them,  they  conspired  against  him  to 
cause  him  to  die.  And  they  said,  a  man  (vir)  to  his  orother, 
Behold!  that  lord  of  dreams  comet  h.  Come  now,  and  let  us 
slay  h  im*  and  let  xis  cast  him  into  one  of  the  pits,  and  we  will 


318 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


say,  An  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him  ;  and  we  shall  see  what 
his  dreams  will  be.  And  Reuben  heard,  and  rescued  him  out 
of  their  hand,  and  said,  Let  us  not  smite  h  is  soul.  And  Reuben 
said  unto  them,  Shed  not  blood  ;  cast  him  in  to  that  pit  which  is 
in  the  wilderness,  and  lay  no  hand  upon  him  :  that  he  might 
rescue  him  out  of  their  hand,  to  deliver  him  to  his  father  again. 
They  saw  him  afar  off,  signifies  a  perception  of  the  Lord's  Di- 
vine Human  princple  remotely  :  and  before  he  came  near  unto 
them,  they  conspired  against  him  to  cause  him  to  die,  signifies 
that  they  "willed* to  extinguish  the  Divine  Spiritual  principle 
which  is  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  :  and  they  said,  a  man 
to  his  brother,  signifies  their  mutual  thoughts :  Behold !  that 
lord  of  dreams  cometh,  signifies  that  those  things  were  vain : 
come  now,  and  let  us  slay  him,  signifies  the  extinction  of  the 
essential  of  doctrine  concerning  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  prin- 
ciple: and  let  us  cast  him  into  one  of  the  pits,  signifies  amongst 
falses  :  and  we  will  say,  An  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him,  sig- 
nifies a  lie  from  the  life  of  lusts :  and  we  shall  see  what  his 
dreams  will  be,  signifies  that  the  predications  concerning  Him 
would  thereby  be  false,  and  woidd  be  seen  :  and  Reuben  neard, 
signifies  confession  of  the  faith  of  the  church  in  general:  and 
rescued  him  out  of  their  hand,  signifies  deliverance :  and  he 
said,  Let  us  not  smite  his  soul,  signifies  that  it  ought  not  to  be 
extinguished,  because  it  is  the  life  of  religion :  and  Reuben  said 
unto  them,  signifies  exhortation :  Shed  not  blood,  signifies  that 
they  should  not  violate  what  is  holy :  cast  him  into  that  pit 
which  is  in  the  wilderness,  signifies  that  they  should  hide  it  in 
the  mean  while  amongst  their  falses :  and  lay  no  hand  upon 
him,  signifies  that  they  should  not  violate  it:  that  he  might 
rescue  him  out  of  their  hand,  to  deliver  him  to  his  lather  again, 
signifies  that  he  might  claim  it  for  the  church. 

•1723.  Ver.  18.  "And  they  saw  him  afar  off."— That  hereby 
is  signified  a  perception  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle 
remotely,  appeal's  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  seeing,  as  denot- 
ing perception,  n.  2150,  3764;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
afar  off,  as  denoting  remotely  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification 
of  Joseph,  whom  they  saw  from  afar,  as  denoting  the  Lord  as 
to  Divine  Truth,  see  n.  4609.  The  reason  why  it  is  the  Lord's 
Divine  Human  principle  which  is  here  meant  by  Joseph,  is, 
because  that  principle  is  the  supreme  of  divine  truth:  there  aru 
two  essentials  which  constitute  the  church,  and  hence  two  prin- 
cipals of  doctrine;  the  one,  that  the  Lord's  Human  principle 
is  Divine;  the  other,  that  love  to  the  Lord  and  charity  towards 
the  neighbour  constitute  the  church,  but  not  faith  separate  from 
love  ana  charity  ;  as  these  are  the  primaries  of  divine  truth,  they 
are  represented  by  Joseph.  He  who  represents  divine  truth  in 
general,  represents  also  the  things  of  divine  truth  specifically ; 
but  what  is  specifically  represented  is  manifest  from  the  series. 


4723,  4724.] 


GENESIS. 


319 


4724.  "  And  before  he  came  near  unto  them,  they  conspired 
against  him  to  cause  him  to  die." — That  hereby  is  signified 
that  they  willed  to  extinguish  the  Divine  Spiritual  principle 
which  is  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  conspiring,  as  denoting  to  will  from  a  depraved 
mind,  for  what  any  one  wills  from  a  depraved  mind,  that  he  con- 
trives ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  causing  to  die,  as  denoting 
to  extinguish;  and  (3.)  from  the  representation  of  Joseph,  as 
denoting  the  Divine  Spiritual  principle  or  the  Divine  Truth, 
spoken  of  occasionally  above ;  as  the  divine  truth  proceeds  from 
the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  therefore  it  is  said  the 
Divine  Spiritual  which  is  from  His  Divine  Human  principle. 
The  case  herein  is  this  :  all  the  divine  truth,  which  is  in  the 
universal  heaven,  proceeds  from  no  other  source  than  from  the 
Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  ;  what  is  from  the  Divine  prin- 
ciple itself,  cannot  in  any  way  flow-in  immediately  to  any  angel, 
for  it  is  infinite,  but  mediately  through  the  Lord's  Divine  Hu- 
man principle;  which  is  also  meant  by  these  words  of  the  Lord, 
"  No  one  hath  seen  God  at  any  time ;  the  only-begotten  Son 
who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  declared  him,"* 
John  i.  18  ;  hence  also  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  Human  prin- 
ciple is  called  the  Mediator.  This  principle  also  was  from 
eternity  ;  for  the  Divine  Esse,  without  influx  through  heaven, 
and  being  thence  made  the  Divine  Existing,  could  not  be  com- 
municated to  any  angel,  still  less  to  any  spirit,  and  least  of  all 
to  any  man ;  that  the  Lord  as  to  the  Divine  principle  itself,  is 
the  Divine  Esse,  and  as  to  the  Divine  Human  principle,  the 
Divine  Existing,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4687.  Neither  could  the 
Lord's  Human  principle  itself  have  received  any  influx  from  the 
Divine  Esse,  unless  it  had  been  made  in  Him  the  Divine 
Human  principle,  for  that  which  receives  the  Divine  Esse  must 
be  Divine.  From  these  few  considerations  it  may  appear,  that 
divine  truth  does  not  proceed  immediately  from  the  Divine 
itself,  but  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human.  This  principle  also 
they  extinguish  within  themselves,  who  contend  in  favour  of 
faith  alone,  and  do  not  live  the  life  of  faith ;  for  they  believe 
that  the  Lord's  Human  principle  is  purely  human,  not  unlike 
the  human  principle  of  another  man;  whence  also  several  of 
them  deny  the  Lord's  Divine  principle,  howsoever  they  profess 
it  with  the  mouth.  But  they  who  live  the  life  of  faith,  adore 
the  Lord  with  bended  knees  and  humble  hearts  as  God  the 
Saviour,  thinking  nothing  at  the  time  from  doctrine  concerning 
the  distinction  between  the  Divine  and  the  Human  natures ; 
in  like  manner  in  the  Holy  Supper;  hence  it  is  evident  that 
with  these  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  is  in  their  hearts. 

*  The  word  in  the  original  Greek,  which  is  here  rendered  hath  declared,  our 
author  has  very  properly  translated  by  the  Latin  exposuit,  denoting  rather  the 
bringing  into  outward  manifestation. 


320 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


4725.  Ver.  19.  "  And  they  said,  a  man  to  his  -brother." — 
That  hereby  are  signified  their  mutual  thoughts,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  saying,  as  denoting  to  perceive  and  to 
think,  see  n.  3395  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  a  man  to 
his  brother,  as  denoting  mutually.  It  was  a  customary  form  of 
speech  with  the  ancients  to  say,  A  man  to  a  brother,  when  what 
is  mutual  was  signified,  because  a  man  (vir)  signified  truth,  n. 
3131,  3159,  and  a  brother  good,  n.  4121,  between  which  the 
most  essential  mutuality  intercedes,  for  the  conjunction  of  truth 
with  good  and  of  good  with  truth  is  effected  mutually  and  re- 
ciprocally, n.  2731. 

4726. "  "  Behold  !  that  lord  of  dreams  cometh."— That  here- 
by is  signified  that  those  things  were  vain,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  dreams,  as  denoting  predications,  see  n.  4682,  in 
the  present  case  predications  of  divine  truth,  because  it  is  said 
of  Joseph ;  but  whereas  divine  truth,  as  to  its  essentials,  is  re- 
jected by  those  who  are  in  faith  alone,  as  was  shown  concern- 
ing the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  and  charity,  therefore  by 
dreams  are  here  signified  vain  things  ;  for  to  such  persons  falses 
appear  as  truths,  and  truths  as  falses,  and  if  not  as  falses,  yet 
as  vain  things.  The  "lord  of  dreams,"  is  their  predicator.  That 
divine  truths  appear  to  such  persons  as  vain  things,  may  be 
manifest  from  several  cases;  as  for  example,  it  is  a  divine  truth, 
that  the  Word  is  holy,  and  divinely  inspired  as  to  every  tittle, 
and  that  its  holiness  and  divine  inspiration  is  in  consequence  of 
every  part  of  it  being  representative  and  significative  of  the 
celestial  and  spiritual  things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom  ;  but  when 
the  Word  is  opened  as  to  the  internal  sense,  and  the  represent- 
ation and  signification  of  every  single  particular  in  its  contents 
are  taught,  then  such  as  are  in  faith  alone  reject  those  things  as 
vain,  saying  that  they  are  not  of  any  use:  although  celestial  and 
spiritual  things  would  affect  the  internal  man  with  satisfaction, 
far  more  than  worldly  tilings  affect  the  external  man ;  in  like 
manner  in  many  other  cases. 

4727.  Ver.  20.  "  Come'  now,  and  let  us  slay  him." — That 
hereby  is  signified  the  extinction  of  the  essential  of  doctrine 
concerning  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  appears  (l.J 
from  the  signification  of  slaying,  as  denoting  to  extinguish  ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  Joseph,  whom  they  willed  to  slay, 
as  denoting  the  Divine  Truth  of  the  Lord,  and  specifically  the 
doctrinal  concerning  His  Divine  Human  principle,  n.  4723; 
that  this  is  the  essential  of  doctrine,  may  be  seen  in  the  same 
number.  That  the  church,  which  acknowledges  faith  alone, 
has  extinguished  that  essential  truth,  is  a  known  thing :  for  who 
amongst  them  helieves  the  Lord's  Human  principle  to  he  Divine? 
Do  they  not  hold  in  aversion  the  very  mention  of  such  a  doc- 
trine? When  yet  in  the  ancient  churches  it  was  believed  that 
the  Lord,  Who  was  to  come  into  the  world,  was  a  Divine  Man  ; 


4725— 4728.] 


GENESIS. 


321 


and  also  when  He  was  seen  by  them,  He  was  called  Jehovah,  as 
is  evident  from  several  passages  in  the  Word  ;  but  let  it  suffice- 
for  the  present  to  adduce  this  passage  in  Isaiah,  "The  voice  of 
him  that  crieth  in  the  wilderness,  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  Je- 
hovah, make  plain  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God,'"  xl.  3  ; 
that  these  words  were  spoken  of  the  Lord,  and  that  the  way 
was  prepared  and  a  highway  made  plain  for  Him,  is  evident 
from  the  evangelists,  Matt.  iii.  3  ;  Mark  i.  3  ;  Luke  iii.  4  ;  John 
i.  23 ;  and  moreover  from  the  Lord's  own  words,  that  He  was 
one  with  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  Him,  and  He  in  the 
Father  ;  also  that  all  power  was  given  unto  Him  in  the  heavens 
and  in  the  earths:  and  likewise  that  judgment  appertained  to 
Him.  He  who  has  the  smallest  knowledge  concerning  powe1 
in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and  concerning  judgment,  may  know 
that  they  are  nothing,  unless  He  was  Divine  even  to  His  Hu- 
man principle.  Nor  can  they  who  are  principled  in  faith  alone, 
know  what  makes  man  new,  or  sanctities  him,  still  less  what 
made  the  Lord's  Human  principle  Divine;  for  they  know  no- 
thing about  love  and  charity  :  for  love  to  the  Lord  and  charity 
tow  ards  the  neighbour  make  man  new  and  sanctify  him  ;  but 
the  Divine  Love  itself  made  the  Lord  Divine :  for  love  is  the 
very  esse  of  man,  and  hence  his  principle  of  life  ;  it  forms  man 
according  to  an  image  of  itself,  just  as  the  soul  of  man,  which  is 
his  interior  essence,  creates  as  it  were,  or  effigies  the  body  to 
an  image  of  itself;  and  indeed  in  such  a  sort,  that  through  the 
body  it  acts  and  is  sensible  altogether  as  it  wills  and  thinks  ; 
thus  the  body  is  as  the  effect,  and  the  soul  as  the  cause  in 
which  is  the  end,  consequently  the  soul  is  all  in  the  body,  as 
the  cause  of  the  end  is  all  in  the  effect.  He  who  had  Jehovah 
Himself  for  a  soul,  as  the  Lord  had  (for  He  was  conceived  of 
Jehovah),  could  not  have  any  other  Human  principle,  when  it 
was  glorified.  From  these  considerations  it  is  evident  how 
much  they  are  mistaken,  who  make  the  Lord's  Human  princi- 
ple, after  it  wns  glorified,  like  the  human  principle  of  man, 
whereas  it  is  divine;  from  His  Divine  Human  principle  pro- 
ceeds all  wisdom,  all  intelligence,  and  also  all  light  in  heaven ; 
whatsoever  proceeds  from  Him  is  holy  ;  a  holy  principle,  which 
is  not  from  the  divine,  is  not  holy. 

4728.  "  And  let  us  cast  him  into  one  °  of  the  pits." — That 
hereby  is  signified  amongst  falses,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  pits,  as  denoting  falses.  The  reason  why  pits  denote  falses, 
is,  because  men,  who  have  been  in  false  principles,  after  death 
are  kept  for  some  time  in  the  lower  earth,  until  falses  are  re- 
moved from  them,  and  as  it  were  cast  aside  ;  the  places  in  that 
earth  are  called  pits ;  they  who  come  thither  are  those  who 
must  be  in  the  vastation  spoken  of,  n.  1106  to  1113,  2699,  2701, 
2704 ;  hence  it  is.  that  by  pits,  in  the  abstract  sense,  are  signi- 
fied falses.  The  lower  earth  is  proximately  beneath  the  feet,. 
vol.  v.  21 


322 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


and  the  region  round  about  to  a  small  distance ;  in  that  earth 
are  several  after  death,  before  they  are  elevated  into  heaven ; 
mention  is  made  also  of  this  earth  in  the  Word  throughout; 
beneath  it  are  the  places  of  vastation,  which  are  called  pits ; 
below  those  places,  and  round  about  to  a  great  extent,  are  hells. 
Hence  it  is  in  some  measure  evident,  what  is  meant  by  hell, 
what  by  the  lower  earth,  and  what  by  pit,  when  they  are  men- 
tioned in  the  Word  ;  as  in  Isaiah,  "  Thou  wast  let  down  to  hell, 
to  the  sides  of  the  pit ;  .  .  .  thou  wast  cast  forth  out  of  thy  grave, 
like  an  abominable  branch  ;  the  garment  of  the  slain,  of  the 
thrust  through  with  the  sword,  who  go  down  to  the  stones  of  the 
pit"  xiv.  15,  19 ;  speaking  of  the  king  of  Babel,  or  Babylon, 
by  whom  is  represented  the  profanation  of  truth,  for  king  is 
truth,  n.  1672,  2015,  2069,  3009,  4581,  and  Babel  profanation, 
n.  1182,  1326  ;  hell  is  where  the  damned  are,  their  damnation 
is  compared  to  an  abominable  branch,  and  to  the  garment  of  the 
slain  and  of  the  thrust  through  with  the  sword,  going  down  to 
the  stones  of  the  pit ;  the  garment  of  the  slain  is  truth  profaned  ; 
the  thrust  through  with  the  sword  are  those  in  whom  truth  is 
extinguished  ;  the  pit  is  the  false  principle  which  is  to  be  vas- 
tated  ;  the  stones  are  borders,  hence  also  they  are  called  sides, 
for  round  about  the  pits  are  hells ;  that  garment  denotes  truth, 
see  n.  2576,  the  garment  of  the  slain  is  truth  profaned,  for  the 
blood  with  which  the  garment  is  tinged  denotes  that  which  is 
profane,  n.  1003;  that  the  thrust  through  with  the  sword  are 
those  in  whom  truth  is  extinguished,  see  n.  4503.  From  these 
considerations  it  is  evident,  that  without  the  internal  sense  it 
cannot  possibly  be  known  what  these  things  mean.  So  in 
Ezekiel,  "  When  I  shall  cause  thee  to  go  down  with  them  that 
descend  into  the  pit,  to  the  people  of  old  time,  and  shall  cause 
thee  to  dwell  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth,  in  desolations  of 
old,  with  them  that  go  doivn  to  the  pit,  that  thou  be  not  inhab- 
ited, then  will  I  give  gracefulness  in  the  land  of  the  living," 
xxvi.  20 ;  they  who  go  down  into  the  pit,  denote  those  who 
are  sent  into  vastation  ;  to  dwell  with  them  who  go  down  to  the 
pit,  denotes  not  to  be  delivered  from  falses.  Again,  "  To  the 
end  that  none  of  all  the  trees  of  the  waters  may  lift  up  them- 
selves by  reason  of  their  height,  nor  put  forth  their  branch 
amongst  the  thick  boughs,  neither  stand  upon  them  by  reason 
of  their  height,  all  that,  drink  waters;  they  all  shall  be  deliv- 
ered unto  death  to  the  lower  earth  in  the  midst  of  the  sons  of 
man,  to  them  who  go  down  to  the  pit.  ...  I  will  make  the 
nations  to  tremble  at  the  sound  of  his  ruin,  when  I  shall  cause 
him  to  go  down,  into  hell  with  them  who  go  down  to  the  pit ; 
and  all  the  trees  of  Eden,  the  choice  and  chief  of  Lebanon,  all 
that  drink  the  waters,  shall  comfort  themselves  in  the  lower 
earth"  xxxi.  14, 16;  speaking  of  Egypt,  by  which  is  signified 
Bcience  which  of  itself  enters  into  the  mysteries  of  faith,  that 


4728.] 


GENESIS. 


323 


is,  they  who  do  so,  see  n.  1164,  1165,  1186.  From  what  has 
been  said  above,  it  is  plain  what  is  signified  by  hell,  by  the 
pit,  and  by  the  lower  earth,  which  are  here  mentioned  by  the 
prophet ;  nor  does  it  appear  from  any  other  source  than  from 
the  internal  sense,  what  is  signified  by  the  trees  of  waters,  by  the 
trees  of  Eden,  by  the  branch  put  forth  amongst  the  thick  boughs, 
by  the  choice  and  chief  of  Lebanon,  and  by  those  who  drink 
wal  ers.  Again,  "  Son  of  man,  wail  over  the  multitude  of  Egypt, 
and  cause  her  and  the  daughters  of  the  famous  nations  to  go 
down  to  the  earth  of  lower  things,  with  them  who  go  down  to  the 
pit.  .  .  .  Ashur  is  there,  .  .  .  to- whom  were  given  graves  in  the 
sides  of  the  pit,  .  .  all  thrust  through  with  the  sword,"  xxxii. 
18,  23 ;  what  is  here  meant,  may  appear  from  what  has  been 
explained  above.  So  in  David,  "  O  Jehovah,  thou  hast  caused 
my  soul  to  come  up  out  of  hell,  thou  hast  made  me  alive  from 
them  who  go  down  to  the  pit"  Psalm  xxx.  3.  Again,  "  I  am 
counted  with  them  who  go  down  to  the  pit ;  I  am  reputed  as  a 
man  (vir)  who  hath  no  strength  ;  .  .  .  thou  hast  set  me  in  the  pit 
of  lower  things,  in  darkness,  in  depths,"  Ixxxviii.  4,  6.  And  in 
Jonah,  "  I  went  down  to  the  cuttings  off  of  the  mountains,  the 
bars  of  the  earth  were  over  me  for  ever,  nevertheless  thou 
madest  life  to  ascend  out  of the  pit ,"  ii.  6,  speaking  of  the  Lord's 
temptations,  and  deliverance  from  them  ;  the  cuttings  off  of  the 
mountains  denote  where  are  the  most  damned,  for  the  dark 
thick  mists  which  appear  around  them,  are  the  mountains. 
That  pit  denotes  the  vastation  of  the  false,  and  in  the  abstract 
sense,  the  false,  further  appears  from  Isaiah,  "  They  shall  be 
gathered  with  the  gathering  of  the  bound  to  the  pit,  and  they 
shall  be  shut  up  in  prison,  yet  after  a  multitude  of  clays  they 
shall  be  visited,"  xxiv.  22.  Again,  "  Where  is  the  anger  of  the 
oppressor?  he  shall  hasten  leading  forth  to  open,  and  lie  shall 
not  die  at  the  pit,  neither  shall  bread  fail,"  li.  13,  14.  And  in 
Ezekiel,  "  Behold,  I  bring  strangers  upon  thee,  the  terrible  of 
the  nations ;  and  they  shall  draw  their  swords  against  the  beauty 
of  thy  wisdom,  and  they  shall  profane  thy  brightness  :  they 
shall  let  thee  dovm  into  the  pit,  and  thou  shalt  die  by  the  deaths 
of  those  who  are  thrust  through  in  the  heart  of  the  seas,"  xxviii. 
7,  8  ;  speaking  of  the  prince  of  Tyre,  by  whom  are  signified 
such  as  are  principled  in  false.  And  in  Zechariah,  "  Exult  ex- 
ceedingly, 0  daughter  of  Zion  ;  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem : 
behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee,  just,  .  .  .  lowly,  and  riding 
upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass.  .  .  .  By  the 
blood  of  the  covenant  I  will  send  forth  thy  hound  ones  out  of 
the  pit  in  which  is  no  water,"  ix.  9,  11  ;  the  pit  in  which  is  no 
water,  denotes  the  false  principle  in  which  is  nothing  true;  as 
it  is  also  said  in  what  follows,  that  they  cast  Joseph  into  a  pit, 
and  the  pit  was  empty,  there  was  no  water  in  it,  verse  24.  And 
m  David,  "  Unto  thee  do  I  cry,  O  Jehovah,  my  rock,  be  not 


324 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


silent  from  me  ;  lest  if  thou  be  silent  from  me,  I  become  like 
them  who  go  down  into  the  pit,"  Psalm  xxviii.  1.  Again,  "  Je- 
hovah hath  caused  me  to  come  up  out  of  the  pit  of  vastatiost, 
out  of  the  mire  of  the  clay,  and  hath  set  my  feet  upon  a  rock," 
xl.  2.  Again,  "  Let  not  the  waves  of  waters  overwhelm  me, 
let  not  the  deep  swallow  me  up,  neither  let  the  pit  shut  her  mouth 
upon  me"  lxix.  15.  Again,  "  He  sent  his  Word  and  healed 
them,  and  delivered  them  out  of  their  pits"  cvii.  20  ;  out  of  pits 
denotes  out  of  falses.  Again,  "  Make  haste,  answer  me,  Jeho- 
vah, my  spirit  is  consumed  ;  hide  not  thy  faces  from  me,  for  I 
am  become  like  unto  them  who  go  down  into  the  pit"  cxliii.  7. 
Inasmuch  as  pit  signifies  that  which  is  false,  and  the  blind  those 
who  are  in  falses  (n.  2383),  therefore  the  Lord  saith,  "  Suffer 
them,  they  are  blind  leaders  of  the  blind  ;  for  if  the  blind  lead 
the  blind,  they  shall  both  fall  into  the  pit"  Matt.  xv.  14  ;  Luke 
vi.  39.  A  principle  similar  to  that  represented  by  Joseph,  was 
also  represented  by  Jeremiah  the  prophet ;  on  which  subject 
he  thus  writes,  "  They  took  Jeremiah,  and  cast  him  into  the  pit, 
which  was  in  the  court  of  the  guard,  and  let  down  Jeremiah 
by  ropes  into  the  pit  where  teas  no  water"  xxxviii.  6 ;  that  is, 
they  rejected  divine  truths  amongst  falses  in  which  is  nothing 
of  troth. 

4-729.  "And  we  will  say,  An  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him." 
■ — That  hereby  is  signified  a  lie  from  the  life  of  lusts,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  a  beast,  as  denoting  affection  and  lust, 
see  n.  45,  46 ;  for  in  the  genuine  sense,  beast  denotes  what  is 
alive,  n.  774,  841,  908,  hence  by  an  evil  least  is  here  signified 
the  life  of  lusts ;  that  it  is  a  lie,  is  manifest.  This  has  relation 
to  what  goes  before,  viz.,  that  they  rejected  divine  truth  amongst 
falses,  which  was  a  lie  from  the  life  of  lusts  ;  for  there  are  three 
origins  of  false,  one  from  the  doctrine  of  the  church,  another 
from  the  fallacy  of  the  senses,  a  third  from  the  life  of  lusts. 
The  origin  from  the  doctrine  of  the  church  affects  only  the 
intellectual  part  of  the  man,  for  he  is  persuaded  from  infancy 
that  it  is  so,  and  confirming  arguments  afterwards  corroborate 
it ;  but  that  which  is  from  the  fallacy  of  the  senses  does  not  so 
affect  the  intellectual  part,  for  they  who  from  the  fallacy  of  the 
senses  are  principled  in  false,  have  but  little  intuition  from  the 
intellect,  since  they  think  from  the  lower  and  sensual  principles. 
But  the  false  principle  derived  from  the  life  of  lusts,  originates 
in  the  will  itself,  or  (what  is  the  same  thing)  in  the  heart ;  for 
what  man  wills  from  the  heart,  this  he  desires;  this  false  prin- 
ciple is  the  worst  of  all,  because  it  inheres,  and  is  not  eradi- 
cated except  by  new  life  from  the  Lord.  There  are,  as  is  well 
known,  two  interior  faculties  of  man,  viz.,  the  understanding 
and  the  will ;  that  which  the  understanding  draws  in  and  im- 
bibes, does  not  on  that  account  pass  into  the  will ;  but  that 
which  the  will  draws  in  and  imbibes,  passes  into  the  understand 


4729,  4730.J 


GENESIS. 


325 


jng,  for  what  a  man  wills,  he  thinks ;  wherefore,  when  he  wills 
evil  from  lust,  he  then  thinks  and  confirms  it :  the  principles 
confirmative  of  evil  by  the  thought  are  what  are  called  false 
principles  derived  from  the  life  of  lusts.  Tliese  falses  appear  to 
him  as  truths;  and  when  he  has  confirmed  them  in  himself, 
truths  appear  to  him  as  falses,  for  then  he  has  precluded  the 
influx  of  light  through  heaven  from  the  Lord  ;  but  if  he  has  not 
confirmed  those  falses  in  himself,  in  this  case  the  truths  which 
his  understanding  had  before  imbibed,  oppose  and  do  not  per- 
mit their  confirmation. 

4730.  "  And  we  shall  see  what  his  dreams  will  be." — That 
hereby  is  signified  that  the  predications  concerning  Him  would 
be  thereby  false,  and  would  be  seen,  appears  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  dreams,  as  denoting  predications,  see  n.  4682,  and 
since  these  in  their  eyes  appeared  as  falses,  see  n.  4726,  4729, 
therefore  by  dreams  are  here  signified  predications  concerning 
Divine  Truth,  especially  that  the  Lord's  Human  principle  is 
Divine,  which  were  false  according  to  their  opinion  ;  that  they 
were  also  seen  by  them  as  falses,  is  signified  by  their  saying, 
"  We  shall  see  what  they  will  be."  That  predications  concern- 
ing the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  appeared,  and  still 
appear,  as  falses  to  those  who  are  in  faith  alone,  may  be  man- 
ifest from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4729,  at  the  end ;  for  the 
things  which  are  confirmed  from  the  life  of  lusts  have  no  other 
appearance.  A  further  reason  why  falses  are  confirmed  from 
the  life  of  lusts,  is,  because  it  is  not  known  what  heaven  and 
hell  are,  nor  what  love  towards  the  neighbour  is,  nor  what  self- 
love,  and  the  love  of  the  world ;  if  those  things  were  known, 
yea,  if  men  were  only  willing  to  know  them,  they  would  think 
altogether  otherwise.  "Who  at  this  day  knows  any  thing  fur- 
ther, than  that  neighbourly  love  consists  in  a  man's  giving  what 
he  has  to  the  poor,  in  relieving  every  one  out  of  his  purse,  and 
in  doing  good  to  his  neighbour  by  every  possible  method,  with- 
out distinction  whether  he  be  good  or  evil?  And  as  by  these 
means  he  would  be  deprived  of  his  wealth,  and  would  himself 
become  poor  and  wretched,  he  therefore  rejects  the  doctrinal  of 
charity,  and  embraces  the  doctrinal  of  faith  :  and  next,  he  con- 
firms himself  against  charity  by  several  considerations,  viz.,  by 
thinking  that  he  was  born  in  sins,  and  hence  cannot  do  any 
good  of  himself,  and  that  if  he  does  works  of  charity  or  piety, 
he  must  needs  place  merit  in  them.  When  he  thinks  thus  on 
one  part,  and  from  the  life  of  lusts  on  the  other,  he  betakes  him- 
self to  the  part  of  those  who  say  that  faith  alone  saves  ;  when 
he  is  in  this  faith,  he  confirms  himself  still  more,  until  he  be- 
lieves that  works  of  charity  are  not  necessary  to  salvation  ;  and 
when  these  works  are  excluded,  he  falls  into  this  new  opinion, 
that  in  consequence  of  man's  being  of  such  a  quality,  there  has 
been  provided  by  the  Lord  a  means  of  salvation,  which  is  called 


326 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii 


faith  ;  and  at  length  into  this,  that  he  might  be  saved,  if  from 
confidence  or  trust  he  says  (even  in  the  hour  of  death)  that 
God  has  mercy  upon  him  in  consequence  of  looking  at  the  Son, 
and  at  what  He  has  suffered  for  him  ;  not  considering  what  the 
Lord  has  said  in  John,  i.  12,  13,  and  in  a  thousand  other 
places.  Hence  now  it  is  that  faith  alone  has  been  acknowledged 
as  the  essential  in  churches ;  but  the  reason  why  it  has  not  been 
every  where  acknowledged  in  like  manner,  is,  because  church- 
rulers  c  an  gain  nothing  by  faith  alone,  but  by  the  preaching  of 
works.  But  if  these  persons  had  known  what  charity  towards 
the  neighbour  is,  they  would  never  have  fallen  into  the  above 
false  principle  of  doctrine  ;  the  fundamental  of  charity  is  to  act 
rightly  and  justly  in  every  thing  relating  to  any  duty  or  office : 
as  for  example  ;  if  he  who  is  a  judge  punishes  a  malefactor  ac- 
cording to  the  laws,  and  from  zeal,  he  is  then  in  charity  towards 
his  neighbour,  for  he  wills  his  amendment,  thus  his  good,  and 
also  wills  well  to  society  and  his  country,  by  preventing  the 
malefactor  from  committing  any  further  mischief;  thus  he  can 
love  him  if  he  amends,  as  the  father  the  son  whom  he  chastises  ; 
and  thus  he  loves  societies  and  his  country,  which  are  his  neigh- 
bour in  general.  The  case  is  similar  in  all  other  instances. 
But  of  these,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  we  shall  treat 
more  fully  elsewhere. 

4731/ Ver.  21.  "And  Reuben  heard."— That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified confession  of  the  faith  of  the  church  in  general,  appears 
from  the  representation  of  Iieuhen,  as  denoting  faith  in  the  un- 
derstanding, or  doctrine,  which  is  the  first  of  regeneration,  in 
the  complex  the  truth  of  doctrine  by  which  the  good  of  life 
may  be  attained,  see  n.  3861,  3866 ;  in  the  present  case,  there- 
fore, confession  of  the  faith  of  the  church  in  general.  The  rea- 
son why  Reuben  here  interposes,  is,  because  the  church  wuich 
commences  from  faith  would  cease  to  be  a  church,  unless  this 
divine  truth  remained  in  it,  viz.,  that  the  Lord's  Human  princi- 
ple is  Divine,  for  this  is  the  supreme  or  inmost  truth  ot  the 
church.  On  this  account,  Reuben  willed  to  rescue  Joseph  (by 
whom  that  truth  is  here  represented)  out  of  the  hand  ol  his 
brethren,  to  restore  him  to  his  father;  by  which  is  signified, 
that  he  willed  to  claim  that  truth  for  the  church :  and  further, 
when  Reuben  returned  to  the  pit,  and  saw  that  Joseph  was  not 
there,  he  rent  his  garments,  and  said  to  his  brethren,  "The  son 
is  no  more;  and  I,  whither  do  I  come?"  verses  29,  30,  by 
which  is  signified  that  there  was  no  longer  any  faith  in  the  Lord, 
and  thus  no  church.  This  supreme  or  inmost  truth,  that  the 
Lord's  Human  principle  is  Divine,  is  denied  by  those  in  the 
church  who  are  in  faith  alone ;  but  still,  as  they  know  from  the 
Word  that  the  Lord  hath  the  Divine  principle,  and  do  not  ap- 
prehend how  His  Human  principle  can  be  Divine,  therefore 
they  attribute  each  principle  to  the  Lord,  distinguishing  be 


4731— 4734.]  GENESIS.  327 

« 

tween  His  Divine  and  Human  nature.  But  they  who  are  in 
the  Life  of  faith  or  charity,  adore  the  Lord  as  their  God  and 
Saviour;  and  when  they  are  in  adoration,  they  think  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  principle,  not  separating  it  from  the  Human,  and 
thus  in  heart  they  acknowledge  all  in  the  Lord  to  be  Divine ; 
but  when  they  think  from  doctrine,  inasmuch  as  they  likewise 
cannot  comprehend  how  the  Human  can  be  Divine,  they  speak 
from  doctrinals. 

4732.  "  And  rescued  him  out  of  their  hand." — That  hereby 
is  signified  deliverance,  appears  without  explanation. 

4733.  "  And  he  said,  Let  us  not  smite  his  soul." — That 
hereby  is  signified  that  it  ought  not  to  be  extinguished,  because 
it  is  the  life  of  religion,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
smiting,  as  denoting  to  extinguish  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  significa- 
tion oi'  soul,  as  denoting  life,  see  n.  1000,  1005,  1436.  1742,  in 
the  present  case,  the  life  of  religion.  That  the  acknowledgment 
and  adoration  of  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle  is  the 
life  of  religion,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  just  above,  n. 
4731 ;  and  also  from  this  consideration,  that  the  nature  of  man 
is  such,  that  he  is  willing  to  worship  that  of  which  he  can  have 
some  perception  and  thought ;  yea,  the  sensual  worship  that 
of  which  they  can  have  some  sense,  nor  are  they  willing  to 
worship  unless  the  divine  principle  be  therein.  This  feeling 
is  common  to  the  human  race  ;  hence  the  Gentiles  worship  idols, 
in  which  they  believe  there  is  a  divine  principle ;  but  others, 
men  deceased,  whom  they  believe  to  be  either  gods  or  holy ; 
for  nothing  can  be  excited  with  man,  unless  there  be  something 
to  affect  his  senses.  They  who  say  that  they  acknowledge  a 
Supreme  Being,  of  whom  they  have  no  idea  or  perception,  for 
the  most  part  acknowledge  no  God,  but  nature  in  His  stead  ;  and 
they  acknowledge  nature,  because  they  apprehend  her ;  very 
many  of  the  learned  amongst  Christians  are  of  this  character, 
and  this  also  because  they  do  not  believe  the  Lord's  Human 
principle  to  be  Divine.  The  Divine  principle  itself  therefore 
willed  to  assume  the  Human,  and  to  make  it  Divine  ;  lest  men, 
who  have  removed  themselves  so  far  from  the  Divine  Being, 
and  are  become  in  so  great  a  degree  corporeal,  should  worship 
wood  and  stones,  or  any  deceased  man,  and  thereby  under  him 
some  devil,  and  not  God  Himself,  because  they  were  not  able 
in  any  manner  to  perceive  Him,  and  thereby  all  of  the  church 
should  perish,  and  with  the  church  the  human  race.  Let  the 
learned  therefore  take  heed  to  themselves,  lest  they  think  of 
the  Lord's  Human  principle,  and  do  not  at  the  same  time  be- 
lieve it  to  be  Divine ;  for  in  so  doing  they  scandalize  them- 
selves, and  at  length  believe  nothing. 

4734.  "  And  Reuben  said  unto  them." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified exhortation,  in  the  proximate  sense  confession  of  the  faith 
of  the  church  in  general  (which  is  Reuben,  n.  4731),  exhort- 


328  GENESIS.  [Chap,  xxxvii. 

• 

ing  or  dictating  that  they  should  not  violate,  appears  from  the 
sequel. 

4735.  "  Shed  not  blood." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they 
should  not  violate  what  is  holy,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  blood,  as  denoting  what  is  holy,  of  which  we  shall  speak 
presently  ;  hence  to  shed  blood  is  to  violate  wrhat  is  holy.  All 
that  is  holy  in  heaven,  proceeds  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human 
principle,  and  hence  all  that  is  holy  in  the  church  ;  wherefore 
to  prevent  its  violation,  the  Holy  Supper  was  instituted  by  the 
Lord ;  and  there  it  is  said  in  express  words,  that  the  bread 
therein  is  His  flesh,  and  the  wine  therein  is  His  blood,  thus 
that  it  is  His  Divine  Human  principle  from  which  the  holiness 
is  derived.  .  With  the  ancients,  flesh  and  blood  signified  the 
proper  human  principle,  because  this  consists  of  flesh  and  blood; 
hence  the  Lord  said  to  Simon,  "  Blessed  art  thou,  iovflesJi  and 
blood  hath  not  revealed  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  who  is  in  the 
heavens,"  Matt.  xvi.  17 ;  the  flesh  therefore  and  blood,  signi- 
fied by  the  bread  and  wine  in  the  Holy  Supper,  is  the  Lord's 
proper  Human  principle  ;  the  Lord's  proper  principle  itself, 
which  He  acquired  to  Himself  by  His  own  proper  ability,  is 
Divine ;  His  proper  principle  from  conception  was  that  which 
He  had  from  Jehovah,  His  Father,  and  was  Jehovah  Himself; 
hence  the  proper  principle  which  He  acquired  to  Himself  in 
the  Human,  was  Divine ;  this  proper  Divine  principle  in  the 
Human  is  what  is  called  flesh  and  blood ;  flesh  is  its  divine 
good,  n.  3S13,  blood  is  the  divine  truth  of  divine  good.  The 
Lord's  Human  principle,  after  it  was  glorified  or  made  Divine, 
cannot  be  conceived  as  human,  but  as  the  Divine  Love  in  a 
human  form ;  and  this  more  than  the  angels,  who,  when  they 
appear,  as  they  have  been  seen  by  me,  appear  as  forms  of  love 
and  charity  under  a  human  shape,  and  this  from  the  Lord ;  for 
from  the  divine  love  the  Lord  made  His  Human  principle  Di- 
vine ;  as  by  celestial  love  man  is  made  an  angel  after  death, 
that  he  may  appear  as  a  form  of  love  and  charity  under  a 
human  shape,  as  has  been  said  above.  Hence  it  is  evident  that 
by  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  in  the  celestial  sense,  is 
signified  the  Divine  Love  itself;  which  is  love  towards  the 
universal  human  race,  in  that  it  wills  to  save  them,  and  make 
them  blessed  and  happy  to  eternity,  and  appropriate  to  them 
its  own  Divine  principle,  so  far  as  men  are  capable  of  receiving 
it.  In  the  present  case,  love,  and  the  reciprocal  love  of  man  to 
the  Lord,  and  also  neighbourly  love,  are  what  are  signified  and 
represented  in  the  Holy  Supper,  the  divine  celestial  love  by 
flesh,  or  the  bread,  and  the  divine  spiritual  love  by  blood,  or 
the  wine.  From  these  considerations  now  it  may  be  manifest 
what  is  meant  in  John,  by  eating  the  Lord's  flesh,  and  by 
drinking  His  blood,  as  it  is  expressed  in  these  words,  "I  am 
the  living  bread,  which  came  down  from  heaven :  if  any  onG 


4735.] 


GENESIS. 


329 


eat  of  this  bread,  he  shall  live  for  ever.  But  the  bread,  which  I 
shall  give,  is  my  flesh.  .  .  .  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Ex- 
cept ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  drink  his  blood,  ye 
shall  have  no  life  in  you.  He  who  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh 
my  blood,  hath  eternal  life  ;  and  I  will  raise  him  up  in  the  last 
day.  For  my  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed. 
He  who  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my  blood,  abideth  in  me, 
and  I  in  him.  .  .  .  This  is  that  bread  which  came  down  from 
heaven,"  vi.  50  to  58.  As  by  flesh  and  blood  are  signified 
the  divine  celestial  and  the  divine  spiritual  from  the  Lord's 
Divine  Human  principle,  as  was  said,  or,  what  is  the  same 
thing,  the  divine  good  and  divine  truth  of  His  love,  by  eating 
and  drinking  is  signified  to  appropriate  those  principles  to  one- 
self; appropriation  is  effected  by  the  life  of  love  and  charity, 
which  also  is  the  life  of  faith.  That  to  eat  is  to  appropriate 
good  to  oneself,  and  to  drink  is  to  appropriate  truth,  may  be 
seen  in  n.  2187,  3069,  3168,  3513,  3596,  3734,  3832,  4017,  4018. 
As  blood,  in  the  celestial  sense,  signifies  the  divine  spiritual,  or 
the  divine  truth,  proceeding  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human 
principle,  therefore  it  signifies  the  holy  principle;  for  the  divine 
truth,  proceeding  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human,  is  the  holy 
principle  itself ;  there  is  no  other  holy  principle,  nor  does  that 
which  is  holy  come  from  any  other  source.  That  blood  is  this 
holy  principle,  may  be  manifest  from  several  passages  in  the 
Word,  of  which  we  shall  adduce  the  following:  "  Son  of  man, 
thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  Speak  unto  every  bird  of  the 
heaven,  to  every  beast  of  the  field,  Gather  yourselves  together 
and  come,  gather  yoiirselves  together  from  every  side  unto  my 
sacrifice  which  I  sacrifice  for  you,  a  great  sacrifice  upon  the 
mountains  of  Israel,  that  ye  may  eat  flesh,  and  drink  blood. 
Ye  shall  eat  the  flesh  of  the  mighty,  and  ye  shall  drink  the 
blood  of  the  princes  of  the  earth,  rams,  lambs,  and  he-goats,  all 
fatlings  of  Bashan.  And  ye  shall  eat  fat  till  ye  be  full,  and  ye 
shall  drink  blood,  even  to  drunkenness,  of  my  sacrifice  which 
I  will  sacrifice  for  you.  Ye  shall  be  filled  at  my  table  with  the 
horse,  and  chariot,  the  mighty  one,  and  every  man  of  war. 
Thus  will  I  give  my  glory  amongst  the  nations,"  Ezek.  xxxix. 
17  to  21;  speaking  of  the  calling  together  of  all  people  to  the 
Lord's  kingdom,  and  specifically  of  the  establishment  of  the 
church  amongst  the  Gentiles  ;  by  eating  flesh,  and  drinking 
blood,  is  signified  to  appropriate  to  themselves  divine  good  and 
truth,  thus  the  holy  principle  which  proceeds  from  the  Lord's 
Divine  Human  principle.  Who  cannot  see  that  by  flesh  in  this 
passage  is  not  meant  flesh,  nor  by  blood,  blood ;  as  where  it  is 
said,  that  they  should  eat  the  flesh  of  the  mighty,  and  drink 
the  blood  of  the  princes  of  the  earth,  and  that  they  should  be 
filled  with  the  horse,  the  chariot,  the  mighty  one,  and  every 
man  of  war?  In  like  manner  in  John,  "I  saw  an  angel  stand- 


330 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


ing  in  the  sun,  who  cried  with  a  great  voice,  saying  to  all  the 
fowls  that  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  Come  ye,  gather  your- 
selves together  unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God ;  that  ye  may 
eat  the  flesh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains  of  thousands,  and 
the  flesh  of  the  mighty,  and  the  flesh  of  horses,  and  of  them  who 
sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all,  free  and  bond,  small  and 
great,^  Apoc.  xix.  17,  18.  Who  can  at  all  understand  these 
words,  unless  he  knows  what  is  signified  in  the  internal  sense 
by  flesh,  and  what  by  kings,  captains  of  thousands,  the  mighty, 
horses,  them  who  sit  on  them,  the  free,  and  the  bond  ?  So  in 
Zechariah,  "He  shall  speak  peace  to  the  nations;  his  dominion 
shall  be  from  sea  even  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  even  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth.  Also  thou,  by  the  blood  of  thy  covenant,  I 
will  send  forth  thy  bound  ones  out  of  the  pit,"  ix.  10,  11, 
speaking  of  the  Lord ;  the  blood  of  the  covenant  is  the  divine 
truth  proceeding  from  His  Divine  Human  principle,  and  is  the 
holy  principle  itself,  which,  after  He  was  glorified,  came  forth 
from  Him;  this  holy  [principle]  is  what  is  also  called  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  is  evident  from  John,  "  Jesus  said,  If  any  man  thirst, 
let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink ;  whosoever  believeth  in  me, 
as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of 
living  water.  This  he  said  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  who  be- 
lieved in  him  should  receive;  for  the  Holy  Spirit  was  not  yet, 
because  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified,"  vii.  37  to  39;  that  the  holy 
principle  proceeding  from  the  Lord  is  Spirit,  may  be  seen  in 
John  vi.  63.  Moreover,  that  blood  denotes  the  holy  principle 
proceeding  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human,  is  plain  from  David, 
"  He  shall  redeem  their  soul  from  deceit  and  violence,  and^>/'e- 
cious  shall  their  blood  be  in  his  eyes,"  Psalm  lxxii.  1-1 ;  precious 
blood  denotes  the  holy  principle  which  they. should  receive. 
And  in  the  Revelation,  "These  are  they  who  come  out  of  great 
tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white 
in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb"  vii.  14  ;  again,  "  They  overcame  the 
dragon  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word  of  his  testi- 
mony ;  and  they  loved  not  their  soul  even  to  death,"  xii.  11 ; 
the  church  at  this  day  knows  no  otherwise  than  that  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb  here  signifies  the  Lord's  passion,  because  it  is 
believed  that  they  are  saved  solely  by  what  the  Lord  suffered, 
and  that  for  this  purpose  He  was  sent  into  the  world ;  but  let 
this  be  for  the  simple  who  cannot  apprehend  interior  arcana. 
The  Lord's  passion  was  the  last  state  of  His  temptations,  by 
which  He  fully  glorified  His  Human  principle,  Luke  xxiv.  26 ; 
John  xii.  23,  27,  28;  xiii.  31,  32;  xvii.  1,  4,  5;  but  in  the 
above  passages,  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  the  same  as  the  divine 
truth,  or  the  holy  principle  proceeding  from  His  Divine  Human ; 
thus  the  same  thing  with  the  blood  of  the  covenant  spoken  of 
above;  concerning  which  it  is  also  written  in  Moses,  "Mosoa 
took  the  book  of  the  covenant  and  read  in  the  ears  of  the  peo- 


4735.] 


GENESIS. 


331 


pie  ;  and  they  said,  All  that  Jehovah  hath  spoken,  we  will  do 
and  hear.  Then  Moses  took  the  Mood,  and  sprinkled  it  upon  the 
people,  and  said,  Behold  the  blood  of  the  covenant  which  Jehovah 
hath  established  with  yon  upon  all  these  words,"  Exod.  xxiv. 
7,  8  ;  the  book  of  the  covenant  was  the  divine  truth  which  they 
had  at  that  time;  which  was  confirmed  by  blood,  testifying  that 
it  was  from  His  Divine  Human  principle.  In  the  rituals  of  the 
Jewish  church  nothing  else  was  signified  by  blood,  than  the 
holy  [principle]  proceeding  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  ; 
wherefore  when  they  were  sanctified,  this  was  effected  by  blood ; 
as  when  Aaron  was  sanctified  and  his  sons,  blood  was  sprinkled 
upon  the  horns  of  the  altar,  the-remainder  at  the  foundation  of 
the  altar,  also  upon  the  tips  of  their  right  ears,  the  thumbs  of 
their  right  hands,  and  the  great  toes  of  their  right  feet,  and 
u]  it  hi  their  garments,  Exod.  xxix.  12, 16,  20  ;  Levit.  viii.  15, 19, 
23,  30.  And  when  Aaron  entered  within  the  vail  to  the  pro- 
pitiatory, blood  was  also  to  be  sprinkled  with  the  finger  on  the 
propitiatory  seven  times  towards  the  east,  Levit.  xvi.  12  to  15  ; 
in  like  manner  in  the  rest  of  the  sanctifications,  as  well  as  in 
the  expiations  and  cleansings,  concerning  which  see  Exod.  xii. 
7,  13,  22;  xxx.  10;  Levit.  i.  5,  11,  15;  iii.  2,  8,  13;  iv.  6, 
7,  17,  18,  25,  30,  34;  v.  9 ;  vi.  27,  30;  xiv.  14  to  19,  25  to  30 ; 
xvi.  12  to  15,  18,  19 ;  Dent.  xii.  27.  As  by  blood,  in  the  gen- 
uine sense,  is  signified  the  holy  principle,  so  in  the  opposite 
sense  by  blood  and  bloods  are  signified  those  things  which 
occasion  violence  to  it ;  and  this,  because  by  shedding  innocent 
blood  is  signified  to  violate  what  is  holy ;  on  which  account 
also  wicked  principles  of  life  and  profane  principles  of  worship 
were  called  blood.  That  blood  and  bloods  have  such  a  signifi- 
cation, is  evident  from  the  following  passages :  "  "When  the 
Lord  shall  have  washed  away  the  filth  of  the  daughters  of 
Zion,  and  shall  have  purged  the  bloods  of  Jerusalem  from  the 
midst  thereof,  by  the  spirit  of  judgment,  and  by  the  spirit  of 
expurgation,"  Isaiah  iv.  4.  Again,  "The  waters  of  Dimon  are 
full  of  blood"  xv.  9.  Again,  "Your  hands  are  defiled  with 
blood,  and  your  fingers  with  iniquity ;  .  .  .  their  feet  run  to 
evil,  and  hasten  to  shed  innocent  blood, ;  their  thoughts  are  the 
thoughts  of  iniquity,"  lix.  3,  7.  So  in  Jeremiah,  "Also  in  thy 
wings  were  found  the  blood  of  the  souls  of  the  poor  innocents," 
ii.  34.  Again,  "  For  the  sins  of  the  prophets,  the  iniquities  of 
the  priests,  shedding  the  blood  of  the  just  in  the  midst  of  Jeru- 
salem ;  they  wandered  blind  in  the  streets,  they  were  polluted 
with  blood,  those  things  which  they  cannot,  they  touch  with 
garments,"  Lam.  iv.  13,  14.  And  in  Ezekiel,  "  I  passed  by 
thee,  and  saw  thee  trodden  under  foot  in  thy  bloods,  and  I  said 
unto  thee  in  thy  bloods,  Live ;  I  said  unto  thee  in  thy  bloods, 
Live  thou.  ...  I  washed  thee  with  waters,  and  I  washed  away 
thy  bloods  from  upon  thee ;  and  I  anointed  thee  with  oil,"  xvi. 


332 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


6,  9.  Again,  "Them  son  of  man,  wilt  thon  dispute  with  the 
city  of  bloods  ?  Make  known  to  her  all  her  abominations.  .  .  . 
Thou  art  made  guilty  by  thy  blood  which  thou  hast  poured  out; 
and  thou  art  defiled  by  the  idols  which  thou  hast  made.  .  .  . 
Behold,  the  princes  of  Israel,  every  one  according  to  his  arm 
have  been  in  thee,  and  have  shed  blood:  .  .  .  men  of  slanders 
have  been  in  thee  to  shed  blood,  and  in  thee  they  have  eaten 
together  upon  the  mountains,"  xxii.  2,  4,  6,  9.  And  in  Moses, 
"  If  any  man  shall  sacrifice  elsewhere  than  upon  the  altar  at 
the  tent,  there  shall  be  blood,  and  as  if  he  had  shed  blood"  Levit. 
xvii.  1  to  9.  Falsified  and  profaned  truth  is  signified  by  the 
following  passages  concerning  blood  :  "  I  will  show  wonders  in 
the  heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and  fire,  and  pillars  of 
smoke ;  the  sun  shall  be  turned  into  thick  darkness,  and  the 
moon  into  blood,  before  the  great  and  terrible  day  cometh," 
Joel  ii.  30,  31.  And  in  the  Apocalypse,  "  The  sun  became 
black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  all  the  moon  was  made  as  blood" 
vi.  12.  Again,  "  The  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were  a 
great  mountain  burning  with  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea,  and  a 
third  part  of  the  sea  teas  made  blood,"  viii.  8.  Again,  "  The 
second  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sea,  and  it  ivas  made 
as  the  blood  of  a  dead  [man],  whence  every  living  soul  died  in 
the  sea.  The  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  rivers, 
and  fountains  of  waters,  and  they  were  made  blood,"  xvi.  3,  4. 
In  like  manner  where  it  is  written  that  the  rivers,  gatherings 
together,  and  lakes  of  waters  were  turned  into  blood  in  Egypt, 
Exod.  vii.  15  to  22 ;  for  by  Egypt  is  signified  the  science  which 
of  itself  enters  into  heavenly  arcana,  and  hence  perverts,  denies, 
and  profanes  divine  truths,  n.  1164,  1165,  1186;  all  the  mira- 
cles in  Egypt,  being  divine,  involved  such  things.  That  the 
rivers,  which  were  turned  into  blood,  denote  the  truths  of  intel- 
ligence and  wisdom,  see  n.  108,  109,  3051 ;  waters  denote  the 
same,  n.  680,  2702,  3058 ;  also  fountains,  n.  2702,  3096,  3424 ; 
seas  denote  scientific  truths  in  the  complex,  n.  28 ;  the  moon, 
of  which  also  it  is  said  that  it  should  be  turned  into  blood, 
denotes  divine  truth,  n.  1529,  1530,  1531,  2495,  4060.  Hence 
it  is  evident,  that  by  the  moon,  the  sea,  fountains,  waters,  and 
rivers  being  turned  into  blood,  is  signified  truth  falsified  and 
profaned. 

4736.  "  Cast  him  into  that  pit  which  is  in  the  wilderness." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  that  they  would  hide  it  in  the  mean 
while  amongst  their  falses,  that  is,  that  they  would  consider  it 
as  raise,  but  would  still  retain  it  as  being  of  advantage  to  the 
church,  is  evident  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  pit,  as  denoting 
falses,  see  above,  n.  4728  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  wil- 
derness, as  denoting  whore  there  is  not  truth.  For  wilderness  is 
a  term  of  wide  signification,  denoting  what  is  uninhabited,  thus 
what  is  not  cultivated,  which,  when  predicated  of  the  church, 


4736—4738.] 


GENESIS. 


333 


denotes  where  there  is  no  good,  and  consequently  no  truth,  n. 
2708,  3900  ,  thus  by  "  the  pit  in  the  wilderness"  are  here  meant 
falses  in  which  there  is  no  truth,  because  no  good.  It  is  said  in 
which  there  is  no  truth,  because  no  good ;  for  when  faith  is 
believed  to  save  without  works,  truth  indeed  may  be  given,  but 
still  with  him  who  so  believes,  it  is  not  truth,  because  it  has 
not  respect  to  good,  neither  is  it  from  good  ;  this  truth  is  not 
vital,  because  it  has  in  it  a  principle  of  false;  consequently 
with  him  who  is  in  possession  of  such  truth,  it  is  no  other  than 
false  from  the  principle  which  rules  therein :  the  ruling  princi- 
ple is  like  the  soul,  from  which  the  rest  of  the  principles  derive 
their  life.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  falses  which  are  re- 
ceived as  truths,  when  good  is  in  them,  especially  if  it  be  the 
good  of  innocence,  as  amongst  the  Gentiles,  and  also  amongst 
several  within  the  church. 

4737.  "  And  lay  no  hand  upon  him." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified that  they  should  not  violate  it,  may  appear  without  ex- 
planation. 

4738.  "  That  he  might  rescue  him  out  of  their  hand,  to  de- 
liver him  to  his  father  again."— That  hereby  is  signified,  that  he 
might  claim  it  for  the  church,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  rescuing  out  of  their  hand,  as  denoting  to  set  at  liberty,  as 
above,  n.  4732;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  delivering  to 
his  father  again,  as  denoting  to  claim  for  the  church ;  for  by 
Jacob,  who  in  this  case  is  the  father,  is  represented  the  Jewish 
religion  derived  from  the  ancient  church,  as  mentioned  above, 
n.  4700,  4701.  That  which  he  would  claim  for  the  church  is 
the  divine  truth  concerning  the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle, 
for  by  Joseph  that  truth  is  specifically  signified,  as  was  said 
above.  As  to  what  further  concerns  this  truth,  it  is  to  be  noted 
that  the  ancient  church,  and  also  the  primitive  Christian  church, 
acknowledged  it ;  but  after  the  papal  chair  had  grown  up  even 
to  establishing  dominion  over  all  human  souls,  and  had  exalted 
itself  as  is  said  of  the  king  of  Babel  in  Isaiah,  "  Thou  hast  said 
in  thy  heart,  I  will  ascend  into  the  heavens,  I  will  exalt  my 
throne  above  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  I  will  sit  in  the  mount  of 
the  congregation ;  .  .  .  I  will  ascend  above  the  heights  of  the 
cloud,  I  will  become  like  the  Most  High,"  xiv.  13, 14,  then  the 
Divine  principle  was  taken  from  the  Lord's  Human ;  or  a  dis- 
tinction was  drawn  between  His  Divine  and  Human  nature : 
how  this  was  decreed  in  a  certain  council,  has  also  been  re- 
vealed to  me.  There  appeared  to  me  certain  spirits  in  front 
towards  the  left  at  the  plane  of  the  sole  of  the  foot,  at  some 
distance  from  me  ;  they  discoursed  with  each  other,  but  I 
did  not  hear  on  what  subject :  it  was  told  me  that  they 
were  some  of  those  who  were  together  in  the  council,  when  a 
decree  was  passed  concerning  the  Lord's  two  natures,  the  Di- 
vine and  Human.    Presently  it  was  also  given  me  to  speak 


334 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


with  them  ;  they  said,  that  they  who  had  the  greatest  influence 
in  the  council,  and  who  prevailed  over  the  rest  in  dignity  and 
authority,  assembled  together  on  this  occasion  in  an  obscure 
chamber,  and  concluded  that  both  a  Divine  and  Human  prin- 
ciple should  be  attributed  to  the  Lord,  principally  on  the  ac- 
count, that  otherwise  the  papal  chair  would  not  subsist.  For 
if  they  had  acknowledged  the  Lord  to  be  one  with  the  Father, 
as  He  Himself  saith,  it  would  have  been  impossible  that  any 
vicar  of  His  should  be  acknowledged  on  earth  ;  for  at  that  time 
there  existed  schisms,  whereby  the  papal  power  might  have 
been  brought  to  decay  and  dissipated,  unless  they  had  drawn 
this  distinction :  to  corroborate  the  above  decree,  they  sought 
confirming  proofs  from  the  Word,  and  persuaded  the  rest  (of 
the  council).  They  added,  that  hereby  they  could  have  domin- 
ion in  heaven  and  on  earth,  because  they  had  [information]  from 
the  Word,  that  to  the  Lord  was  given  all  power  in  the  heavens 
and  in  the  earth ;  which  could  not  be  attributed  to  any  vicar, 
if  the  Human  principle  was  also  acknowledged  to  be  Divine : 
for  they  knew  that  no  one  was  allowed  to  make  himself  equal 
to  God,  and  that  the  Divine  principle  had  the  above  power  of 
itself,  but  not  the  Human,  unless  it  was  given  to  it,  as  also  after- 
wards to  Peter.  They  said,  that  the  schismatics  at  that  time 
were  men  of  much  discernment  and  ingenuity,  and  that  thus 
they  could  keep  them  quiet ;  and  that  hereby  also  the  papal 
power  was  confirmed.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  above  dis- 
tinction was  invented  only  for  the  sake  of  dominion  ;  and  there- 
fore they  were  not  willing  to  know  that  the  power  given  to  the 
Lord's  Human  principle  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earths,  man- 
ifestly shows  that  it  also  is  Divine.  And  that  by  Peter,  to 
whom  the  keys  of  the  heavens  were  given  by  the  Lord,  is  not 
meant  Peter,  but  the  faith  of  charity  ;  which,  as  being  from 
the  Lord  alone,  is  the  power  of  the  Lord  alone,  see  the  preface 
to  the  twenty-second  chapter  of  Genesis. 

4739.  Verses  23  to  30.  And  it  came  to  pass,  wlien  Joseph 
was  come  to  his  brethre?i,  thai  they  stripped  Joseph  of  his  coat, 
the  coat  of  various  colours  which  was  upon  him  ;  and  they  took 
him  and  cast  him  into  the  pit:  and  the  pit  was  empty,  there 
was  no  water  in  it.  And  they  sat  down  to  eat  bread;  and  they 
lifted  up  their  eyes  and  looked,  and  behold,  a  company  of 
Ishmaelites  came  from  Gilead,  and  their  camels  bearing  spices, 
and  balm,  and  myrrh,  going  to  carry  down  to  Egypt.  And 
Judah  said  unto  his  brethren,  What  gain  is  it  that  we  slay  our 
brother,  and  cover  his  blood  ?  Come,  and  let  us  sell  him  to  the 
Ishmaelites,  and  let  not  our  hand  be  upon  him  f  for  he  is  our 
brother,  our  flesh:  and  his  brethren  hearkened.  And  there 
yassed  by  men,  Midianites,  traders ;  and  they  dre  w  out,  and 
caused  Joseph  to  come  up  out  of  the  pit,  and  they  sold  Joseph 
to  the  Ishmaelites  for  twenty  [pieces]  of  silver  ;  and  theybroug/U 


4739,  4740.] 


GENESIS. 


335 


Joseph  into  Egypt.  And  Reuben  returned  unto  the  pit  •  and 
behold  !  Joseph  was  not  in  the  pit :  and  he  rent  his  garments. 
And  he  returned  unto  his  brethren,  and  said,  The  son  is  no 
more;  and  I,  whither  do  I  come  ?  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
Joseph  was  come  unto  his  brethren,  signifies  when  predication 
was  made  concerning  him :  that  they  stripped  Joseph  of  his 
coat,  signifies  that  they  shook  oft'  the  appearances  of  truth  and 
annihilated  them  :  the  coat  of  various  colours,  which  was  upon 
him,  signifies  the  quality  of  appearances  as  to  truths  derived 
from  good  :  and  they  took  him,  and  cast  him  into  the  pit,  sig- 
nifies amongst  falses  :  and  the  pit  was  empty,  there  was  no 
water  in  it,  signifies  that  there  was  then  nothing  true  :  and  they 
sat  down  to  eat  bread,  signifies  the  appropriation  of  evil  de- 
rived from  the  false  [principle]  :  and  they  lifted  up  their  eyes 
and  looked,  signifies  further  thought :  and,  behold  !  a  company 
of  Ishmaelites  came  from  Gilead,  signifies  those  who  are  in 
simple  good,  such  as  prevails  amongst  the  Gentiles :  and  their 
camels  bearing  spices,  and  balm,  and  myrrh,  signifies  interior 
natural  truths  :  going  to  carry  clown  to  Egypt,  signifies  instruc- 
tion in  scientifics  :  and  Judah  said  unto  his  brethren,  signifies 
the  depraved  in  the  church,  who  are  against  all  good  whatso- 
ever :  What  gain  is  it  that  we  slay  our  brother,  and  cover  his 
blood  ?  signifies  that  hence  would  be  nothing  profitable,  and  no 
elevation,  if  this  should  be  altogether  extinguished  :  come,  and 
let  us  sell  him  to  the  Ishmaelites,  signifies  that  they  who  are 
in  simple  good  acknowledge  him  :  and  let  not  our  hand  be 
upon  him,  signifies  that  they  may  be  without  blame  :  for  he  is 
our  brother,  our  flesh,  signifies  because  what  is  from  them  is 
accepted  :  and  his  brethren  hearkened,  signifies  condescension  : 
and  there  passed  by  'men,  Midianites,  traders,  signifies  those 
who  are  in  the  truth  of  that  good :  and  they  drew  out,  and 
caused  Joseph  to  come  up  out  of  the  pit,  signifies  aid  from  them 
that  he  might  not  be  amongst  falses :  and  they  sold  Joseph  to 
the  Ishmaelites,  signifies  reception  by  those  who  are  in  simple 
good,  and  alienation  by  those  who  are  in  faith  separate  from 
charity  :  for  twenty  pieces  of  silver,  signifies  estimation  :  and 
they  brought  Joseph  into  Egypt,  signifies  consultation  from 
scientifics  :  and  Reuben  returned  unto  the  pit,  signifies  the  faith 
of  the  church  in  general :  and,  behold  !  Joseph  was  not  in  the 
pit,  signifies  that  there  was  no  longer  any  faith  :  and  he  rent  his 
garments,  signifies  mourning :  and  he  returned  to  his  brethren, 
signifies  those  who  teach  :  and  said,  The  son  is  no  more,  sig- 
nifies that  there  was  no  faith  in  him  :  and  I,  whither  clo  I  come  ? 
signifies  where  now  is  the  church. 

4740.  Ver.  23.  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Joseph  was 
come  unto  his  brethren." — That  hereby  is  signified  when  pre- 
dication was  made  concerning  him,  appears  from  the  represent- 
ation of  Joseph,  as  denoting  Divine  Truth,  especially  concerning 


336 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle.  When  this  is  said  to  come 
to  them,  it  denotes  that  it  is  predicated  to  them  ;  for  his  brethren 
represent  the  church  which  is  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  to 
whom  it  is  predicated. 

4741.  "  That  they  stripped  Joseph  of  his  coat." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  they  shook  off  the  appearances  of  truth,  and 
annihilated  them,  appears  (L)  from  the  signification  of  stripping, 
when  predicated  of  Divine  Truth,  which  in  this  case  is  Joseph, 
as  denoting  to  shake  off,  and  also  to  annihilate  ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  the  coat,  because  it  was  of  various  colours, 
as  denoting  the  appearances  of  truth,  see  n.  4677.  The  shaking 
off  and  annihilating  the  appearances  of  truth  is  effected  after 
the  truth  itself  has  been  rejected  ;  for  the  truth  itself  from  itself 
shines  forth  in  the  minds  ;  and  howsoever  it  is  extinguished, 
appears,  especially  with  those  who  are  in  good.  This  also  is 
clearly  seen  by  those  who  have  annihilated  truth  in  themselves, 
wherefore  also  they  endeavour  to  shake  off  and  annihilate  those 
appearances.  '  The  case  may  be  illustrated  by  the  following 
instance :  Who  does  not  see  that  to  will  well  and  to  do  well 
constitutes  the  very  essential  Christian  life  ?  And  if  any  one 
be  told  that  this  is  charity,  he  cannot  but  affirm  it ;  yea,  they 
who  affirm  it  to  be  charity  will  say  that  they  know  that  it  is, 
because  it  is  of  the  life  :  but  to  think  that  this  or  that  is  truth, 
even  from  confidence,  as  they  are  willing  to  do  who  are  in  faith 
separate  from  charity,  of  this  they  will  say  that  they  do  not 
know  what  it  is,  for  they  have  no  other  perception  concerning 
it,  than  as  of  smoke  which  vanishes  away.  As  faith  alone, 
and  consequent  confidence,  appears  of  such  a  nature  to  all  per- 
sons whomsoever  who  think  seriously  about  it,  and  especially 
to  the  good,  therefore  they  labour  to  shake  off  and  annihilate 
those  appearances  also,  by  thus  removing  whatsoever  touches 
nearer  [pi'opi/us  tangit\  and  whatsoever  is  in  the  circuit ;  this 
is  signified  by  stripping  Joseph  of  the  coat  which  was  upon 
him.  The  same  persons  also  believe  that  those  arc  wiser  than 
the  rest  of  mankind,  who  by  various  arguments  can  confirm  a 
doctrinal  tenet  once  received,  whatsoever  be  its  quality,  and  by 
various  reasonings  make  it  appear  like  the  truth  :  but  this  is 
very  far  from  the  part  of  a  wise  man,  as  it  is  in  the  power  of 
every  one  to  do  so  who  is  distinguished  by  any  talent  for  in- 
genuity ;  yea,  the  wicked  can  do  it  with  more  subtlety  than 
the  well-disposed ;  for  the  rational  man  does  not  act  in  this 
manner,  because  he  can  see,  as  from  a  superior  principle, 
whether  that  which  is  confirmed  be  true  or  talse ;  and  as  he 
sees  this,  he  makes  no  account  of  the  confirmatives  of  the  false, 
and  regards  them  in  himself  as  no  otherwise  than  ludicrous  and 
vain  things,  howsoever  another  person  believes  them  to  be 
selected  and  brought  from  the  school  of  wisdom  itself. '  In  ft 
word,  nothing  is  less  the  part  of  a  wise  man,  yea,  nothing  is 


4741,  4742.] 


GENESIS. 


337 


less  rational,  than  to  be  able  to  confirm  falses  ;  for  it  is  the  part 
of  a  -wise  man,  and  it  is  rational,  first  to  see.  that  a  thing  is  true, 
and  next  to  confirm  it ;  because  to  see  truth,  is  to  see  from  the 
light  of  heaven,  which  is  from  the  Lord  ;  whereas  to  see  false  as 
truth,  is  to  see  from  a  delusive  light,  which  is  from  hell. 

4742.  "  The  coat  of  various  colours,  which  was  upon  him." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  the  quality  of  appearances  as  to  truths 
derived  from  good,  appears,  from  the  signification  of  the  coat  of 
various  colours,  as  denoting  the  appearances  of  truth,  whereby 
the  spiritual  principle  of  the  natural  is  known  and  distinguished, 
see  n.  4677  ;  in  the  present  case,  therefore,  it  denotes  the 
quality  of  appearances  ;  wherefore  also  mention  is  twice  made 
of  the  coat,  "  They  stripped  Joseph  of  his  coat,  the  coat  of 
various  colours."  That  the  quality  of  appearances  is  according 
to  the  truths  derived  from  good,  may  be  manifest  from  the 
appearances  of  truth,  when  presented  to  view  in  the  light  of 
heaven,  that  is,  in  the  other  life  ;  where  there  is  no  other  light 
than  that  which  comes  through  heaven  from  the  Lord,  and  which 
exists  from  His  Divine  Truth ;  for  before  the  eyes  of  the  angels 
this  appears  as  light,  see  n.  2776,  3190,  3195,  3222,  3339, 
3340,  3636,  3643,  3993,  4302,  4413,  4415.  This  light  is  varied 
with  every  one  according  to  its  reception ;  all  the  thought  of 
the  angels  is  effected  by  the  variation  of  that  light,  as  also  is 
the  thought  of  man,  notwithstanding  man's  ignorance  of  it ; 
because  with  man  that  fight  falls  into  material  images  or  ideas, 
which,  being  derived  from  the  fight  of  the  world,  are  in  his 
natural  or  external  man.  Hence  that  fight  is  obscured  in  man 
to  such  a  degree,  that  he  scarce  knows  that  his  intellectual  light 
and  sight  is  thence  derived  ;  but  in  the  other  life,  when  the 
sight  of  the  eye  is  no  longer  in  the  fight  of  the  world,  but  in  the 
fight  of  heaven,  it  then  manifests  itself  that  his  thought  is  from 
thence.  When  this  light  passes  from  heaven  into  the  world  of 
spirits,  it  is  there  presented  under  the  appearance  of  various 
colours,  which,  in  beauty,  variety,  and  pleasantness,  immensely 
exceed  the  colours  from  the  light  of  this  world ;  see  what  was 
adduced  above  from  exjierience  concerning  colours,  n.  1053, 
1624,  3993,  4530,  4677.  As  colours  in  the  other  life  exist  from 
this  source,  they  are  in  their  origin  nothing  else  than  the 
appearances  of  truth  from  good  ;  for  truth  of  itself  is  not  lucid, 
because  in  it  singly  there  is  nothing  flaming  ;  but  it  is  lucid 
from  good,  for  good  is  like  flame  from  which  light  is  derived  : 
such,,  therefore,  as  the  good  is,  such  does  the  truth  thence  ap- 
pear ;  and  such  as  the  truth  is,  in  such  manner  and  degree  is  it 
lucid  from  good.  Hence  it  is  evident  what  is  signified  in  tfie 
internal  sense  by  a  coat  of  various  colours,  viz.,  the  quality  of 
the  appearances  of  truth  from  good  :  for  by  Joseph,  to  whom 
the  coat  belonged,  is  represented  the  Divine  Truth,  as  has  been 
shown  above. 


vol.  v. 


22 


338 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


4743.  Yer.  24.  "  And  tliey  took  him  and  cast  him  into  the 
pit." — That  hereby  is  signified  amongst  falses,  appears  from 
what  was  said  above,  n.  4728,  4736,  where  similar  words  occur. 

4744.  "  And  the  pit  was  empty,  there  was  no  water  in  it." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  that  there  was  then  nothing  true, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  pit,  as  denoting  falses, 
see  n.  4728 ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  empty,  as  denoting 
where  there  is  nothing  true,  because  nothing  good,  of  which 
we  shall  speak  presently ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of 
water,  as  denoting  truth,  see  n.  680,  739,  2702,  3058,  3424. 
That  "  empty"  denotes  where  there  is  nothing  true,  because 
nothing  good,  appears  also  from  other  passages  in  the  Word  ; 
as  from  Jeremiah,  "  Their  nobles  have  sent  their  little  ones  for 
toaters :  they  came  to  the  pits,  and  did  not  find  wafers  :  they 
returned  with  their  vessels  empty  :  they  were  ashamed  and  con- 
founded, they  covered  their  head,"  xiv.  3  ;  empty  vessels  de- 
note truths  in  which  there  is  not  truth  from  good.  Again,  "  He 
hath  devoured  me,  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  of  Babel  hath 
disturbed  me,  he  hath  made  me  an  empty  vessel,  he  hath  swal- 
lowed me  up,"  li.  34 ;  an  empty  vessel  denotes  where  there  is 
no  truth  ;  Babel  denotes  those  who  vastate,  that  is,  deprive 
others  of  truths,  n.  1327.  Again,  "  I  beheld  the  earth,  and,  lo, 
it  was  void  and  empty  ;  and  the  heavens,  and  they  had  no 
light,"  iv.  23.  Aud  in  Isaiah,  "  The  cormorant  and  the  bittern 
shall  possess  it ;  the  owl  also  and  the  raven  shall  dwell  therein  : 
and  they  shall  stretch  over  it  the  line  of  emptiness,  and  the 
plumb-line  of  vacuity,"  xxxiv.  11.  Again,  "  The  city  of  empti- 
ness shall  be  broken  ;  every  house  shall  be  shut  up,  that  no 
man  may  come  in.  There  shall  be  a  cry  over  wine  in  the 
streets  ;  the  joy  of  the  earth  shall  be  banished,  what  is  left  in 
the  city  shall  be  desolation,"  xxiv.  10,  11,  12  ;  in  this  passage 
emptiness  is  expressed  by  another  term  in  the  original  tongue, 
which  yet  involves  a  like  signification  :  that  emptiness  denotes 
where  there  is  no  truth  because  no  good,  is  evident  from  each 
of  the  things  mentioned  in  the  internal  sense,  viz.,  from  the  sig- 
nification of  a  city,  of  a  house,  of  a  cry,  of  wine,  and  of  streets. 
So  in  Ezekiel,  "  The  Lord  Jehovah  saith,  Wo  to  the  city  of 
bloods  !  even  I  will  make  a  great  fire,  .  .  .  placing  the  pot  empty 
upon  the  coals,  that  the  brass  of  it  may  grow  warm  and  hot, 
and  the  uncleanness  of  it  may  melt  in  it,  the  scum  of  it  may 
be  consumed,"  xxiv.  9,  11  ;  in  this  passage  it  is  evident  what 
is  meant  by  empty  ;  an  empty  pot  is  that  in  which  is  unclean- 
ness and  scum,  that  is,  evil  and  false.  In  like  manner,  in  Mat- 
thew, "  When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man,  he 
walketh  through  dry  places,  seeking  rest,  but  findeth  none. 
Then  he  saith,  I  will  return  into  my  house  from  whence  I  camo 
out  ;  aud  when  he  cometh,  he  findeth  it  empty,  swept,  and  gar- 
nished.    Then  he  goeth,  and  taketh  to  himself  seven  other 


4743—4747.] 


GENESIS. 


339 


spirits  more  wicked  than  himself,  and  they  enter  in  and  dwell 
there,"  xii.  43,  44,  45  ;  the  unclean  spirit  denotes  uncleanness 
of  life  in  man,  and  also  the  unclean  spirits  who  are  attendant 
upon  him.  for  unclean  spirits  dwell  in  the  uncleanness  of  man's 
life  ;  dry  places,  or  where  are  no  waters,  denote  where  are  no 
truths ;  the  house  being  empty  denotes  the  interiors  of  man 
again  replete  with  uncleamicsses,  that  is,  with  falses  derived  from 
evil.  So  in  Luke,  "God  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things, 
and  the  rich  he  hath  sent  empty  aicay,"  i.  53  ;  the  rich  denote 
those  who  know  several  things,  for  riches  in  the  spiritual  sense 
are  scientifics,  doctrinals,  and  the  knowledges  of  good  and 
truth  ;  they  are  called  the  empty  rich,  who  know  those  things, 
and  do  not  do  them  ;  for  truths  to  such  are  not  truths,  because 
without  good,  n.  4736. 

4745.  Ver.  25.  "And  they  sat  down  to  eat  bread." — That 
hereby  is  signified  the  appropriation  of  evil  derived  from  the 
false  principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  eating,  as 
denoting  appropriation,  see  n.  3168,  3513,  3596,  3832  ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  bread,  as  denoting  the  good  of  love, 
see  n.  276,  680,  2165,  2177,  3464,  3478,  3735,^3813,  4211,  4217, 
4735  ;  and  also  as  denoting  in  general  all  food,  n.  2165 ;  but 
here  bread  denotes  the  contraiy,  viz.,  evil ;  for  it  is  a  known 
thing,  that  they  who  eat  bread  in  the  Holy  Supper  unworthily, 
do  not  appropriate  to  themselves  good,  but  evil ;  hence  it  is 
evident,  that  by  eating  bread,  in  the  contrary  sense,  is  signified 
the  appropriation  of  evil.  Amongst  the  ancients,  when  they 
made  any  remarkable  decree,  which  was  confirmed  by  the  rest, 
it  was  customary  on  such  occasions  to  eat  together ;  by  which 
was  signified  that  they  approved,  and  thereby  that  they  appro- 
priated it  to  themselves  ;  as  in  Ezekiel,  "  Behold,  the  princes  of 
Israel,  every  one  according  to  his  arm,  have  been  in  thee,  and 
have  shed  blood.  .  .  .  Men  of  slanders  have  been  in  thee  to 
shed  blood  ;  and  in  thee  they  have  eaten  together  upon  the  moun- 
tains," xxii.  6,  9.  Moreover,  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  there  are 
in  general  two  origins  of  evil,  one  from  life,  the  other  from 
doctrine ;  that  which  is  derived  from  the  doctrine  of  false,  is 
called  evil  originating  in  false ;  this  is  the  evil  which  is  here 
meant. 

4746.  "And  they  lifted  up  their  eyes  and  looked." — That 
hereby  is  signified  further  thought,  a])pears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  lifting  up  the  eyes  and  looking,  as  denoting  intention 
and  thought,  or  intense  thought,  see  n.  2789,  2829,  3198,  3202, 
4339  ;  that  it  here  denotes  further  thought,  is  evident  from  the 
series. 

4747.  "  And,  behold !  a  company  of  Ishmaehtes  came  from 
Gilead." — That  hereby  are  signified  those  who  are  in  simple 
good,  such  as  prevails  amongst  the  Gentiles,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  representation  of  the  Ishmaelites,  as  denoting  those  who  are 


340 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


in  simple  good  as  to  life,  and  thence  in  natural  truth  as  to  doc- 
trine, see  n.  3263 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  Gilead,  as 
denoting  exterior  good,  by  which  man  is  first  initiated  when 
he  is  regenerating,  see  n.  4117,  4124.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that 
by  a  company  of  Ishmaelites  from  Gilead,  is  signified  such  good 
as  prevails  amongst  the  Gentiles  ;  that  is,  those  who  are  in  such 
simple  good.  How  this  case  is,  may  appear  from  what  has  been 
already  said,  and  from  the  sequel.  Only  it  may  be  expedient 
to  premise,  that  those  within  the  church  who  have  confirmed 
themselves  against  divine  truths,  especially  against  these,  that 
the  Lord's  Human  principle  is  Divine,  and  that  works  of  char- 
ity contribute  to  salvation,  if  they  have  confirmed  themselves 
against  these  tenets,  not  only  by  doctrine  but  also  by  life, 
have  reduced  themselves  to  such  a  state  as  to  the  interiors,  that 
afterwards  they  cannot  by  any  means  be  brought  to  receive 
those  truths  ;  for  the  things  which  are  once  confirmed  by  doc- 
trine, and  at  the  same  time  by  life,  remain  for  ever.  They  who 
do  not  know  the  interior  state  of  man,  may  suppose  that  eveiy 
one,  howsoever  he  had  coafirmed  himself  against  the  above 
truths,  might  yet  afterwards  easily  receive  them,  if  he  was  only 
convinced ;  but  that  this  is  impossible,  it  has  been  given  me  to 
know  from  such  in  the  other  life  by  abundant  experience.  For 
that  which  is  confirmed  by  doctrine,  gives  a  taint  to  the  intel- 
lectual principle  ;  and  that  which  is  confirmed  by  life,  gives  a 
taint  to  the  wall-principle  ;  and  that  which  is  rooted  into  each 
life  of  man  (viz.,  the  life  of  his  understanding,  and  the  life  of 
his  will),  cannot  be  rooted  out,  since  the  very  soul  of  man,  which 
fives  after  death,  is  formed  thereof,  and  is  such  as  in  no  case  to 
recede  from  them.  This  also  is  the  reason  why  the  lot  of  those 
within  the  church,  with  whom  this  is  the  case,  is  worse  than  the 
lot  of  those  who  are  out  of  the  church  ;  for  the  latter,  who  are 
called  Gentiles,  have  not  confirmed  themselves  against  those 
truths,  because  they  have  not  known  them  ;  wherefore  such  of 
them  as  have  lived  in  mutual  charity,  easily  receive  divine 
truths,  if  not  in  the  world,  yet  in  the  other  life  ;  see  what  was 
adduced  from  experience  concerning  the  state  and  lot  of  the 
Gentiles  and  people  in  the  other  life,  n.  2589  to  2604.  Hence, 
when  any  new  church  is  established  by  the  Lord,  it  is  not  estab- 
lished amongst  those  who  are  within  the  church,  but  amongst 
those  who  are  without ;  that  is,  amongst  the  Gentiles,  who 
therefore  are  frequently  treated  of  in  the  Word.  These  things 
are  premised  in  order  that  it  may  be  known  what  is  involved 
by  Joseph  being  cast  into  a  pit  by  his  brethren,  and  drawn 
out  from  thence  by  the  Midianites,  and  sold  to  the  Ishmaelites ; 
for  Joseph's  brethren  represent  those  within  the  church  who 
have  continued  themselves  against  the  Divine  Truth,  especially 
against  these  two  truths,  that  the  Lord's  Human  principle  is 
Divine,  and  that  works  of  charity  contribute  to  salvation ;  and 


4748.] 


GENESIS. 


341 


this  not  only  by  doctrine,  but  also  by  life  ;  but  the  Ishmaelites 
represent  those  who  are  in  simple  good,  and  the  Midianites 
those  who  are  in  the  truth  of  that  good  ;  it  is  related,  that  the 
latter  drew  Joseph  out  of  the  pit,  and  that  the  former  bought 
him.  But  what  is  signified  by  their  bringing  him  down  into 
Egypt,  and  there  selling  him  to  Potiphar,  Pharaoh's  chamber- 
lain, will  be  shown  by  what  follows. 

4748.  "And  their  camels  bearing  spices,  and  balm,  and 
myrrh." — That  hereby  are  signified  interior  natural  things,  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  camels,  as  denoting  in  gen- 
eral, those  things  of  the  natural  man  which  are  serviceable  to 
the  spiritual,  and  specifically  general  scientifics  in  the  natural 
man,  see  n.  3048,  3071,  3114,  3143,  3145,  4156 ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  spices,  balm  or  resin,  and  myrrh,  as  denot- 
ing interior  natural  truths  conjoined  to  good  in  the  natural  prin- 
ciple, of  which  we  shall  speak  presently.  Amongst  the  ancients, 
things  of  a  sweet  fragrance  were  used  in  their  sacred  worship, 
whence  came  their  incenses  and  perfumes ;  similar  things  were 
also  mixed  in  the  oils  with  which  they  were  anointed ;  but  at 
this  day  it  is  not  known  in  what  this  custom  originated  ;  because 
it  is  not  known  that  the  things  used  in  worship  amongst  the 
ancients  derived  their  origin  from  spiritual  and  celestial  things, 
which  are  in  the  heavens,  and  that  they  corresponded  thereto : 
man  has  removed  himself  so  far  from  those  things  and  im- 
mersed himself  so  much  in  natural,  worldly,  and  corporeal 
things,  that  he  is  in  an  obscure  principle,  and  many  are  in  a 
negative  principle,  respecting  the  existence  of  any  thing  spirit- 
ual and  celestial.  Incenses  and  perfumes  were  applied  by  the 
ancients  to  sacred  purposes,  because  an  odour  corresponds  to 
perception,  a  fragrant  odour,  as  of  spices  of  various  kinds,  to 
a  grateful  and  agreeable  perception,  such  as  is  that  of  truth 
grounded  in  good,  or  of  faith,  grounded  in  charity  ;  yea,  such  is 
the  correspondence,  that  perceptions  themselves  in  the  other 
life,  as  often  as  it  pleases  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  odours ; 
see  what  was  shown  from  experience  on  this  subject,  in  n.  925, 
1514,  1517,  1518,  1519,  3577,  4624  to  4634.  What  is  here 
specifically  signified  by  spices,  balm,  and  myrrh,  may  appear 
from  other  passages  where  they  are  mentioned  ;  in  general  they 
signify  interior  truths  in  the  natural  principle,  but  which  are 
from  good  in  that  principle,  for  truths  by  themselves  do  not 
constitute  that  principle,  but  good  throiigh  truths ;  hence  its 
varieties  are  according  to  the  quality  of  truth  conjoined  with 
good,  consequently  according  to  the  quality  of  good,  for  good 
has  its  quality  from  truths.  As  by  Gilead  is  signified  exterior 
good,  such  as  that  of  the  things  of  sense,  and  what  is  called 
pleasurable  (n.  4117,  4124),  and  as  by  Egypt  in  a  good  sense  are 
signified  scientifics,  which  are  the  external  truths  of  the  natural 
man  corresponding  to  that  good,  or  agreeing  with  it  (n.  1462), 


342 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


therefore  by  the  Ishmaelites  from  Gilead  carrying  those  spices 
to  Egj^pt  upon  camels,  is  signified  that  they  carried  their  inte- 
rior truths,  derived  from  their  scientifics,  to  the  scientifics  sig- 
nified by  Egypt,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently.  Interior 
truths  are  conclusions  from  exterior  truths  or  scientifics,  for  the 
scientifics  of  the  natural  man  are  means  serviceable  for  forming 
conclusions  upon,  and  thereby  viewing  interior  things  ;  in  the 
same  way  as  any  one  views  the  mind  [animum]  of  another  in 
his  countenance,  in  the  vibration  of  the  light  of  his  eyes,  in  the 
life  of  the  tone  of  his  speech  in  speaking,  and  of  his  gestures  in 
acting.  As  such  truths  are  the  means  whereby  man's  natural 
principle  is  purified  and  improved,  therefore  healing  is  ascribed 
to  spices  of  this  sort,  as  to  balm,  in  Jeremiah,  "  7s  there  no 
balm  in  Gilead  ?  Is  there  no  physician  there  ?  Why  then  doth 
not  the  health  of  the  daughter  of  my  people  go  up  ?"  viii.  22. 
Again,  "  Go  up  into  Gilead,  and  take  balm,  O  virgin  daughter 
of  Egypt :  in  vain  hast  thou  multiplied  medicines  ;  there  is 
no  healing  for  thee,"  xlvi.  11.  Again,  "  Babel  fell  suddenly, 
and  was  broken  to  pieces  :  howl  over  her  ;  take  balm  for  her 
pain,  if  so  be  she  may  be  healed,"  li.  8.  That  similar  things 
have  a  spiritual  signification,  is  very  manifest  in  the  Revelation, 
"  The  merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep,  and  mourn  over  Ba- 
bylon, for  no  man  buyeth  their  merchandise  any  more  ;  mer- 
chandise of  gold,  and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls,  and 
fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  silk,  and  scarlet,  and  all  thyine  tcood, 
and  every  vessel  of  ivory,  and  every  vessel  of  most  precious 
tcood,  and  of  brass,  and  iron,  and  marble,  and  cinnamon,  and 
perfumes,  and  ointments,  and  frankincense,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and 
fine  flour,  and  wheat,  and  beasts,  and  sheep,  and  horses,  and  cha- 
' riot  's,  and  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men,"  xviii.  11  to  13.  These 
things  would  never  have  been  enumerated  so  specifically,  unless 
they  had  each  of  them  signified  such  things  as  are  in  the  Lord's 
kingdom  and  in  his  church;  for  without  such  a  signification, 
they  would  have  been  unmeaning  expressions.  It  is  well  known, 
that  bv  Babylon  are  signified  those  who  have  turned  aside  all 
worship  of  the  Lord  to  the  worship  of  self,  and  who  in  conse- 
quence thereof  are  in  a  profane  internal  principle  whilst  they 
are  in  a  holy  external  principle ;  wherefore  by  their  merchan- 
dise are  signified  those  things  which  they  have  studiously  and 
artfullv  invented,  with  a  view  to  self-worship  ;  also  the  doctri- 
nals  and  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  from  the  Word,  which 
they  have  perverted  in  favour  of  themselves  :  thus  by  each  of 
the  things  enumerated  above,  such  things  are  specifically  sig- 
nified ;  and  by  cinnamon,  perfumes,  ointments,  and  frankin- 
cense, are  signified  truths  derived  from  good,  but  in  this  case 
truths  perverted  and  falses  derived  from  evil.  In  like  manner 
as  to  what  is  said  of  the  wares  of  Tyre  in  Ezekiel,  " Judah  and 
the  land  of  Israel  were  thy  traders  in  wheat  of  Minnith,  aud 


1749,  4750.] 


GENESIS. 


343 


Pannag,  in  honey,  and  oil,  and  resin,  they  gave  thy  trading," 
xxvii.  17 ;  in  this  passage  also  by  resin,  or  balm,  is  signified 
truth  grounded  in  good.  To  him  who  does  not  believe  in  the 
internal  sense  of  the  Word,  all  the  above  things  will  be  bare 
expressions,  thus  vessels  containing  nothing  within ;  when  yet 
divine,  celestial,  and  spiritual  things  are  in  them. 

4749.  "  Going  to  carry  down  to  Egypt." — That  hereby  is 
signified  instruction  in  scientifics,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  Egypt}  as  denoting  scientifics,  see  n.  1164,  1165,  1462  ;  and 
as  by  spices,  balm,  and  myrrh,  are  signified  interior  truths 
grounded  in  the  scientifics  of  those  who  are  in  simple  good,  such 
as  prevails  amongst  the  Gentiles,  therefore  by  going  to  carry 
down  thither  is  signified  to  be  instructed.  The  case  herein  is 
this  :  the  scientifics,  signified  by  Egypt,  are  scientifics  which 
Conduce  to  spiritual  life,  and  correspond  to  spiritual  truths  ;  for 
formerly  the  ancient  church  was  in  Egypt,  but  after  it  was  there 
turned  into  magic,  the  scientifics  which  pervert  spiritual  tilings 
were  signified  by  Egypt.  Hence  it  is  that  scientifics  in  a  good 
sense,  and  in  the  opposite,  are  signified  in  the  Word  by  Egypt, 
see  n.  1164,  1165,  1462  ;  in  the  present  case,  in  a  good  sense. 
The  scientifics  from  which  the  interior  truths  are  derived,  which 
are  signified  by  the  Ishniaelites  carrying  spices,  balm,  and 
myrrh,  on  their  camels,  are  such  as  are  not  of  the  church,  but 
prevail  amongst  the  Gentiles  ;  these  truths  derived  from  these 
scientifics  are  improved  and  healed  no  otherwise  than  by  the 
scientifics  of  the  genuine  church,  thus  by  instruction  therein. 
These  are  the  things  which  are  here  signified. 

4750.  Ver.  26.  "And  Judah  said  unto  his  brethren." — 
That  hereby  are  signified  the  depraved  in  the  church  who  are 
against  all  good  whatsoever,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representa- 
tion of  Judah,  as  denoting,  in  a  good  sense,  the  good  of  celestial 
love,  see  n.  3654,  3880,  3881,  but  in  the  opposition  sense  denot- 
ing contrary  to  aU  good  whatsoever,  of  which  representation  we 
shall  speak  presently ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  his 
brethren,  as  denoting  those  in  the  church  who  are  in  faith  sepa- 
rate from  charity.  The  reason  why  those  who  are  against  all 
good  whatsoever,  are  here  represented  by  Judah,  is,  because  in 
a  good  sense,  by  Judah  in  the  Word,  those  who  are  in  the  good 
of  celestial  love  are  represented  ;  celestial  love  is  love  to  the 
Lord,  and  hence  love  towards  the  neighbour.  Those  who  are 
principled  in  this  love  are  most  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and  thus 
in  the  inmost  heaven,  where  they  are  in  a  state  of  innocence,  in 
consequence  of  which  they  appear  to  the  rest  as  infants,  and 
altogether  as  loves  in  form  ;  no  others  can  approach  near  them, 
wherefore  when  they  are  sent  to  others,  they  are  surrounded  by 
other  angels,  by  whom  the  sphere  of  their  love  is  tempered ; 
otherwise  this  sphere  would  cause  those  to  whom  they  are  sent 
to  fall  into  a  swoon,  for  the  sphere  of  their  love  pervades  even 


344 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


to  the  meclxillaries.  As  this  love,  or  this  good  of  love,  which  is 
called  celestial,  is  here  represented  by  Jndah  in  a  good  sense, 
therefore  in  the  opposite  sense  such  a  principle  is  represented 
by  him  as  is  contrary  to  celestial  good,  thus  contrary  to  all  good 
whatsoever.  Most  expressions  in  the  Word  have  a  two-fold 
sense,  viz.,  a  good  sense  and  a  sense  opposite  thereto ;  from 
their  good  sense  it  is  known  what  is  their  opposite  sense,  for 
the  things  in  the  opposite  sense  are  diametrically  opposite  to 
those  in  the  good.  The  goods  of  love  are  in  general  two,  viz., 
the  good  of  celestial  love,  and  the  good  of  spiritual  love  ;  against 
the  good  of  celestial  love  in  the  opposite  is  the  evil  of  self-love, 
and  against  the  good  of  spiritual  love  in  the  opposite  is  the  evil 
of  the  love  of  the  world ;  they  who  are  in  the  evil  of  self-love, 
are  against  all  good  whatsoever,  but  not  so  they  who  are  in  the 
evil  of  the  love  of  the  world.  In  the  Word,  those  who  are  in 
self-love  are  represented  by  Judah  in  the  opposite  sense ;  and 
those  who  are  in  the  love  of  the  world,  by  Israel  in  the  opposite 
sense  ;  the  reason  is,  because  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom  was 
represented  by  Judah,  and  His  spiritual  kiugdom  by  Israel. 
The  hells  also  are  distinct  according  to  those  two  loves ;  as 
those  who  are  in  self-love  are  against  all  good  whatsoever,  they 
are  in  the  deepest  and  hence  in  the  most  grievous  hells ;  but 
they  who  are  in  the  love  of  the  world  are  in  hells  not  so  deep, 
and  hence  in  less  grievous,  because  they  are  not  so  contrary  to 
all  good  whatsoever.  The  evil  of  self-love  is  not,  as  it  com- 
monly appears,  the  external  elation  called  pride,  but  it  is  hatred 
agaiust  the  neighbour,  and  hence  a  burning  desire  of  revenge, 
and  the  delight  of  cruelty  ;  these  are  the  interiors  of  self-love, 
its  exteriors  are  contempt  of  others  in  comparison  with  itself, 
and  aversion  towards  those  who  are  in  spiritual  good,  and  this 
sometimes  with  a  manifest  elation  or  pride,  and  sometimes 
without  it :  for  he  who  holds  his  neighbour  in  such  hatred, 
interiorly  loves  himself  alone,  and  only  others  whom  he  regards 
as  one  with  himself,  thus  them  in  himself,  and  himself  in  them, 
with  a  view  to  himself  alone  as  the  end.  Such  are  they  who  are 
represented  by  Judah  in  the  opposite  sense  ;  the  Jewish  nation 
also  has  been  principled  in  such  love  from  the  earliest  times, 
for  they  have  regarded  all  in  the  universe  as  the  vilest  slaves, 
and  as  of  no  account  in  respect  to  themselves ;  they  have  also 
held  them  in  hatred,  and  what  is  more,  when  self-love  and  the 
love  of  the  world  have  not  joined  them  mutually  together,  they 
have  persecuted  even  their  companions  and  brethren  with  simi- 
lar hatred.  This  disposition  still  continues  in  that  nation,  bul 
as  they  now  live  a  precarious  life  in  the  hands  of  strangers,  they 
conceal  it  deep  within  themselves. 

4751.  "  What  gain  is  it  that  we  slay  our  brother,  and  covei 
his  blood?" — That  hereby  is  signified  that  hence  there  would 
be  nothing  profitable  and  hence  no  elevation,  if  this  should  be 


4751.] 


GENESIS. 


S45 


altogether  extinguished,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
what  gain,  as  denoting  that  hence  there  would  be  nothing 
profitable,  and  also  that  there  would  be  no  elevation,  of  which 
we  shall  speak  presently  ;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  slaying, 
as  denoting  to  extinguish,  in  the  present  case  to  extinguish 
divine  truth,  specifically  the  divine  truth  concerning  the  Lord's 
Human  principle,  which  is  meant  by  the  brother,  viz.,  Joseph  ; 
and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  covering  blood,  as  denoting 
altogether  to  hide  holy  truth  ;  that  blood  denotes  holy  truth, 
see  n.  4735.  How  this  case  is,  is  evident  from  what  follows-. 
The  reason  why  gain  here  signifies  not  only  what  is  profitable, 
but  also  elevation,  or  that  by  the  expression,  "  What  gain  is  it," 
is  signified,  that  hence  the /e  would  be  nothing  profitable  and 
no  elevation,  is,  because  it  was  said  from  lust  or  avarice  ;  for 
the  lust  of  gain  and  avarice  is  of  such  a  nature,  that  it  wishes 
not  only  to  possess  the  whole  world,  but  also  for  the  sake  of 
gain  to  plunder  every  one  whomsoever,  yea,  even  to  commit 
murder ;  and  it  likewise  would  commit  murder  for  a  trifle,  if 
the  laws  did  not  oppose  it.  Moreover,  in  the  gold  and  silver 
which  such  a  man  possesses,  he  regards  himself  as  the  greatest 
in  power,  howsoever  he  appears  to  do  otherwise  in  the  external 
form  ;  hence  it  is  evident,  that  in  avarice  there  is  not  only  the 
love  of  the  world,  but  alsj  self-love,  and  indeed  the  most  filthy 
self-love  ;  for  with  the  sordidly  avaricious,  elation  of  mind  or 
pride  is  not  so  conspicuous  outwardly,  since  in  some  cases  they 
are  not  concerned  about  wealth  for  the  sake  of  ostentation, 
neither  is  it  that  kind  of  self-love  which  is  usually  connected 
with  pleasures,  for  they  have  little  concern  about  the  body,  and 
its  food  and  clothing  ;  bat  it  is  a  love  altogether  earthly,  having 
nothing  for  its  end  but  money,  wherein  it  believes  itself  to  be 
above  all  others,  not  in  act  but  in  ability.  Hence  it  may  be  evi- 
dent, that  hi  avarice  there  is  the  lowest  and  the  vilest  of  all 
self-love  ;  wherefore  in  the  other  life  the  avaricious  appear  to 
themselves  to  be  among  swine  (n.  939)  ;  and  they  are,  above 
all  others,  contrary  to  all  good  whatsoever.  Hence  they  are  in 
such  thick  darkness  that  they  cannot  in  any  way  see  what  is 
good  and  true  ;  they  do  not  at  all  comprehend  that  man  has 
an}-  internal  principle  which  fives  after  death,  and  in  heart  they 
deride  those  who  assert  the  existence  of  such  a  principle.  The 
J ewish  nation  had  been  such  from  the  beginning  ;  wherefore  it 
was  impossible  for  any  internal  thing  to  be  discovered  mani- 
festly to  them,  as  is  evident  from  the  Old  Testament ;  and 
whereas  they  are  rooted  in  that  worst  kind  of  self-love,  they 
would  defile  interior  truths  and  goods,  and  would  thereby  pro- 
fane them  above  all  other  people,  unless  by  avarice  they  were 
so  far  removed  from  internal  things,  and  were  thence  kept  in 
thick  darkness,  for  they  cannot  profane  so  long  as  they  do  not 
acknowledge ;  see  n.  1008,  1010,  1059,  2051,  3398,  3402,  3489, 


346 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


3898,  4289,  4601.  Hence  it  is,  that  the  Lord  saith  of  them  in 
John,  "  Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your 
father  ye  will  to  do  :  he  was  a  murderer  from  the  beginning," 
viii.  44 ;  and  of  Judas  Iscariot,  who  represented  the  Jewish 
church,  "  Have  not  I  chosen  you  twelve,  but  one  of  you  is  a 
devil,"  vi.  70  ;  by  him  also,  in  that  he  sold  the  Lord,  the  same 
was  represented  as  here  by  Judah,  who  said,  Come  and  let  us 
sell  Joseph. 

4752.  Ver.  27.  "  Come,  and  let  us  sell  him  to  the  Ishmael- 
ites." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  they  who  are  in  simple  good 
acknowledge  him,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  selling, 
as  denoting  to  alienate  from  themselves,  thus  to  be  received  by 
others,  see  n.  4098,  which,  when  predicated  of  truth,  as  in  the 
present  case,  denotes  to  be  acknowledged  by  them  ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  representation  of  the  Ishmaelites,  as  denoting  those 
who  are  in  simple  good,  see  above,  n.  4747.  That  they  who  are 
in  simple  good  acknowledge  divine  truth,  especially  concerning 
the  Lord's  Divine  Human  principle,  has  been  shown  above. 

4753.  "  And  let  not  our  hand  be  upon  him." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  they  may  be  without  blame,  appears  froin  the 
signification  of  the  expression,  Let  not  a  hand  be  upon  any  one, 
as  denoting  that  violence  should  not  be  committed,  as  above,  n. 
4737  ;  and  as  the  preventing  of  violence  denotes  the  preventing 
of  blame,  this  also  is  signified  by  the  above  words. 

4754.  "  For  he  is  our  brother,  our  flesh." — That  hereby  is 
signified  because  what  is  from  them  is  accepted,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  brother,  as  denoting  consanguinity 
from  good,  see  n.  3815  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  flesh, 
as  denoting  the  selfhood  (proprium)  in  each  sense,  n.  3813; 
thus  that  it  was  accepted,  because  it  was'  accepted  by  those 
who  are  of  the  clmrch,  in  consequence  of  its  being  accepted  by 
those  who  are  in  simple  good  :  for  the  Ishmaelites  represent 
thoie  who  are  in  simple  good,  and  Joseph's  brethren  represent 
the  church  which  is  in  faith  separate  from  charity.  They  who 
are  in  simple  good,  acknowledge  that  the  Lord's  Human  prin- 
ciple is  Divine,  and  also  that  works  of  charity  ought  to  be  done, 
that  man  may  be  saved ;  they  who  are  in  faith  separate  from 
charity  know  this,  wherefore  they  do  not  eagerly  insist  on  this 
faith  before  every  one,  and  scarcely  at  all  before  those  who  are 
in  simple  good,  principally  because  they  dare  not  oppose  com- 
mon sense,  ami  because  they  would  thereby  derogato  from  their 
own  dignity  and  gain.  For  if  they  deniod  the  above  truths, 
those  who  are  in  simple  good  would  say  that  they  were  infatu- 
ated ;  for  they  know  what  love  is,  and  what  the  works  of  love, 
but  they  do  not  know  what  is  separate  therefrom ;  argu- 
mentations in  favour  of  faith  against  works,  and  concerning  the 
distinction  between  the  Lord's  Human  principle  and  the  Di- 
vine, they  would  call  sophisms  which  they  do  not  comprehend. 


4752—4758.] 


GENESIS. 


347 


Wherefore  they  willingly  concede,  that  they  and  what  is  from 
them  may  be  accepted  ;  for  if  those  truths  were  extinguished, 
they  would  have  no  profit  and  no  elevation,  see  n.  4751. 

4755.  "  And  his  brethren  hearkened." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified condescension,  appears  without  explanation. 

4756.  Ver.  28.  "  And  there  passed  by  men,  Midianites, 
traders." — That  hereby  are  signified  those  who  are  in  the  truth 
of  that  good,  appears  (1.)  from  the"  representation  of  Midianites, 
as  denoting  those  who  are  in  the  truth  of  simple  good,  see  n. 
3242  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  traders,  as  denoting 
those  who  have  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  for  these  in 
the  spiritual  sense  are  riches,  wealth,  and  wares ;  hence  to 
trade,  is  to  .procure  and  communicate  those  knowledges,  n. 
2967,  4453  ;  in  the  present  case  the  knowledges  of  good  are 
not  signified,  but  the  knowledges  of  truth,  for  the  Midianites  are 
they  who  are  in  the  truth  of  simple  good,  as  was  said  above ; 
hence  they  are  also  called  men  (viri),  for  they  are  so  called  who 
are  in  truth,  n.  3134,  3309.  Eroin  the  historical  series  it  is 
here  evident,  that  Joseph  was  sold  to  the  Ishmaehtes,  but  that 
he  was  drawn  out  of  the  pit  by  the  Midianites,  and  was  also 
sold  by  the  Midianites  into  Egypt  to  Potiphar ;  for  in  the  last 
verse  of  this  chapter  it  is  said,  "  And  the  Midianites  sold  him 
into  Egypt,  to  Potiphar,  Pharaoh's  chamberlain."  It  may  be 
conjectured,  inasmuch  as  Joseph  was  sold  to  the  Ishmaehtes, 
that  he  was  sold  into  Egypt  by  them,  and  not  by  the  Midianites ; 
but  still  it  was  so  done  for  the  sake  of  the  representation  of 
those  things  which  are  in  the  internal  sense  :  for  Joseph,  that 
is,  Divine  Truth,  cannot  be  sold  by  those  who  are  in  good,  but 
by  those  who  are  in  the  truth  of  that  good  ;  the  reason  will  be 
seen  in  the  explanation  of  the  last  verse  of  this  chapter. 

4757.  "  And  they  drew  out  and  caused  Joseph  to  come  up 
out  of  the  pit." — That  hereby  is  signified  aid  from  them,  that 
he  may  not  be  amongst  falses,  appears  (1.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  drawing  out  and  causing  to  come  up,  as  denoting  to 
liberate,  consequently  to  bring  aid,  of  which  we  shaU  speak 
presently ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  pit,  as  denoting 
falses,  see  n.  4728,  thus  that  he  may  not  be  amongst  falsest 
To  draw  out  and  cause  to  come  up,  here  denotes  to  bring  aid, 
because  it  is  truth  which  brings  aid  to  good ;  for  power  is  as- 
cribed to  truth,  inasmuch  as  good  exercises  power  by  truth, 
see  n.  3091,  3563 ;  and  moreover  it  is  truth  whereby  the  false 

rinciple  is  known,  thus  whereby  aid  is  brought  to  prevent 
eing  amongst  falses.    Hence  it  is  the  Midianites  who  drew 

out  and  caused  Joseph  to  come  up  out  of  the  pit ;  and  the 

Ishmaehtes  who  bought  him. 

4758.  "  And  they  sold  Joseph  to  the  Ishmaehtes." — That 
hereby  is  signified  reception  by  those  who  are  in  simple  good, 
and  alienation  by  those  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity, 


343 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


appears  from  the  signification  of  selling,  as  denoting  to  alienate, 
as  to  those  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  who  here  are 
Joseph's  brethren,  for  these  sold  him  ;  and  as  denoting  to  be 
received,  as  to  those  who  are  in  simple  good,  who  are  here  the 
Ishmaehtes,  for  these  bought  him ;  that  the  Ishmaehtes  are  they 
who  are  in  simple  good,  was  shown  above,  n.  3263,  4747.  Con- 
cerning these,  see  what  was  said  above,  n.  4756. 

4759.  "  For  twenty  [pieces]  of  silver." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified estimation,  appears  from  the  signification  of  twenty,  as 
denoting  good  and  truth  stored  up  in  the  interior  man  by  the 
Lord,  which  are  called  remains,  see  n.  2280,  thus  denoting  holy 
good  or  truth  ;  in  the  present  case  holy  truth,  because  it  is  said 
twenty  [pieces]  of  silver,  for  silver  denotes  truth,  see  n.  1551, 
2954 ;  the  same  number  also  signifies  what  is  not  holy,  since 
most  of  the  expressions  used  in  the  Word  have  an  opposite 
sense  also.  In  the  present  case,  twenty  denotes  what  is  not 
holy,  in  those  who  alienated  divine  truth,  or  sold  Joseph  (n. 
4758),  but  what  is  holy,  in  those  who  received  or  bought  it ; 
thus  what  is  not  holy  as  to  Joseph's  brethren,  or  those  in  the 
church  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity ;  but  what  is 
holy  in  respect  to  the  Ishmaehtes,  or  those  who  are  in  simple 
good  ;  these  are  the  things  which  are  understood  by  estimation. 
Twenty  also  signifies  what  is  not  holy,  because  this  number  de- 
notes remains,  as  was  said  above  :  with  those  who  have  no 
remains  of  good  and  truth  in  their  interior  man,  but  instead 
thereof  evil  and  false,  what  is  holy  is  not  holy,  but  is  either 
defiled  or  profaned  according  to  the  kind  of  evil  and  false. 
That  twenty  also  denotes  what  is  not  holy,  is  evident  in  Zech- 
ariah,  "  I  saw,  and  behold,  a  flying  roll.  And  he  said  unto 
me,  What  seest  thou  ?  And  I  answered,  I  see  a  flying  roll ; 
the  length  thereof  twenty  cubits,  the  breadth  thereof  ten  cubits. 
And  he  said  unto  me,  This  is  the  curse  going  forth  over 
the  faces  of  the  whole  earth,"  v.  1,  2,  3.  And  in  Haggai, 
"  When  he  came  to  the  wine-press  to  draw  fifty  from  the  wine- 
press, it  was  ticcnty.  I  have  smitten  you  with  blasting,  and 
all  the  Avork  of  your  hands  with  mildew,"  ii.  16.  And  in 
Ezekiel,  "  Thy  food  which  thou  shalt  eat  by  weight,  twenty 
shekels  a  day  ;  from  time  to  time  shalt  thou  eat  it.  .  .  .  And  as 
a  cake  of  barley  shalt  thou  eat  it ;  thou  shalt  bake  it  before 
their  eyes,  with  dung  of  the  ordure  of  man.  For  thus,  saith 
Jehovah,  shall  the  children  of  Israel  eat  their  unclean  bread 
amongst  the  nations,"  iv.  10,  12,  13.  In  the  above  passages 
twenty  denotes  that  which  is  unholy,  unclean,  and  profane. 
That  all  who  were  above  twenty  years  of  age,  should  die  in  the 
wilderness,  Numb.  xiv.  29  ;  xxxii.  11,  represented  also  what 
v,  as  holy  in  respect  to  those  who  were  beneath  those  years,  and 
v.  hat  was  not  holy  in  respect  to  those  who  were  above.  That 
all  numbers  in  the  Word  signify  things,  may  be  seen  in  n.  482, 


4759,  4760.] 


GENESIS. 


349 


487,  575,  647,  648,  755,  813,  1963,  1988,  2075,  2252,  4264,  4495, 
4670.  That  remains  are  good  and  truth  stored  up  in  the  interior 
man  by  the  Lord,  see  n.  468,  530,  560,  561,  576,  660,  798,  1050, 
1738,  1906,  2284. 

4760.  "  And  they  brought  Joseph  into  Egypt." — That  hereby 
is  signified  consultation  from  scientifics,  appears  from  the  sig- 
niiication  of  Egypt,  as  denoting  scientifics,  see  n.  1164,  1165, 
1186,  1462 ;  when  the  divine  truth  is  brought  to  these  scien- 
tifics, it  denotes  to  consult  them,  for  by  Joseph  as  was  shown 
above,  is  represented  the  divine  truth.  It  may  be  expedient 
briefly  to  explain  how  the  case  is  with  consultation  about  divine 
truth  from  scientifics  :  to  consult  scientifics  concerning  divine 
truth  is  to  see  from  them  whether  it  be  so ;  but  this  is  done 
in  one  way  by  those  who  are  in  the  affirmative  principle  that 
truth  is  truth,  and  in  another  way  by  those  who  are  in  the 
negative  principle  ;  when  the  former  considt  scientifics  they 
confirm  the  truth  by  them,  and  thereby  corroborate  faith ;  but 
when  the  latter  considt  scientifics  they  cast  themselves  the 
more  into  falses,  for  with  the  latter  a  negative  principle  rules, 
but  with  the  former,  an  affirmative.  Moreover,  the  case  herein 
is  according  to  every  man's  intellectual  facidty :  if  they  who 
have  not  superior  or  interior  intuition,  consult  scientifics,  they 
do  not  see  any  confirmation  of  truth  in  them,  wherefore  they 
are  carried  away  by  scientifics  into  the  negative  principle  ;  but 
they  who  have  superior  or  interior  intuition,  see  confirmations, 
by  correspondence  at  least,  if  not  otherwise.  As  for  example, 
in  the  case  of  this  truth,  that  man  lives  after  death  ;  when  they 
who  are  in  the  negative  that  this  is  true,  consult  scientifics, 
they  confirm  themselves  against  it  by  numberless  considerations, 
such  as  these,  that  the  brate  animals  five  in  like  manner,  have 
like  senses,  act  in  like  m  inner,  and  in  many  cases  with  more 
subtlety  than  man,  and  that  the  thinking  principle  Avith  which 
man  is  gifted  above  the  brutes,  is  such  as  he  procures  by  com- 
ing later  to  mature  age,  and  that  man  is  an  animal  of  this  sort ; 
and  they  confirm  these  idsas  from  a  thousand  other  considera- 
tions. Hence  it  is  evident;  that  if  they  who  are  in  the  negative 
principle  consult  scientifics,  they  cast  themselves  the  more  into 
falses,  and  at  length  to  such  a  degree  that  they  believe  nothing 
at  all  concerning  eternal  life.  But  when  they  consult  scientifics, 
who  are  in  the  affirmative,  that  it  is  true  that  man  lives  after 
death,  they  confirm  themselves  thereby,  and  this  also  by  in- 
numerable considerations  ;  for  they  see  that  every  single  thing 
in  nature  is  beneath  man,  and  that  the  brute  animals  act  from 
instinct,  and  man  from  reason ;  and  that  the  brutes  cannot  do 
otherwise  t  an  look  downwards,  but  that  man  can  look  up- 
wards, and  by  thought  comprehend  those  things  which  are  of 
the  spiritual  world,  and  also  be  affected  with  them  ;  yea,  he 
may  by  love  be  conjoined  to  God  Himself,  and  thereby  appro- 


350 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii 


priate  to  himself  life  from  tlie  Divine  ;  and  that  he  may  be  led 
and  elevated  thither,  is  the  reason  why  he  is  so  late  in  coming 
to  maturity  ;  and  besides  •  he  sees  confirmations  in  every  thing 
else  appertaining  to  nature  ;  and  at  length  in  universal  nature 
he  sees  the  representative  of  the  heavenly  kingdom.  It  is  a 
common  and  known  thing,  that  the  learned  have  less  belief  in 
a  life  after  death  than  the  simple,  and  that  in  general  they  see 
divine  truths  less  than  the  simple  :  the  reason  is,  because  they 
consult  scientifics,  which  they  possess  in  greater  abundance 
than  others,  from  a  negative  principle,  and  thereby  destroy  in 
themselves  intuition  from  a  superior  or  interior  principle  ;  and 
when  this  is  destroyed,  they  no  longer  see  any  thing  from  the 
light  of  heaven,  but  from  the  light  of  the  world,  for  scientifics 
are  in  the  light  of  the  world,  and  if  not  illuminated  by  the 
light  of  heaven,  they  induce  darkness,  howsoever  it  appears 
otherwise  to  themselves.  Hence  it  was  that  the  simple  believed 
in  the  Lord,  but  not  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  were  the 
learned  in  the  Jewish  nation  ;  as  is  evident  from  these  words 
in  John,  "  Many  of  the  people  heard  the  Word,  and  said,  Of 
a  truth,  this  is  the  Prophet.  Others  said,  This  is  the  Christ 
(Messiah)  ....  The  Pharisees  answered  him,  have  any  of  the 
rulers  or  of  the  Pharisees  believed  in  him  ?"  vii.  40,  47,  48. 

And  in  Luke,  "Jesus  said,  I  thank  thee,  O  Father.  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  that  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise 
and  prudent,  but  has  revealed  them  unto  infants,"  x.  21 ;  in- 
fants denote  the  simple.  Also  in  Matthew,  "  Therefore  speak 
I  to  them  by  parables ;  because  seeing  they  see  not,  and  hear- 
ing they  hear  not,  neither  do  they  understand,"  xiii.  13. 

4761.  Ver.  29.  "  And  Reuben  returned  unto  the  pit." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  the  faith  of  the  church  in  general,  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Reuben,  as  denoting  con- 
fession of  the  faith  of  the  church  in  general,  see  n.  4731,  4734 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  pit  as  denoting  falses,  see  n. 
4728.  Hence,  by  Reuben  returning  to  the  pit,  is  signified,  that 
the  faith  of  the  church  in  general  came  to  view  the  falses  which 
were  of  faith  separate  from  charity. 

4762.  "  And  behold,  Joseph  was  not  in  the  pit." — That 
hereby  is  signified  that  there  was  no  longer  any  faith,  appears 
from  the  representation  of  Joseph,  as  denoting  the  divine  truth, 
and  when  this  appeared  amongst  falses,  signilied  by  the  pit,  n. 
4728,  there  is  no  longer  any  faith. 

4763.  "  And  he  rent  his  garments." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied mourning,  appears  from  the  signification  of  rending  the 
garments,  as  denoting  mourning,  viz.,  on  account  of  truth  de- 
stroyed, or  because  there  was  no  faith.  In  the  Word,  especially 
in  the  historical  parts,  mention  is  frequently  made  of  rending 
the  garments ;  but  it  is  not  known  at  this  day  in  what  the  ex- 
pression is  grounded,  and  it  is  also  unknown  that  rending  the 


4761—4763.] 


GENESIS. 


351 


garments  was  representative  of  grief  on  account  of  truth  being 
lost.  This  representative  derived  its  origin  from  this  circum- 
stance, that  garments  signified  truths,  as  may  be  seen  in  n. 
4545 ;  in  the  latter  part  of  this  chapter  it  is  also  said,  that  when 
Jacob  recognised  his  son's  coat,  he  rent  his  garments  (verst 
34),  by  which  is  signified  mourning  on  account  of  truth  de- 
stroyed. In  like  manner  in  other  parts  of  the  Word,  as  wher 
Eabshakeh  was  sent  by  Sennacherib  king  of  Assyria,  and  spak( 
reproachfully  against  Jerusalem,  then  Eliakiui  who  was  ovei 
the  ldug's  house,  and  Shebna  the  scribe,  and  Joah  the  recorder 
having  rent  their  garments,  told-  those  things  to  king  Hezekiah 
and  when  he  had  heard,  the  king  also  rent  his  garments,  and 
covered  himself  with  sackcloth,  Isaiah  xxxvi.  22 ;  xxxvii.  1  ; 
2  Kings  xviii.  37 ;  xix.  1 ;  the  reproaches  which  he  spake  were 
against  God,  the  king,  and  Jerusalem,  thus  against  divine  truth, 
as  more  clearly  appears  from  the  internal  sense  of  the  passage  ; 
hence  the  garments  were  rent  through  mourning.  When  Je- 
hudi  had  read  the  roll  of  the  book  before  the  king,  which  Jere- 
miah wrote,  it  is  said  that  he  cast  it  into  the  fire,  and  the  king 
and  his  servants  who  heard  all  those  words,  did  not  rend  their 
garments,  Jer.  xxxvi.  23,  24 ;  the  reason  why  they  did  not  rend 
their  garments,  was,  because  they  did  not  mourn  on  account 
of  divine  truth  not  being  received.  When  the  spies  spake  evd 
concerning  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun, 
and  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  rent  their  garments,  and  spake 
against  them,  Numb.  xiv.  6,  the  like  is  involved ;  for  the  land 
of  Canaan  signifies  the  Lord's  kingdom,  to  speak  against  which, 
is  to  speak  false  against  Divine  Truth.  When  the  ark  of  God 
was  taken  by  the  Philistines,  and  both  the  sons  of  Eh  were 
dead,  and  when  a  man  (vir)  ran  from  the  army  to  Shiloh  with 
his  garments  rent  and  dust  upon  his  head,  1  Sam.  iv.  11,  12,  it 
signified  mourning  over  the  lost  Divine  truth  and  good  ;  for  as 
the  ark  represented  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  in  the  supreme 
sense  the  Lord  Himself,  and  hence  the  holy  principle  of  the 
church,  rent  garments  signified  mourning  over  lost  Divine 
truth,  and  dust  upon  the  head  over  Divine  good.  It  is  written 
concerning  Samuel  and  Saul,  "  When  Samuel  turned  himself 
to  go  away,  Sard  laid  hold  of  the  skirt  of  his  mantle,  which 
rent  :  wherefore  Samuel  said  unto  him,  Jehovah  had  rent  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  from  upon  thee  to-day,  and  hath  given  it  to 
thy  companion.  ...  I  will  not  return  with  thee ;  because  thou 
hast  rejected  the  Word  of  Jehovah,  and  Jehovah  hath  rejected 
thee  from  being  king  over  Israel,"  1  Sam.  xv.  27,  28,  29 ;  Saul's 
rending  the  skirt  of  Samuel's  mantle,  represented  what  Samuel 
said,  viz.,  that  the  kingdom  should  be  cut  off  from  him,  and 
that  he  should  no  longer  be  king  of  Israel ;  for  in  the  internal 
sense,  kingdom  signifies  divine  truth,  n.  1672,  2547,  4691  :  the 
like  is  signified  also  by  king  and  kingly,  n.  1672,  1728,  2015 


352 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


2069,  3009,  3670,  4575,  4581 ;  and  by  the  king  and  the  king- 
dom of  Israel  specifically,  because  by  Israel  was  represented 
the  Lord's  royal  or  kingly  principle.  In  like  manner  what  is 
related  of  Jeroboam  and  the  prophet  Ahijah,  "  When  Jero- 
boam went  forth  out  of  Jerusalem,  the  prophet  Ahijah  found 
him  in  the  way,  when  he  was  covered  with  a  new  garment : 
and  they  two  were  alone  in  the  field.  And  Ahijah  laid  hold 
of  the  neiv  garment  which  was  upon  him,  and  rent  it  into  ticelve 
pieces,  and  said  unto  Jeroboam,  Take  to  thee  ten  pieces  ;  for 
thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  Behold,  I  will  rend  the 
kingdom  out  of  the  hand  of  Solomon,  and  Avill  give  ten  tribes 
to  thee,"  1  Kings  xi.  29,  30,  31.  In  like  manner  the  rending  of 
garments  when  Saul  was  slain  in  battle  ;  of  which  it  is  thus 
written  in  the  second  book  of  Samuel,  "  When  Saul  was  slain  in 
battle,  a  man  came  out  of  the  camp  on  the  third  day,  whose 
garments  toere  torn.  .  .  .  And  when  David  heard  of  the  death 
of  Saul,  David  laid  hold  of  his  garments,  and  rent  them ;  and 
all  the  servants  who  were  with  him,"  i.  2,  11 ;  whereby  also 
was  represented  mourning  on  account  of  divine  truth  being  lost, 
and  cast  away  by  those  who  were  in  faith  separate  from  charity ; 
for  by  the  kingly  principle  was  signified  divine  truth,  as  was 
said  above ;  and  by  the  Philistines,  by  whoin  Saul  was  slain, 
were  represented  they  who  were  in  faith  separate  from  charity, 
see  n.  1197,  1198,  3412,  3413  ;  which  is  also  evident  from  Da- 
vid's lamentation  over  him  in  the  same  chapter,  verse  18  to 

27.  When  Absalom  had  smitten  his  brother  Amnion,  and  the 
report  came  to  David  that  Absalom  had  smitten  all  the  king|s 
sons,  "  he  rent  his  garments,  and  lay  on  the  earth  ;  and  all  his 
servants  were  standing  tcitli  their  garments  rent,"  2  Sam.  xiii. 

28,  30,  31 ;  this  also  was  done  for  the  sake  of  representing  that 
the  truths  from  the  Divine  were  destroyed ;  the  king's  sons,  in 
the  internal  sense,  signify  those  truths.  In  like  manner  when 
David,  flying  on  account  of  Absalom,  was  met  by  Hushai  the 
Archite  with  his  coat  rent,  2  Sam.  xv.  32 ;  for  by  a  king,  espe- 
cially by  David,  in  the  Word,  is  represented  Divine  Truth.  In 
like  manner  also,  when  Elijah  spake  to  Aliab  long  of  Israel,  the 
words  of  Jehovah,  that  he  should  be  extirpated  on  account  of 
the  evil  which  he  had  done,  then  Ahab  rent  his  garments,  and 
put  sackcloth  upon  his  flesh,  1  Kings  xxi.  27,  28,  29.  That  rend- 
ing or  tearing  garments  represented  mourning  on  account  of 
lost  truth,  is  further  manifested  from  the  following  passages: 
"  Hilkiah  the  priest  found  the  book  of  the  law  in  the  house  of 
Jehovah  ;  when  Shaphan  read  it  before  king  Josiah.  And  when 
the  king  heard  the  words  of  the  book  of  the  law,  he  rent  his 
garments,"  2  Kings  xxii.  11,  manifestly  on  account  of  the 
Word,  that  is,  Divine  truth,  being  so  long  lost,  and  obliterated 
in  heart  and  life.  When  the  Lord  confessed  that  he  was  the 
Christ  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  high  priest  rent  his  garments, 


4764-47G6.] 


GENESIS. 


353 


Sftying,  that  he  had  spoken  blasphemy,  Matt.  xxvi.  63 — 65 ; 
Mark  xiv.  63,  64,  it  signified  that  the  high  priest  believed  no 
other  than  that  the  Lord  spake  against  the  Word,  and  thereby 
against  Divine  Truth.  In  like  manner,  when  Elijah  went  up  in 
a  whirlwind,  "  And  Elisha  seeing,  .  .  .  laid  hold  of  his  gar- 
ments and  rent  them  into  two  pieces.  And  he  took  up  the  mantle- 
of  Elijah,  which  fell  from  upon  him,  and  smote  the  waters,  .  .  . 
and  they  were  divided  hither  and  thither ;  and  Elisha  passed 
over,"  2  Kings  ii.  11  to  14 ;  Elisha  rending  his  garments  into 
two  pieces,  was  on  account  of  mourning  that  the  Word,  that  is, 
Divine  Truth,  was  lost ;  for  by  Elijah  is  represented  the  Lord 
as  to  the  Word,  that  is,  Divine  Truth,  n.  3752  ;  the  mantle  fall- 
ing from  Elijah,  and  taken  up  by  Elisha,  represented  that  Elisha 
continued  the  representation ;  that  a  mantle  or  coat  denotes 
divine  troth,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4677  ;  wherefore  also  the  gar- 
ment which  was  torn  in  such  mourning  was  the  coat,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  some  of  the  passages  above  cited.  Inasmuch  as  gar- 
ment signified  the  truth  of  the  church,  and  in  the  supreme  sense 
the  Divine  Truth,  therefore  it  was  reproachful  to  go  with  torn 
garments,  except  in  the  mourning  above  described  ;  as  is  evi- 
dent from  what  was  done  to  the  servants  of  David  by  Hanun 
the  king  of  the  sons  of  Ammon,  in  that  "  he  cut  off  half  of 
then-  beards,  and  their  garments  in  the  midst,  even  to  their  but- 
tocks wherefore  they  were  not  admitted  to  David,  2  Sam. 
x.  4,  5. 

4764.  Ver.  30.  "  And  he  returned  unto  his  brethren." — That 
hereby  are  signified  they  who  teach,  appears  from  the  represen- 
tation of  Joseph's  brethren,  as  denoting  those  who  are  in  faith 
separate  from  charity ;  and  as  they  were  shepherds,  they  also 
denote  those  who  teach  from  faith,  as  above,  n.  4705. 

4765.  ."  And  said,  The  son  is  no  more." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied that  there  was  no  faith  in  him,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  son,  as  denoting  the  truth  of  faith,  for  by  son  is  signified 
truth,  n.  489,  491,  533,  1147,  2623,  2803,  2813,  3373,  3704,  so  by 
the  son,  who  here  is  Joseph,  and  who  represents  the  Divine 
Truth,  as  hath  been  already  shown  :  and  whereas  all  truth  is  of 
faith  (for  what  in  the  ancient  churches  was  called  time  or  truth, 
in  the  new  is  called  faith,  n.  4690),  hence  by  the  son  being  no 
more,  is  signified  that  there  was  no  faith  in  him. 

4766.  "  And  I,  whither  do  I  come  ?" — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied where  now  is  the  church,  appears  from  the  representation 
of  Reuben,  as  denoting  the  faith  of  the  church  in  general,  see 
n.  4731,  4734,  4761  ;  and  whereas  Eeuben  says  of  himself,  "  And 
I,  whither  do  I  come  ?"  hereby  is  signified,  where  is  now  the 
faith  of  the  church,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  where  is  now 
the  church.  That  the  church  is  not,  where  the  celestial  Jo- 
seph is  not,  that  is,  the  Lord  as  to  Divine  Truth,  specifically  as 
to  the  divine  truth  that  the  Lord's  Human  principle  is  Divine, 

vol.  v.  23 


354 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


and  that  charity  is  an  essential  of  the  church,  consequently  the 
works  of  charity,  may  appear  from  what  has  been  shown  in  this 
chapter  concerning  each.  If  this  divine  truth  is  not  received, 
that  the  Lord's  Human  principle  is  Divine,  it  necessarily  hence 
follows  that  there  is  a  trinity  which  is  to  be  adored,  but  not  a 
unity  ;  and  also  that  half  of  the  Lord  is  to  be  adored,  viz., 
His  Divine  principle,  but  not  His  Human  ;  for  who  adores  that 
which  is  not  divine  ?  And  is  the  church  any  thing,  where  a 
trinity  is  adored,  one  principle  separately  from  the  other  ;  or 
what  is  the  same  thing,  where  three  are  equally  worshipped? 
For  although  three  are  called  one,  still  the  thought  distinguishes 
and  makes  three,  and  only  the  discourse  of  the  mouth  saith 
one.  Let  every  one  weigh  this  with  himself,  when  he  says  that 
he  acknowledges  and  believes  one  God,  whether  he  does  not 
think  of  three  ;  and  when  he  says  that  the  Father  is  God,  the 
Son  is  God,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  God,  and  they  are  also  dis- 
tinguished into  persons,  and  distinguished  as  to  offices,  whether 
he  can  think  that  there  is  one  God,  except  so  that  three  dis- 
tinct amongst  each  other  make  one  by  concordance,  and  also 
by  condescension  so  far  as  one  proceeds  from  another.  When 
therefore  three  gods  are  adored,  where  is  the  church?  But 
if  the  Lord  alone  be  adored,  in  Whom  there  is  a  perfect  trinity, 
in  Whom  is  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  Him,  as  He  Him- 
self saith,  "  If  ye  believe  not  me,  believe  the  works,  that  ye 
may  know  and  believe  that  the  Father  is  in  me,  and  I  in  the 
Father,"  John  x.  38.  "  He  who  hath  seen  me,  hath  seen  the 
Father.  .  .  .  Believest  thou  not,  Philip,  that  I  am  in  the  Father, 
and  the  Father  in  me  ?  .  .  .  Believe  me  that  I  am  in  the  Father, 
and  the  Father  in  me,"  xiv.  9,  10,  11.  "  He  who  seeth  me, 
seeth  him  who  sent  me,"  xii.  45.  "  All  mine  are  thine,  and 
thine  are  mine,"  xvii.  10,  in  this  case  there  is  a  .Christian 
church,  and  when  it  abides  in  this  adoration,  the  Lord's  word 
is  fulfilled  where  He  said,  "  The  chief  of  all  the  commandments 
is,  Hear,  0  Israel,  The  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord ;  therefore 
thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  ail  thy  roind,  and  with  all  thy  strength. 
This  is  the  chief  commandment.  And  the  other  is  like  unto  it, 
namely  this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  There  is 
no  oilier  commandment  greater  than  these"  Mark  xii.  '20,  30, 
31 ;  that  the  Lord  our  God  is  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  in  Matt, 
iv.  7,  10  ;  xxii.  43,  44  ;  Luke  i.  16,  17 ;  John  xx.  28 ;  and  that 
Jehovah  in  the  Old  Testament  is  called  the  Lord  in  the  New, 
n.  2921.  If  also  this  divine  truth  be  not  received  both  in  doc- 
trine and  life,  that  love  towards  the  neighbour,  that  is,  charity, 
is  essential  to  the  chui*ch,  and  hence  that  works  of  charity  arc 
essential,  it  nocessarily  follows,  that  to  think  truth  is  essenti:il 
to  the  church,  but  not  to  thiuk  good  ;  and  hereby  that  tho- 
thought  of  the  man  of  the  church  may  be  in  contradiction  and 


4767,  4768.] 


GENESIS. 


355 


opposition  together,  viz.,  hi  thinking  evil,  and  at  the  same  time 
thinking  truth  and  thus  by  thinking  evil,  be  with  the  devil, 
and  by  thinking  truth,  be  w  ith  the  Lord ;  when  yet  truth  and 
evil  never  can  agree  together,  according  to  the  Lord's  words, 
"  No  one  can  serve  two  masters,  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one, 
and  love  the  other,"  Luke  xvi.  13.  When  faith  separate  from 
charity  establishes  such  a  tenet,  and  also  confirms  it  in  life, 
however  it  speaks  of  the  fruits  of  faith,  where  in  that  case  is 
the  church? 

4767.  Verses  31  to  35.  And  they  took  Joseph's  coat,  and 
they  hilled  a  he-goat  of  the  sh'e-gocds,  and  dipped  the  coat  in  the 
Hood:  and  they  sent  the  coat  of  various  colours,  and  they  brought 
it  to  their  father,  and  said  unto  him,  This  have  we  found :  know, 
I  pray,  whether  this  be  thy  sons  coat,  or  not.  And  he  knew  it, 
and  said,  It  is  my  sons  coed :  an  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him  : 
Joseph  is  without  donbt  torn  to  pieces.  And  Jacob  rent  his  gar- 
ments, and  pid  sackcloth  upon  his  loins,  and  mourned  for  his 
son  many  days.  And  all  his  sons  rose  up,  and  all  his  daughters, 
to  comfort  him ;  bid  he  refused  to  be  comforted,  and  said,  For 
I  will  go  doivn  into  the  grave  unto  my  son,  mourning.  And 
his  father  zcept  for  him.  And  they  took  Joseph's  coat,  signi- 
fies appearances :  and  they  killed  a  he-goat  of  the  she-goats, 
signifies  external  truths  grounded  in  delights  :  and  dipped  the 
coat  in  the  blood,  signifies  that  they  defiled  with  falses  grounded 
in  evils  :  and  they  sent  the  coat  of  various  colours,  signifies 
appearances  thus  defiled  :  and  they  brought  it  to  their  father, 
signifies  collation  with  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  ancient  and 
primitive  church  :  and  said  unto  him,  This  have  we  found,  sig- 
nifies that  it  so  appears  to  them :  know,  I  pray,  whether  this 
be  thy  son's  coat  or  not,  signifies  whether  there  be  a  similitude  : 
and  he  knew  it,  signifies  that  indeed  it  was  :  and  he  said,  It  is 
my  son's  coat,  signifies  that  it  was  the  truth  of  the  church  :  an 
evil  beast  hath  devoured  him,  signifies  that  the  lusts  of  evd 
have  extinguished  :  Joseph  is  without  doubt  torn  to  pieces, 
signifies  that  from  falses  he  is  such  that  altogether  he  is  not : 
and  Jacob  rent  his  garments,  signifies  mourning  on  account  of 
truth  destroyed  :  and  put  sackcloth  upon  his  loins,  signifies 
mourning  on  account  of  good  destroyed  :  and  he  mourned  for 
his  son  many  days,  signifies  state :  and  all  his  sons  rose  up, 
signifies  those  who  are  in  falses  :  and  all  his  daughters,  signi- 
fies those  who  are  in  evils  :  to  comfort  him,  signifies  that  they 
might  interpret  from  the  sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word :  but 
he  refused  to  be  comforted,  signifies  that  he  was  not  able  :  and 
he  said,  For  I  will  go  down  into  the  grave  unto  my  son,  mourn- 
ing, signifies  that  the  ancient  church  would  perish  :  and  his 
father  wept  for  him,  signifies  interior  mourning. 

4768.  Ver.  31.  "And  they  took  Joseph's  coat."— That 
hereby  are  signified  appearances,  appears  from  the  signification 


356 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


of  coat,  in  the  present  case  a  coat  of  various  colours,  as  denot- 
ing appearances  of  truth,  see  n.  4677,  4741,  4742.  The  subject 
treated  of  in  the  following  verses  is  the  exculpation  of  the  atro- 
cious deed  -which  they  perpetrated ;  in  the  internal  sense,  the 
confirmation  of  false  in  opposition  to  the  divine  truth  spoken 
of  above,  n.  4766,  and  this  by  appearances,  which  are  presented 
by  reasonings  from  the  sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word.  The 
confirmations  of  the  false  by  interpretations  grounded  in  the 
sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word,  are  all  appearances  -whereby 
the  simple  are  "wont  to  be  seduced,  and  the  false  to  be  presented 
as  true,  and  the  truth  as  false  ;  these  appearances  are  treated 
of  in  the  internal  sense  of  the  following  verses. 

4769.  "And  they  killed  a  he-goat  of  the  she-goats." — That 
hereby  are  signified  external  truths  grounded  in  delights,  ap- 
pears fi'om  the  signification  in  the  Word  of  a  he-goat  of  the  she- 
goats,  as  denoting  natural  truths,  that  is,  truths  of  the  external 
man,  from  which  the  delights  of  life  are  derived ;  it  also 
denotes  external  truths  grounded  in  delights,  of  which  we  shall 
speak  presently.  The  truths  of  the  external  man,  from  which 
the  delights  of  life  are  derived,  are  divine  truths  such  as  are 
those  of  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  in  which  the  doctrinals 
of  a  genuine  church  are  grounded ;  these  are  properly  signified 
by  he-goat,  and  the  delights  thence  derived  are  signified  by 
she-goats ;  thus  by  he-goat  of  the  she-goats,  in  the  genuine 
sense,  are  signified  they  who  are  in  such  truths  and  consequent 
delights.  But  in  the  opposite  sense,  by  the  he-goat  of  the  she- 
goats,  are  signified  they  who  are  in  external  truths  (that  is,  in 
appearances  of  truth  derived  from  the  sense  of  the  letter), 
which  are  agreeable  to  the  delights  of  their  life,  like  those 
which  are  agreeable  to  the  dehghts  of  the  body,  in  general 
called  pleasures,  and  to  the  delights  of  the  mind  [animus], 
which  in  general  are  honours  and  gains.  Such  persons  are 
signified  by  the  he-goat  of  the  she-goats,  in  the  opposite  sense  ; 
in  a  word,  by  the  he-goat  of  the  she-goats,  in  this  sense,  are 
signified  they  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  for  these 
take  out  no  other  truths  from  the  Word,  than  those  which 
agree  with  the  dehghts  of  their  life,  that  is,  which  favour  the 
loves  of  self  and  of  the  world  ;  the  rest  of  the  truths  they 
bring  down  thereto  by  interpretations,  and  hence  they  present 
falsities  as  appearances  of  truth.  That  the  he-goat  of  the  she- 
goats  signifies  those  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  may 
appear  from  Daniel,  "  Behold,  a  he-goat  of  the  she-goats  came 
from  the  west  over  the  faces  of  all  the  earth,  and  he  did  not 
touch  the  earth ;  and  this  he-goat  had  a  horn  of  sight  between 
his  eyes.  .  .  .  Out  of  one  of  the  four  horns  came  forth  one  horn 
from  a  little  one,  and  it  grew  exceedingly  towards  the  south, 
and  towards  the  east,  and  towards  honourableness  ;  because  it 
grew  even  to  the  host  of  the  heavens,  and  cast  down  to  the 


4769.] 


GENESIS. 


357 


earth  of  the  host,  and  of  the  stars,  and  stamped  upon  them . 
.  .  .  and  cast  forth  truth  to  the  earth,"  viii.  5,  9,  10,  12  ;  the 
subject  treated  of  in  this  passage  is  the  state  of  the  church  in 
general,  not  only  of  the  Jewish  church,  but  also  of  the  suc- 
ceeding church,  which  is  the  Christian ;  for  the  "Word  of  the 
Lord  is  universal.  The  he-goat  of  the  she-goats,  in  respect  to 
the  Jewish  church,  signifies  those  who  made  light  of  internal 
truths,  but  accepted  external  truths  so  far  as  they  favoured 
their  lores,  which  were  that  they  might  be  the  greatest  and 
the  most  wealthy ;  hence  they  acknowledged  the  Christ,  or  the 
Messiah,  whom  they  expected,  no  otherwise  than  as  a  king, 
who  would  exalt  them  above  all  nations  and  people  in  the  uni- 
versal world,  and  would  subject  these  nations  and  people  to 
them  as  the  vilest  slaves  and  this  was  the  ground  or  source  of 
their  love  to  him.  What  lov'e  towards  the  neighbour  is,  they 
were  altogether  ignorant,  unless  it  was  conjunction  by  a  par- 
ticipation of  the  aforesaid  honour,  and  by  gain.  But  the  he- 
goat  of  the  she-goats,  in  respect  to  the  Christian  church,  sig- 
nifies those  who  are  in  external  truths  grounded  in  delights, 
that  is,  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity  ;  for  these  also 
have  no  concern  for  internal  truths,  and  if  they  teach  them,  it 
is  only  with  a  view  to  their  own  reputation,  that  they  may  be 
raised  to  honours,  and  arrive  at  gain,  these  being  the  delights 
of  their  hearts  whilst  truths  are  in  their  mouths  ;  and  moreover, 
by  sinister  interpretations  they  bend  those  truths,  which  are  of 
genuine  faith,  to  favour  their  loves.  Hence  it  is  manifest  what 
is  signified  in  the  internal  sense  by  the  above  words  in  Daniel, 
viz.",  by  the  he-goat  of  the  she-goats,  those  who  are  in  faith 
separate  from  charity ;  the  he-goat  coming  from  the  west,  de- 
notes that  it  was  from  evil ;  the  west  denotes  evil,  see  n.  3708  ; 
his  coming  over  the  faces  of  the  whole  earth,  and  not  touching 
the  earth,  denotes  that  he  came  over  the  whole  church ;  for  by 
earth,  in  the  Word,  nothing  else  is'  meant  but  the  land  where 
the  church  is,  thus  the  church,  see  n.  566,  662,  1068,  1262, 
1413,  1607,  1733,  1850,  2117,  2118,  2928,  3355,  4453,  4447  ; 
the  horns  which  he  had,  denote  powers  from  false,  n.  2832 ; 
the  horn  of  sight,  or  aspect,  between  the  eyes,  denotes  power 
derived  from  ratiocination  concerning  the  truths  of  faith,  as 
may  appear  from  what  was  shown  concerning  the  eye,  n.  4403 
to  4421,  4523  to  4534 ;  the  one  horn  which  grew  towards  the 
south,  the  east,  and  honourableness,  denotes  power  derived 
from  faith  separate  from  charity,  even  towards  those  things 
which  relate  to  the  state  of  the  light  of  heaven,  and  to  that  of 
good  and  truth  ;  the  south  denotes  a  state  of  light,  see  n.  3708  ; 
the  east  denotes  a  state  of  good,  n.  1250,  3249,  3708  ;  honour- 
ableness, or  gracefulness  [deem],  denotes  a  state  of  truth,  as  is 
manifest  from  the  Word  throughout ;  its  growing  even  to  the 
army  of  the  heavens,  and  casting  down  to  the  earth  of  the  host, 


358 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


and  of  the  stars,  and  stamping  upon  them,  denotes  it  did  so 
with  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth  ;  the  host  of  the  heavens 
and  the  stars  denote  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  see 
n.  4697.  Hence  it  is  known  Avhat  is  meant  by  casting  forth 
truth  to  the  earth,  viz.,  the  casting  forth  essential  faith,  which 
in  itself  is  charity  ;  for  faith  has  respect  to  charity,  because  it 
proceeds  from  charity  ;  what  in  the  ancient  church  was  called 
truth,  in  the  new  church  is  called  faith,  n.  4690.  The  like  is 
signified  by  he-goat  in  Ezekiel,  "  Behold,  I  judge  between 
cattle  and  cattle,  between  the  rams  and  the  he-goats.  Is  it  a 
small  thing  to  you  that  ye  eat  up  the  good  pasture,  and  the 
remainder  of  your  pastures  ye  trample  down  with  your  feet  ? 
Ye  drink  the  sediment  of  the  waters,  the  remainder  ye  disturb 
with  your  feet.  .  .  .  With  your  horns  ye  strike  all  the  hrfirrn, 
until  ye  have  scattered  them  abroad,"  xxxiv.  17,  18,  21 ;  in 
this  passage  also,  by  he-goats  are  signified  those  who  are  in 
faith  separate  from  charit}-,  that  is,  who  set  doctrine  above  life, 
and  at  length  are  careless  about  life  ;  when  yet  the  life  consti- 
tutes the  man,  and  not  the  doctrine  separate  therefrom,  and  the 
life  remains  after  death,  but  not  the  doctrine,  except  so  far  as 
it  partakes  of  the  life :  of  these  it  is  said  that  they  eat  up  the 
good  pasture,  and  trample  down  with  their  feet  the  remainder 
of  the  pastures,  that  they  drink  the  sediment  of  the  waters,  and 
disturb  the  rest  with  their  feet,  also  that  with  their  horns  they 
strike  the  infirm,  until  they  have  dispersed  them.  From  the 
above  passages,  it  is  now  evident  who  are  they  that  are  meant 
by  the  goats,  and  who  by  the  sheep,  spoken  of  by  the  Lord  in 
Matthew,  "  Before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations ;  and  he 
shall  separate  them  the  one  from  the  other,  as  a  shepherd 
divide th  the  sheep  from  the  goats;  and  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on 
the  right  hand  but  the  goafs  on  the  left,"  &c,  xxv.  32,  33  ;  that 
the  sheep  are  they  who  are  in  charity,  and  thence  in  the  truths 
of  faith,  and  that  the  goats  are  they  who  are  in  no  charity, 
although  in  the  truths  of  faith,  that  is,  who  are  in  faith  sepa- 
rate from  charity,  is  clear  from  each  of  the  things  there  described. 
Who  they  are,  and  of  what  quantity,  who  are  in  faith  separate 
[from  charity j,  and  are  meant  by  goats,  may  appear  from  the 
two  following  passages:  "Every  tree  which  beareth  not  good 
fruit,  shall  be  hetcn  down,  and  cast  into  the  fire.  Wherefore 
by  their  fruits  ye  shall  knoiv  them.  Not  every  one  that  saith 
unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  the  heavens ; 
but  he  ivho  docth  the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in  the  heavens. 
Many  will  say  unto  me  in  that  day,  Lord,  Lord,  have  we  not 
prophesied  ia  thy  name?  and  by  thy  name  east  out  demons? 
and  by  thy  name  done  many  wonderf  ul  works  ?  but  then  will  I 
profess  wuto  them,  I  never  knew  you :  depart  from  me,  ye 
workers  of  iniquity"  Matt.  vii.  19  to  23  ;  and  in  Luke,  "  Then 
shall  ye  begin  to  stand  without,  and  to  knock  at  the  door,  say- 


4770—4772.] 


GENESIS. 


359 


ing,  Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us ;  but  lie  shall  answer  and  say 
unto  you,  /  know  you  not  whence  ye  are.  Then  shall  ye  begin 
to  say,  We  have  eaten  and  drunk  in  thy  presence,  and  thou  liast 
taught  in  our  streets.  But  he  shall  say,  I  say  unto  you,  /  know 
you  not  whence  ye  are :  de-part  from  me,  all  ye  workers  of  in- 
iquity," xiii.  25,  26,  27  ;  these  are  they  who  are  in  faith  sepa- 
rate from  charity,  and  are  called  he-goats.  But  what  he-goats 
signify  in  a  good  sense,  as  when  they  were  used  in  sacrifices, 
and  are  mentioned  in  the  prophets  throughout,  by  the  divine 
mercy  of  the  Lord,  will  be  shown  elsewhere. 

4770.  "  And  dipped  the  coat  in  the  blood." — That  hereby  is 
signified  that  they  defiled  with  falses  grounded  in  evils,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  dipping  in  blood,  as  denoting  to  defile 
with  falses,  for  blood  in  the  opposite  sense  denotes  truth  falsi- 
fied, n.  4735.  As  it  was  the  blood  of  a  he-goat  (by  which  are 
signified  external  truths  derived  from  delights,  such  as  appertain 
to  those  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity),  it  is  plain  that 
they  are  falses  grounded  in  evils ;  as  is  also  manifest  from  the 
sequel,  where  Jacob  says,  "  An  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him : 
Joseph  is  without  doubt  torn  in  pieces  ;"  for  by  those  words  is 
signified  that  the  lusts  of  evil  caused  his  extinction,  and  thereby 
that  from  falses  he  was  made  such  that  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses he  was  not.  That  there  are  three  origins  of  false,  viz., 
the  doctrine  of  the  church,  the  fallacies  of  the  senses,  and  the 
life  of  lusts,  and  that  the  false  from  this  last  origin  is  the  worst, 
may  be  seen  in  n.  4729. 

4771.  Ver.  32.  "  And  they  sent  the  coat  of  various  colours." 
— That  hereby  are  signified  appearances  thus  defiled,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  the  coat  of  various  colours,  as  denoting 
appearances,  see  n.  4677,  4741,  4742,  4768  ;  that  they  were  de- 
filed, is  meant  by  the  coat  being  dipped  in  blood,  n.  4770. 

4772.  "  And  they  brought  it  to  their  father."— That  hereby 
is  signified  collation  with  the  goods  and  truths  of  the  ancient 
and  primitive  church,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Jacob, 
who  here  is  the  father,  as  denoting  the  ancient  church,  see  n. 
4680,  4700  ;  and' also  the  primitive  church,  that  is,  the  Christian 
church  in  its  beginning,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently  ;  to 
bring  such  a  coat  thereto,  is,  in  the  internal  sense,  to  institute 
a  collation  of  falsified  goods  and  truths  with  the  goods  and 
truths  of  the  genuine  church.  The  reason  why  by  Jacob  is  here 
represented  not  only  the  ancient  church,  but  also  the  primitive, 
that  is,  the  Christian,  in  its  beginning,  is,  because  they  are  alto- 
gether the  same  as  to  internal  things,  and  only  differ  as  to 
externals  ;  the  externals  of  the  ancient  church  were  all  repre- 
sentative of  the  Lord  and  of  the  celestial  and  spiritual  things  of 
Etis  kingdom,  that  is,  of  love  and  charity,  and  faith  thence 
derived,  consequently  of  such  things  as  are  of  the  Christian 
chinch  :  hence  it  is,  that  when  the  externals  which  were  of  the 


360 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


ancient  church,  and  also  of  the  Jewish,  are  unfolded  and  as  it 
were  unswathed,  the  Christian  church  is  discovered  ;  this  was 
also  signified  by  the  circumstance  of  the  vail  in  the  temple  being 
rent  asunder,  Matt,  xxvii.  51 ;  Mark  xv.  38  ;  Luke  xxiii.  45. 
Hence  it  is,  that  by  Jacob  the  father  is  represented  not  only  the 
ancient  church,  but  also  the  primitive  church. 

4773.  "  And  said  unto  him,  This  have  we  found." — That 
hereby  is  signified  that  it  so  appears  to  them,  is  manifest  from 
the  seiies  of  the  things  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense,  for  they 
did  not  say  that  it  was  Joseph's  coat,  but  that  they  found  it, 
referring  to  the  father  to  acknowledge  whether  it  was  his  son's 
coat  or  not ;  hence  it  follows,  that  by  those  words  is  signified 
that  it  so  appears  to  them. 

4774.  "  Know,  I  pray,  whether  this  be  thy  son's  coat,  or  not." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  whether  there  be  a  similitude,  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  knowing  whether  it  be,  as  denoting 
whether  it  be  like.  These  things  have  reference  to  those  which 
precede,  and  they  follow  from  them,  viz.,  that  a  collation  was 
instituted  of  falsified  goods  and  truths  with  genuine  goods  and 
truths  of  the  church,  which  is  signified  by  their  bringing  the 
coat  dipped  in  blood  to  their  father,  n.  4772  ;  hence  in  this 
passage,  by  "  know,  I  pray,  whether  this  be  thy  son's  coat,"  is 
signified  that  he  should  confer  whether  it  was  like,  or  whether 
there  was  a  similitude. 

4775.  Ver.  33.  "  And  he  knew  it." — That  hereby  is  signified 
that  indeed  it  was  ;  "  and  he  said,  It  is  my  son's  coat ;" — that 
hereby  is  signified  that  it  is  the  truth  of  the  church,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  coat,  as  denoting  the  truth  of  the  church, 
see  n.  4677,  but  as  it  was  defiled,  it  was  indeed  acknowledged 
that  it  was,  but  not  like  the  truth  of  the  ancient  and  primitive 
church  ;  hence  it  is  said  that  indeed  it  was. 

4776.  "  An  evil  beast  hath  devoured  him." — That  hereby  is 
signified  that  the  lusts  of  evil  have  extinguished,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  an  evil  beast,  as  denoting  a  lie  grounded 
in  the  life  of  lusts,  see  n.  4729,  consequently  denoting  lusts ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  devouring,  as  denoting  to  ex- 
tinguish, because  it  is  predicated  of  the  truth  of  the  church. 
The  very  essential  truth  of  the  church  is,  that  love  to  the  Lord 
and  charity  towards  the  neighbour  are  primaries,  see  Matt.  xii. 
29,  30,  31  ;  this  truth  is  extinguished  by  lust,  for  they  who  are 
in  the  life  of  lusts  cannot  be  in  the  life  of  love  and  charity, 
because  they  are  altogether  opposites.  The  life  of  lusts  consisti- 
in  loving  self  only,  and  not  the  neighbour  except  from  self,  or 
for  the  sake  of  self  ;  hence  they  who  are  in  that  life  extinguish 
charity  in  themselves,  and  consequently  they  extinguish  love  to 
the  Lord  also,  since  there  is  no  other  medium  of  loving  the 
Lord  than  charity,  for  the  Lord  is  in  charity  ;  the  affection  of 
charity  is  the  celestial  affection  itself,  which  is  from  the  Lord 


4773-4776.] 


GENESIS. 


361 


alone.  Hence  it  may  appear  manifest  that  the  lusts  of  evil  ex- 
tinguish the  very  essential  truth  of  the  church  ;  and  -when  this 
is  extinguished,  a  medium  is  devised  which  is  called  saving,  viz., 
faith,  and  when  it  is  separated  from  charity,  truths  themselves 
are  defiled ;  for  it  is  then  no  longer  known  what  charity  is,  nor 
even  what  the  neighbour  is,  consequently  neither  what  the  in- 
ternal of  man  is,  and  not  even  what  heaven  is  :  for  the  internal 
of  man,  and  heaven  in  man,  is  charity,  that  is,  a  principle  of 
good-will  to  another,  to  society,  to  a  man's  country,  to  the 
church,  to  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  thereby  to  the  Lord  Himself. 
Hence  it  may  be  concluded  what  will  be  the  quality  of  the 
truths  of  the  church,  when  those  things  which  are  essential  are 
not  known,  and  when  the  lusts  contrary  to  them  have  rule  ; 
when  the  life  of  lusts  speaks  concerning  those  truths,  are  not 
they  denied  to  such  a  degree  that  they  can  no  longer  be  known  ? 
That  no  one  can  be  saved  unless  he  has  lived  in  the  good  of 
charity,  and  has  thereby  imbued  its  affections,  which  consist  in 
willing  and  doing  well  to  others  from  a  principle  of  such  good- 
will ;  also  that  no  one  can  ever  receive  the  truths  of  faith,  and 
imbibe  and  appropriate  them  to  himself,  unless  he  is  in  the  life 
of  charity,  has  been  made  manifest  to  me  from  those  who  are 
in  heaven,  with  whom  it  has  been  given  me  to  discourse  ;  all 
therein  are  forms  of  charity,  in  beauty  and  goodness  according 
to  the  quality  of  their  charity ;  their  delight,  satisfaction,  and 
happiness,  arise  from  this,  that  they  can  do  good  to  others  from 
a  principle  of  good-will.  The  man  who  has  not  lived  in  charity, 
cannot  possibly  know  that  heaven  and  its  joy  consist  in  a  prin- 
ciple of  good-will,  and  in  doing  good  from  that  principle  ;  be- 
cause his  heaven  is  to  have  good-will  to  himself,  and  from  this 
good-will  to  do  good  to  others  ;  this,  however,  is  hell.  For 
heaven  is  distinguished  from  hell  in  this,  that  heaven,  as  was 
said,  consists  in  doing  good  from  a  principle  of  good-will,  and 
hell  consists  in  doing  ill  from  a  principle  of  ill-will ;  they  who 
are  principled  in  love  to  the  neighbour,  do  good  from  good- will ; 
but  they  who  are  principled  in  self-love,  do  ill  from  ill-will, 
because  they  love  no  one  but  themselves,  and  others  only  so  far 
as  they  see  themselves  in  them,  and  them  in  themselves ;  they 
also  hold  these  in  hatred,  which  manifests  itself  as  soon  as  they 
cease  to  favour  their  party  and  interests  :  the  case  herein  is  like 
that  of  robbers,  who  love  each  other  whilst  they  are  in  conso- 
ciation, but  still  are  desirous  in  heart  to  murder  each  other  if 
they  may  be  gainers  thereby.  From  these  considerations  it 
may  appear  that  heaven  is  love  towards  the  neighbour,  and 
that  hell  is  self-love.  They  who  are  principled  in  love  towards 
the  neighbour,  are  capable  of  receiving  all  the  truths  of  faith, 
and  of  imbuing  and  appropriating  them  to  themselves  ;  for  in 
love  towards  the  neighbour  there  is  the  all  of  faith,  because 
heaven  and  the  Lord  are  in  it ;  but  they  who  are  principled  in 


362 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


self-love  never  can  receive  the  truths  of  faith,  because  hell  is  in 
that  love ;  nor  can  they  otherwise  receive  the  truths  of  faith 
than  for  the  sake  of  self-honour  and  gain,  thus  they  cannot  im- 
bue and  appropriate  them  to  themselves.  But  the  things  which 
they  imbue  and  appropriate  to  themselves  are  negative  of  truth  ; 
for  in  heart  they  do  not  even  believe  that  there  is  a  hell  or  a 
heaven,  neither  that  there  is  a  life  after  death ;  hence  they  do 
not  believe  any  thing  which  is  said  concerning  hell,  heaven,  and 
the  life  after  death,  thus  nothing  at  all  of  what  is  said  concern- 
ing faith  and  charity  from  the  Word  and  doctrine.  When  they 
are  in  worship  they  appear  to  themselves  to  believe,  but  this  is 
because  it  has  been  implanted  from  infancy  to  put  on  that  state 
on  such  occasions  ;  but  as  soon  as  they  are  out  of  worship,  they 
are  also  out  of  that  state,  and  in  this 'case  when  they  think  in- 
wardly in  themselves,  they  believe  nothing  at  all,  and  also  ac- 
cording to  the  life  of  their  loves  they  devise  such  things  as  are 
favourable  thereto,  which  they  call  truths,  and  which  they  con- 
firm from  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  when  yet  they  are 
falses  ;  such  are  all  they  who  in  life  and  doctrine  are  principled 
in  faith  separate  from  charity.  It  is  moreover  to  be  noted,  that 
all  tilings  are  in  the  loves,  for  the  loves  constitute  the  life,  con- 
sequently the  Lord's  life  flows  only  into  the  loves  ;  such  there- 
fore as  the  loves  are,  such  are  the  lives,  because  they  are  the 
receptions  of  life ;  love  towards  the  neighbour  receives  the  life 
of  heaven,  and  self-love  receives  the  life  of  hell :  thus  in  love 
towards  the  neighbour  there  is  the  all  of  heaven,  and  in  self- 
love  the  all  of  hell.  That  all  things  are  in  the  loves,  may  be 
illustrated  from  several  instances  in  nature  :  the  animals,  both 
those  which  move  on  the  earth,  and  those  which  fly  in  the  air, 
or  swim  in  the  waters,  are  all  impelled  according  to  their  loves, 
and  into  their  loves  flow  all  things  that  conduce  to  their  life, 
viz.,  to  food,  habitation,  and  procreation  ;  hence  every  kind 
knows  its  own  aliment,  its  own  dwelling-places,  and  whatever 
appertains  to  their  conjugial  principle,  such  as  to  consociate, 
to  build  nests,  to  lay  eggs,  to  educate  the  young  ;  the  bees  also 
know  how  to  build  their  cells,  to  suck  honey  out  of  flowers,  to 
fill  their  honeycombs  therewith,  and  to  provide  against  the  ap- 
proach of  winter,  yea,  to  practise  some  form  of  government 
under  a  governor,  besides  other  wonderful  particulars.  All 
these  things  are  effected  by  influx  into  their  loves,  the  forms  of 
their  affections  only  are  what  vary  the  effects  of  life  ;  all  the 
above  things  are  in  their  loves ;  what  then  would  there  not  be 
in  heavenly  love,  provided  man  was  in  it?  Would  there  not 
be  the  all  of  wisdom  and  intelligence  which  is  in  heaven  ? 
Hence  also  it'  is  that  they  who  have  lived  in  charity,  and  no 
others  are  received  into  heaven,  and  that  by  virtue  of  charity 
they  are  in  the  capacity  of  receiving  and  imbuing  all  truths, 
that  is,  all  the  things  of  faith.    But  the  contrary  comes  to  pass 


4777—4779.] 


GENESIS. 


363 


with  those  who  are  in  faith  separate,  or  in  some  truths  arid  not 
in  charity ;  their  loves,  which  are  self-love  and  the  love  of  the 
world,  receive  such  things  as  are  in  agreement  with  them,  but 
contrary  to  truths,  and  are  such  as  exist  in  the  hells. 

4777.  "  Joseph  is  without  doubt  torn  to  pieces." — That  here- 
by is  signified,  that  from  falses  he  is  such  that  altogether  he  is 
not,  appears  from  the  signification  of  being  torn  to  pieces,  as  de- 
noting to  be  dissipated  by  falses ;  or  what  is  the  same  thing, 
from  falses  to  be  such  as  altogether  not  to  be ;  the  falses  grounded 
in  evils  or  in  lusts  are  here  meant,  see  n.  4770,  and  also  what 
was  said  just  above,  n.  4776. 

4778.  Ver.  34.  "And  Jacob  rent  his  garments." — That 
hereby  is  signified  mourning  on  account  of  truth  destroyed,  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  rending  the  garments,  as  being  a 
representative  of  mourning  on  accoirnt  of  truth  destroyed,  see 
above,  n.  4763. 

4779.  "  And  put  sackcloth  upon  his  loins." — That  hereby  is 
signified  mourning  on  account  of  good  destroyed,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  putting  sackcloth  upon  the  loins,  as  being  a 
representative  of  mourning  on  account  of  good  destroyed.  For 
the  loins  signify  conjugial  love,  and  hence  ail  celestial  and  spir- 
itual love,  see  n.  3021,  3294,  4277,  4280,  4575,  and  this  from 
correspondence  ;  for  as  all  the  organs,  members,  and  viscera  of 
the  human  body  correspond  to  the  Grand  Man  (as  has  been 
shown  at  the  close  of  the  chapters),  so  the  loins  correspond  to 
those  in  the  Grand  Man,  or  heaven,  who  have  been  principled 
in  genuine  conjugial  love ;  and  as  this  love  is  the  fundamental 
of  all  loves,  therefore  by  the  loins  in  general  is  signified  all 
celestial  and  spiritual  love  ;  hence  came  this  ritual  of  putting 
sackcloth  on  the  loins  when  they  mourned  over  good  destroyed  ; 
for  all  good  is  of  love.    That  they  put  sackcloth  on  the  loins 
when  they  testified  that  mourning,  may  appear  from  the  his- 
toricals  and  propheticals  of  the  Word ;  as  in  Amos,  "  I  will 
turn  your  feasts  into  mourning,  and  all  your  songs  into  lamen- 
tation ;  thus  I  ivill  cause  sackcloth  to  come  upon  all  loins,  and 
baldness  upon  every  head  ;  and  I  will  make  it  as  the  mourning 
of  an  only-begotten,  and  the  last  things  thereof  as  a  bitter  day," 
viii.  10  ;  where  to  cause  sackcloth  to  come  upon  all  loins,  de- 
notes destroyed  goods ;  all  loins,  denote  all  the  goods  of  love. 
And  in  Jonah,  "The  men  of  Nineveh  believe  in  God,  and 
therefore  proclaimed  a  fast,  and  put  on  sackcloth,  from  the  great- 
est even  to  the  least.    And  when  the  word  came  unto  the  king 
of  Nineveh,  he  arose  from  his  throne,  and  laid  aside  his  robe 
from  upon  him,  and  put  on  sackcloth,  and  sat  on  ashes,  and 
proclaimed  .  .  .  that  man  and  beast  should  be  covered  ivith  sack- 
cloth," iii.  5  to  8,  manifestly  as  being  a  sign  representative  of 
mourning  over  the  evil  for  which  Nineveh  was  to  perish,  thug 
over  destroyed  good.    So  in  Ezekiel,  "  They  shall  utter  a  crj 


364 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


over  thee  with  their  voice,  and  shall  cry  bitterly,  and  shall  cast 
dust  upon  their  heads  ;  they  sliail  roll  themselves  in  ashes,  they 
shall  make  themselves  bald  over  thee,  and  shall  gird  on  sack- 
cloth" xxvii.  30,  31,  speaking  of  Tyre,  where  each  thing  de- 
scribed was  representative  of  mourning  for  falses  and  evils,  thus 
for  destroyed  truths  and  goods  ;  to  utter  a  cry,  and  to  cry  bit- 
terly, denotes  lamentation  over  false,  or  destroyed  truth,  see  n. 
2240  ;  to  cast  dust  upon  the  head,  denotes  to  be  damned  on  ac- 
count of  evil,  n.  278 ;  to  roll  themselves  in  ashes,  denotes  to  be 
damned  on  account  of  what  is  false ;  to  make  bald,  denotes 
mourning  because  the  natural  man  had  no  truth,  n.  3301 ;  to 
gird  on  sackcloth,  denotes  mourning  because  he  had  no  good. 
In  like  maimer  in  Jeremiah,  ;'  O  daughter  of  my  people,  gird 
thee  ivith  sackcloth,  and  roll  thyself  in  ashes ;  make  to  thyself 
the  mourning  of  an  only-begotten,  the  wailing  of  bitterness ; 
for  the  spoiler  shall  come  suddenly  upon  us,"  vi.  26  ;  and  in 
another  place  in  the  same  prophet,  "  They  shall  sit  on  the  earth, 
the  elders  of  the  daughter  of  Zion  shall  be  silent :  they  shall 
cast  dust  upon  their  head,  they  shall  gird  themselves  with  sack- 
cloth :  the  virgins  of  Jerusalem  shall  hang  their  head  down  to 
the  ground,"  Lamen,  ii.  10  ;  in  these  passages  similar  represent- 
atives are  described  according  to  the  kinds  of  good  and  truth 
which  were  destroyed,  as  above.  So  hi  Isaiah,  "  The  prophecy 
of  Moab.  .  .  .  He  shall  go  up  to  Bajith  and  Dibon,  into  the 
heights,  to  weep  :  Moab  shall  howl  over  Nebo,  and  over  Med- 
eba  :  on  all  his  heads  shall  be  baldness,  every  beard  shaven.  In 
his  streets  they  have  girded  on  sackcloth  :  upon  his  house-tops, 
and  in  his  streets,  every  one  shall  howl,  going  down  into  weep- 
ing," xv.  2,  3  ;  Moab  denotes  those  who  adulterate  goods,  n. 
2468  ;  the  mourning  over  the  adulteration  signified  by  Moab, 
is  described  by  such  things  as  correspond  to  evil  of  that  kind  ; 
wherefore  it  is  expressed  in  nearly  the'  same  manner  in  Jere- 
miah, "  Every  head  shall  be  bald,  and  every  beard  shaven  : 
upon  all  the  hands  shall  be  cuttings,  and  upon  the  loins  sack- 
cloth. Upon  all  the  house-tops  of  Moab,  and  in  the  streets 
thereof,  wholly  mourning,"  xlvii.  37.  When  king  Hezekiah  heard 
the  blasphemies  which  Rabshakeh  spake  against  Jerusalem,  he 
rent  his  garments,  and  covered  himself  with  sackcloth,  Isaiah 
xxxvii.  1  ;  2  Kings  xix.  1  ;  because  he  spake  against  Jehovah, 
the  king,  and  Jerusalem,  hence  came  mourning  ;  that  he  spake 
against  the  truth,  is  signified  by  rending  the  garments,  n.  4763  ; 
and  against  good,  by  his  covering  himself  with  sackcloth  ;  for 
in  the  Word,  where  truth  is  treated  of,  good  also  is  treated  of, 
on  account  of  the  heavenly  marriage  of  good  and  truth,  and  of 
truth  and  good,  in  every  single  thing  contained  therein  ;  as  also 
in  David,  "Thou  hast  turned  my  mourning  into  dancing;  thou 
hast  opened,  my  sackcloth,  and  girded  me  with  gladness,"  Psalm 
xxx.  11,  where  dancing  is  predicated  of  truths,  and  gladness  of 


4780—4781.] 


GENESIS. 


365 


goods,  as  also  in  other  passages  in  the  Word ;  thus  to  open 
sackcloth,  denotes  to  take  away  mourning  over  destroyed  good. 
So  in  the  second  book  of  Samuel,  "  David  said  to  Joab,  and  to 
all  the  people  that  were  with  him,  Kend  your  garments,  and 
gird  you  with  sackcloth,  and  mourn  before  Abner,'  hi.  31  ;  be- 
cause an  outrage  was  committed  against  truth  and  good,  there- 
fore David  commanded  that  they  should  rend  then  garments 
and  gird  themselves  with  sackcloth.  In  like  manner,  because 
Ahab  had  acted  against  that  which  was  equitable  and  just,  in 
the  spiritual  sense  against  truth'  and  good,  when  he  heard  the 
words  of  Elijah  that  he  should  be  cut  off,  "  he  rent  his  gar- 
ments, and  put  sackcloth  upon  his  flesh,  and  fasted,  and  lay  in 
sackcloth,  and  went  softly,"  1  Kings  xxi.  27.  That  sackcloth  is 
predicated  of  destroyed  good,  may  also  appear  in  the  Revela- 
tion, "  When  he  opened  the  sixth  seal,  lo  !  there  was  a  great 
earthquake,  and  the  sun  became  black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and 
all  the  moon  became  as  blood,"  vi.  12,  where  earthquake  de- 
notes a  change  of  the  state  of  the  church  as  to  good  and  truth, 
n.  3355  ;  the  sun  denotes  the  good  of  love,  n.  1529,  1530,  2441, 
2495,  4060,  4300,  4696  ;  wherefore  sackcloth  is  predicated  of 
it,  when  destroyed ;  the  moon  denotes  the  truth  of  faith,  n.  1529, 
1530,  2120,  2495,  4060,  of  which  blood  is  predicated,  because 
blood  is  truth  ialsified  and  profaned,  n.  4735.  As  putting  on 
sackcloth  and  roiling  in  ashes  represented  mourning  over  evils 
and  falses,  it  also  represented  humiliation,  and  likewise  repent- 
ance ;  for  the  first  principle  of  humiliation  on  man's  part  is  to 
acknowledge  that  of  himself  he  is  nothing  but  evil  and  false  ; 
and  in  like  manner  of  repentance,  which  is  only  effected  by 
humiliation,  and  this  by  confession  of  the  heart  that  of  himself 
he  is  such.  To  put  on  sackcloth,  was  a  representative  of  hu- 
miliation, see  1  Kings  xxi.  27 — 29  ;  and  of  repentance,  see 
Matt.  xi.  21 ;  Luke  x.  13' ;  but  that  it  was  nothing  more  than  a 
representative,  thus  only  an  external  thing  appertaining  to  the 
body,  and  not  an  internal  thing  appertaining  to  the  heart,  is 
evident  from  Isaiah,  "  Is  it  that  he  bow  down  his  head  as  a 
bulrush,  and  lie  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  ?  wilt  thou  call  this  a 
fast,  and  an  acceptable  day  to  Jehovah  ?  Is  not  this  the  fast 
which  I  chocse  ?  to  open  the  bands  of  wickedness,  to  break 
bread  to  the  hungry  ?"  &c,  lviii.  5 — 7. 

4780.  "  And  he  mourned  for  his  son  many  days." — That 
hereby  is  signified  the  state  of  mourning  for  destroyed  good 
and  truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Joseph,  who 
is  here  the  son,  as  denoting  the  Divine  Truth,  specifically  those 
things  spoken  of  above,  n.  4776  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  days,  as  denoting  state,  see  n.  23,  487,  488,  493,  893,  2788, 
3785  ;  in  the  present  case  a  state  of  great  mourning,  because  it 
is  said,  many  days. 

4781.  Yer.  35.  "  And  all  his  sons  rose  up." — That  hereb} 


366 


GENESIS.  [Chap,  xxxvii. 


are  signified  those  who  are  in  false,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  sons,  as  denoting  truths,  and  in  the  opposite  sense  falses, 
or  those  who  are  principled  in  truths  or  falses,  see  n.  489,  491, 
533,  1147,  2623,  2803,  2813,  3373,  3704;  in  the  present  case 
those  who  are  principled  in  falses,  because  by  the  sons  of  Jacob 
or  brethren  of  Joseph  are  represented  those  who  are  in  faith 
separate  from  charity,  thus  who  have  extinguished  the  divine 
truth,  and  hence  are  in  falses,  as  was  shown  above. 

4782.  "And  all  his  daughters." — That  hereby  are  signified 
those  who  are  in  evils,  appears  from  the  signification  of  daugh- 
ters, as  denoting  goods,  and  in  the  opposite  sense  evils,  or  those 
who  are  principled  in  goods  or  evils,  see  n.  489,  490,  491,  568, 
2362,  3024,  3963. 

4783.  "To  comfort  him."— That  hereby  is  signified,  that 
they  might  interpret  from  the  sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  comforting,  as  denoting  to  ap- 
pease restlessness  of  mind  by  hope  concerning  any  thing,  see 
n.  3610  ;  in  the  present  case  restlessness  or  mourning  for  de- 
stroyed good  and  truth,  and  as  this  mourning  can  only  be  ap- 
peased by  interpretations  from  the  Word,  therefore,  as  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  Jacob  are  here  treated  of,  by  whom  are  sig- 
nified those  who  are  in  falses  and  evils,  n.  4781,  4782,  by  com- 
forting are  signified  interpretations  made  from  the  sense  of  the 
letter.  For  the  sense  of  the  letter  iias  common  or  general  prin- 
ciples, which  are  as  vessels,  which  may  be  filled  with  truths, 
and  also  with  falses,  and  thereby  be  explained  to  the  favour  of 
either ;  and  as  they  are  general  principles,  they  are  respectively 
obscure,  and  have  no  light  from  any  other  source  than  from  the 
internal  sense  ;  for  the  internal  sense  is  the  light  of  heaven,  be- 
cause it  is  the  Word  for  the  angels  ;  but  the  sense  of  the  letter 
is  in  the  light  of  the  world,  because  it  is  the  Word  tor  men, 
before  they  come  into  the  fight  of  heaven  from  the  Lord,  from 
which  in  such  case  they  have  illustration.  Hence  it  is  evident, 
that  the  sense  of  the  letter  is  serviceable  for  the  simple,  to 
initiate  them  into  the  internal  sense.  That  the  Word,  from  the 
sense  of  the  letter,  may  be  explained  to  favour  by  interpreta- 
tions, is  manifest  from  this  consideration,  that  all  doctrinal) 
whatsoever,  even  such  as  are  heretical,  are  thence  confirmed  ; 
as  for  example,  the  doctrinal  tenet  concerning  faith  separate 
from  charity,  by  these  words  of  the  Lord,  "  God  so  loved  the 
world,  that  he  gave  his  only-begotton  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lieved in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life,"  John 
iii.  16  ;  from  which  words,  and  also  from  other  passages,  they 
conclude  that  it  is  faith  alone  without  works  whereby  eternal 
life  is  attained  ;  and  when  they  have  persnadi  d  themselves  of 
this,  they  no  longer  attend  to  what  the  Lord  so  often  spake  re- 
specting love  to  Himself,  and  respecting  charily  and  works*  n. 
1017,2473,3931;  thus  neither  to  what  is  said  in  Jj..a,  "As 


4782,  4783.] 


GENESIS. 


367 


many  as  received  Him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the 
sons  of  God,  believing  in  his  name ;  who  were  born  not  of 
Uoods,  nor  of  the  tvill  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man  ( vir), 
but  of  God,"  i.  12,  13.  If  they  are  told  chat  no  one  can  believe 
in  the  Lord,  except  he  who  is  in  charity,  they  instantly  have 
recourse  to  interpretations  such  as  these,  that  the  law  has  been 
repealed,  that  they  were  born  in  sins,  and  thus  that  they  cannot 
do  good  of  themselves,  and  that  they  Avho  do,  must  needs  claim 
thence  merit  to  themselves  ;  and  they  also  confirm  these  things 
to  themselves  from  the  sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word,  as  from 
what  is  said  in  the  parable  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  publican, 
Luke  xviii.  10  to  14,  and  from  other  passages.  They  who  are 
in  faith  separate  from  charity,  cannot  also  believe  otherwise 
than  that  every  one  may  be  admitted  into  heaven  through  grace, 
howsoever  he  may  have  lived ;  thus  that  not  life  but  faith  re- 
mains with  man  after  death.  They  also  confirm  this  from  the 
sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word ;  when  yet  it  is  manifest  from 
the  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word,  that  the  Lord  hath  mercy 
towards  every  one  ;  thus  if  heaven  was  from  mercy  or  grace, 
without  respect  to  man's  life,  that  every  one  Avould  be  saved. 
The  reason  why  they  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity  thus 
believe,  is,  because  they  are  altogether  ignorant  what  heaven 
is,  and  this  because  they  do  not  know  what  charity  is ;  if  they 
knew  how  much  peace,  joy,  and  happiness  there  is  in  charity, 
they  would  know  what  heaven  is  ;  but  this  is  entirely  hidden 
from  them.  They  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  can- 
not believe  otherwise  than  that  they  shall  rise  again  with  the 
material  body,  and  not  until  the  day  of  judgment,  which  they 
likewise  confirm  from  several  passages  of  the  Word,  explained 
according  to  the  sense  of  the  letter ;  thinking  nothing  in  such 
case  of  what  the  Lord  hath  said  of  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus, 
Luke  xvi.  22  to  31,  and  of  what  He  said  to  the  thief,  "  Verily, 
I  say  unto  thee,  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise," 
Luke  xxiii.  43,  and  of  what  He  said  in  many  passages  besides. 
The  reason  why  they  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity  so 
believe,  is,  because  if  they  were  told  that  the  body  is  not  to  rise 
again,  they  would  altogether  deny  a  resurrection ;  for  they 
neither  know  nor  comprehend  what  the  internal  man  is,  inas- 
much as  no  one  can  know  what  the  internal  man  is,  and  his  life 
after  death,  unless  he  be  in  charity  ;  for  charity  is  of  the  inter- 
nal man.  They  who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity,  can- 
not believe  otherwise  than  that  the  works  of  charity  consist 
solely  in  giving  to  the  poor  and  helping  the  miserable,  which 
also  they  confirm  from  the  sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word ; 
when  yet  the  works  of  charity  consist  in  doing  that  which  is 
just  and  equitable,  each  in  his  own  office,  from  the  love  of  jus- 
tice and  equity,  and  of  good  and  truth.  They  who  are  in  faith 
separate  from  charity,  see  nothing  in  the  Word  but  what  con- 


368 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


firms  their  particular  tenets ;  they  have  no  interior  intuition, 
inasmuch  as  they  who  are  not  in  the  affection  of  charity,  are 
only  in  external  light,  or  in  inferior  intuition  ;  from  which  no 
one  can  view  superior  things,  for  they  appear  to  him  as  dark- 
ness. Hence  it  is,  that  they  see  falses  as  truths,  and  truths  as 
falses,  and  thereby  destroy  the  good  pasture,  and  defile  the  pure 
waters  of  the  sacred  fountain,  or  Word,  by  interpretations 
grounded  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  ;  according  to  these  words  in 
Ezekiel,  "  Is  it  a  small  thing  to  you  that  ye  eat  up  the  good 
pasture,  and  the  remainder  of  your  pastures  ye  trample  down 
with  your  feet  ?  Ye  drink  the  sediment  of  the  waters,  ye  dis- 
turb the  remainder  with  your  feet ;  .  .  .  .  with  your  horns  ye 
strike  all  the  infirm,  until  ve  have  scattered  them  abroad,"  xxxiv. 
17,  18,  21. 

4784.  "  But  he  refused  to  be  comforted." — That  hereby  is 
signified  that  he  coidd  not,  appears  from  what  has  now  been 
said. 

4785.  "  And  he  said,  For  I  will  go  down  into  the  grave  unto 
my  son  mourning." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  the  ancient 
church  would  perish,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of 
Jaoob,  who  says  this  of  himself,  as  denoting  the  ancient  church, 
see  above,  n.  4630,  4700,  4772 ;  (2.)  from  the  representation 
of  Joiv  lt,  who  is  here  my  son,  as  denoting  the  divine  spiritual 
principle,  or  the  Divine  Truth,  of  which  we  have  spoken  above  ; 
and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  going  doivn  into  the  grave 
mourning,  as  denoting  to  die;  and  when  predicated  of  the 
church,  and  also  of  the  divine  truth,  as  denoting  to  perish. 

478(5.  "  And  his  father  wept  for  him." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified interior  mourning,  appears  from  the  signification  of  weep- 
ing, as  denoting  the  ultimate  of  grief  and  sorrow,  thus  interior 
mourning.  Amongst  the  external  things  by  which  internals 
were  represented  in  the  ancient  churches,  was  also  wailing  and 
weeping  over  the  dead  ;  whereby  was  signified  interior  mourn- 
ing, although  it  was  not  interior ;  as  it  is  written  of  the  Egyp- 
tians who  journeyed  with  Joseph  to  bury  Jacob,  "  When  they 
came  to  the  threshing-floor  of  Atad,  which  is  in  the  passage  of 
Jordan,  they  mourned  there  a  great  and  very  sore  lamentation  : 
and  he  made  a  mourning  for  his  father  seven  days.  And  the 
inhabitant  of  the  land,  the  Canaanite,  saw  the  mourning  in  the 
threshing-floor  of  Atad, .  and  they  said,  This  is  a  grievous 
mourning  to  the  Egyptians,"  Gen.  1.  10,  11;  and  of  David 
over  Abner,  "  They  buried  Abner  in  Hebr  >n  :  and  the  king 
lifted  up  his  voice,  and  wept  at  the  grave  of  Abner  ;  and  all  the 
people  wept,"  2  Sam.  iii.  32. 

4787.  Verse  36.  And  the  Midiatiitcs  sold  him  into  Egypt, 
to  Pn.'iphar,  Pharaoh' s  chamberlain,  •prince  of  the  guards. 
The  Midianites  sold  him  into  Egypt,  signifies  that  those  who 
are  in  sjme  truth  of  simple  good,  consulted  scientifics  :  to 


4784-4788.] 


GENESIS 


369 


Potiphar,  Pharaoh's  chamberlain,  signifies  the  interiors  of 
scientifics ;  prince  of  the  guards,  signifies  those  things  which 
are  primary  for  interpretation. 

4788.  Ver.  36.  "  And  the  Midianites  sold  him  into  Egypt." 
— That  hereby  are  signified  that  those  who  are  in  some  truth  of 
simple  good,  consulted  scientifics,  appears  (1.)  from  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  Midianites,  as  denoting  those  who  are  in  the 
truth  of  simple  good,  see  n.  3242,  4756 ;  (2.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  Egypt,  as  denoting  scientifics,  see  n.  1164,  1165,  1186, 
1462,  2588,  4749  ;  (3.)  from  the'  signification  of  selling,  as  denot- 
ing to  alienate,  see  n.  4752,  4758  ;  and  (4.)  from  the  represent- 
ation of  Joseph,  as  denoting  Divine  Truth ;  when  tins  is  said 
to  be  sold  or  alienated  by  those  who  are  in  the  truth  of  simple 
good  to  scientifics,  which  are  Egypt,  it  denotes  that  they  con- 
sulted scientifics ;  for  they  who  are  in  the  truth  of  simple  good, 
suffer  themselves  to  be  very  much  led  away  by  the  fallacies  of 
the  senses,  thus  by  scientifics,  which  are  grounded  in  those 
fallacies.  It  was  said  above  (verse  28),  that  Joseph  was  drawn 
out  of  the  pit  by  the  Midianites,  but  that  he  was  sold  to  the 
Ishmaelites ;  hence  it  might  seem  that  he  could  not  be  sold  by 
any  others  in  Egypt  than  by  the  Ishmaelites ;  but  the  reason 
why  he  was  not  sold  by  the  Ishmaelites,  but  by  the  Midianites, 
is,  because  by  the  Ishmaebtes  are  represented  they  who  are  in 
simple  good,  n.  4747,  and  by  the  Midianites,  they  who  are  in 
the  truth  of  that  good.  Joseph,  or  Divine  Truth,  could  not  be 
sold  by  those  who  are  in  good,  but  by  those  who  are  in  truth  ; 
for  they  who  are  in  good  know  from  good  what  divino  truth  is, 
but  not  so  they  who  are  in  truth.  The  men  of  the  church  are 
distinguished  into  two  kinds,  those  who  are  in  good,  and  those 
who  are  in  truth  ;  they  who  are  in  good  are  called  celestial,  but 
they  who  are  in  truth  are  called  spiritual.  There  is  much  dif- 
ference between  the  former  and  the  latter ;  they  who  are  in 
good  are  in  the  affection  of  doing  good  for  the  sake  of  good, 
and  this  without  recompense  being  made  them  ;  their  recom- 
pense is  that  they  may  do  good,  for  hence  they  perceive  joy : 
but  they  who  are  in  truth  are  not  in  the  affection  of  doing 
good  for  the  sake  of  good,  but  because  it  is  so  commanded ; 
and  they  generally  think  of  recompense,  finding  joy  thence  de- 
rived, and  also  from  a  principle  of  glorying.  Hence  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  they  who  do  good  from  good,  do  it  from  an  internal 
affection ;  but  they  who  do  good  from  truth,  do  it  from  some 
external  affection  ;  hence  the  difference  is  manifest,  that  the 
former  are  internal  men,  but  the  latter  external :  they  there- 
fore, who  are  internal  men  cannot  sell,  that  is,  alienate  the  Di- 
vine Truth  represented  by  Joseph,  because  they  perceive  truth 
from  good  ;  hence  they  are  not  led  away  by  the  fallacies  of  the 
senses,  consequently  neither  by  scientifics.  But  they  who  are 
external  men,  can  sell  or  alienate,  because  they  do  not  perceive 
voi*  v.  24 


370 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


truth  from  good,  but  acquire  the  knowledge  of  it  only  from 
doctrine  and  masters  ;  when  the  latter  consult  scientifics,  they 
suffer  themselves  easily  to  be  led  away  by  fallacies,  for  they 
have  no  dictate  within.  Hence  then  it  is,  that  Joseph  was  not 
sold  bv  the  Ishmaelites,  but  by  the  Midiantes. 

4789.  "  To  Potiphar,  Pharaoh's  chamberlain."— That  here- 
by are  signified  the  interiors  of  scientifics  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  chamberlain,  as  denoting  interior  things,  of 
which  we  shall  speak  presently ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representa- 
tion of  Pharaoh,  as  denoting  scientifics ;  for  by  Egypt  are  sig- 
nified scientifics  in  general,  as  was  shown  in  n.  1164,  1165, 
1186, 1462  ;  in  like  manner  by  Pharaoh,  for  that  which  is  sig- 
nified in  the  Word  by  land  or  nation,  is  also  signified  by  the 
king  thereof,  he  being  the  head  of  the  nation.  The  interiors 
of  scientifics  are  signified  by  Pharaoh's  chamberlain,  because 
chamberlains  were  connected  with  the  interior  things  of  the 
king,  being  interior  stewards  and  more  eminent  perfects  ;  as  is 
also  evident  from  the  signification  of  that  word  in  the  original 
tongue. 

4790.  "Prince  of  the  guards." — That  hereby  are  signified 
those  things  which  are  primary  for  interpretation,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  prince,  as  denoting  what  is  primary,  see  n. 
1482,  2089.  The  prince  of  the  guards  here  t  enotes  things  pri- 
mary for  interpretation,  because  the  subject  treated  of  is  divine 
truth,  which  was  sold  by  those  who  were  in  'the  truth  of  simple 
good,  by  their  consulting  scientifics,  whence  came  aberration 
and  alienation  from  Divine  Truth,  and  hence  interpretations 
from  the  sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word,  u.  4783 ;  by  guards, 
also,  are  signified  those  things  which  minister. 


A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  SUBJECT  CONCERNING  THE  GRAND  MAN  ; 
ESPECIALLY  ON  THE  i  CORRESPONDENCE  OF  THE  TASTE,  OF  THE 
TONGUE,  AND  OF  THE  FACE,  WITH  THAT  MAN. 

4791.  THE  tongue  affords  entrance  to  the  lungs  ond  also  to 
the  stomach,  thus  it  represents  a  sort  of  court-yard  to  spiritual, 
and  to  celestial  things  ;  to  spiritual  things  as  ministering  to  the 
lungs  and  thence  to  the  speech,  and  to  celestial  things  as  minis- 
tering to  the  stomach,  ivhich  supplies  the  Hood  of  the  heart  with 
aliment ;  that  the  lungs  correspond  to  spiritual  things,  and  the 


wherefore  the  tongue  in  general  corresponds  to  the  affection  of 
truth,  or  to  those  in  the  Grand  Man  tvho  are  in  the  affection  of 
truth,  and  afterwards  in  the  affection  of  good  from  truth.  They 


seen  in  n.  3635,  3883  to  3896  ; 


4789—4792.] 


GENESIS. 


371 


therefore  who  love  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  and  thence  desire  the 
knowledges  of  truth  and  good,  belong  to  that  province  ;  but  with 
this  difference,  that  some  belong  to  the  tongue  itself,  some  to  the 
larynx  and  the  wind-pipe,  some  to  the  throat,  some  to  the  gums, 
and  some  to  the  lips,  for  there  is  not  the  smallest  thing  apper- 
taining to  man,  with  which  there  is  not  correspondence.  That 
they  xoho  are  in  the  affection  of  truth  belong  to  the  above  prov- 
ince, understood  in  an  extended  sense,  has  been  given  me  to 
experience  .  frequently  ;  and  this  by  manifest  influx  of  spirits, 
at  one  time  into  the  tongue,  and  at  another  time  into  the  lips, 
when  it  ivas  also  given  me  to  discourse  with  them  ;  and  it  ivas 
observed,  that  some  correspond  to  the  interiors  of  the  tongue 
and  of  the  lips,  and  others  to  the  exteriors.  The  operation  of 
those  toho  receive  only  exterior  truths  with  affection,  but  not 
interior,  and  yet  do  not  reject  the  latter,  was  made  sensible  to 
rn-e  by  an  influx,  not  into  the  interiors  of  the  tongue,  but  into 
the  exteriors. 

4792.  As  food  and  nourishment  correspond  to  spiritual  food 
and  nourishment,  the  taste  corresponds  to  the  perception  and  the 
affection  thereof.  Spiritual  food  is  science,  intelligence,  and 
wisdom  ;  for  by  these  things  spirits  and  angels  live,  and  are  also 
nourished,  and  they  desire  and  appetite  them,  as  men  toho  are 
hungry  desire  and  appetite  food  ;  hence  the  appetite  corresponds 
to  that  desire.  And,  ivhat  is  surprising,  by  virtue  of  that  food 
they  also  groio  up  to  maturity  ;  for  infants  xoho  depart  this  life, 
appear  in  the  other  life  no  otherwise  than  as  infants,  and  also 
they  are  infants  as  to  understanding  ;  but  in  proportion  as  they 
grow  in  intelligence  and  ivisdom,  they  appear  not  as  infants,  but 
as  advanced  in  age,  and  at  length  as  adults.  I  have  discoursed 
ivith  some  ivho  died  infants  and  they  appeared  to  me  as  youths, 
because  they  were  then  intelligent .  Hence  it  is  manifest  what 
spiritual  food  and  nourishment  is. 

4793.  Inasmuch  as  the  taste  corresponds  to  perception  and  to 
the  affection  of  knowing,  of  understanding ,  and  of  growing  ivise, 
and  the  life  of  man  is  in  that  affection,  therefore  it  is  not  per- 
mitted to  any  spirit  or  angel  to  flow  into  man's  taste  ;  for  this 
ivould  be  to  flow  into  the  life  which  is  proper  to  him.  There  are 
nevertheless  wandering  spirits  of  the  infernal  creio  peculiarly 
pernicious,  who,  in  co?isequence  of  having  been  habituated  in 
the  life  of  the  body  to  enter  into  man's  affections  with  a  view  to 
his  hurt,  retain  that  lust  in  the  other  life,  and  by  every  method 
study  to  enter  into  the  taste  with  man  ;  when  they  have  entered 
into  it,  they  posses*  his  interiors,  viz.,  the  life  of  his  thoughts  and 
affections,  for,  as  was  said,  they  correspond,  and  things  which 
correspond  act  in  unity.  Several  at  this  day  are  possessed  by 
those  spirits  ;  for  there  are  at  this  day  interior  obsessions,  but 
not,  as  formerly,  exterior  :  interior  obsessions  are  effected  by  tlie 
above  spirits,  and  their  quality  may  appear  from  attending  to 


372 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


the  thoughts  and  affections,  especially  to  the  interior  intentions, 
which  they  are  afraid  to  manifest,  and  which  are  in  such  a 
degree  of  insanity  with  some,  that  unless  they  icere  restrained 
by  external  bonds,  such  as  honour,  gain,  reputation,  the  fear  of 
death  and  of  the  law,  they  would  rush  headlong  into  murder  and 
rapine  more  than  the  obsessed.  What  those  spirits  are  who  obsess 
the  interiors  of  such  men,  and  ivhat  their  quality,  may  be  seen 
in  n.  1983.  That  I  might  Icnoio  how  this  case  is,  it  was  per- 
mitted them  to  attempt  to  enter  into  my  taste,  ivhich  they  also 
strove  with  the  greatest  exertion  to  effect  ;  and  it  was  then  told 
me,  that  if  they  penetrated  quite  into  the  taste,  they  would  also 
possess  the  interiors,  because  the  taste  depends  on  those  interiors 
by  correspondence ;  but  this  was  permitted  only  to  the  end  that 
I  might  knotv  how  the  case  is  in  regard  to  the  correspondence  of 
the  taste,  for  they  were  instantly  driven  aivay  thence.  Those 
pernicious  spirits  attempt  more  especially  to  loosen  all  internal 
bonds,  ivhich  are  the  affections  of  good  and  truth,  of  the  just 
and,  equitable,  the  fear  of  the  divine  laiv,  and  the  shame  of  hurt- 
ing society  and  a  man's  country  ;  when  these  internal  bonds  are 
loosened,  man  is  obsessed  by  such  spirits.  When  they  cannot 
'thus  introduce  themselves  into  the  interiors  by  obstinate  striving, 
they  attempt  it  by  magical  arts,  of  which  there  are  several  in 
the  other  life  altogether  unknoiun  in  the  world  ;  by  these  arts 
they  ptrvert  scientifics  with  man,  and  only  apply  those  which 
favour  filthy  lusts.  Such  obsessions  cannot  be  avoided,  unless 
man  be  in  the  affection  of  good,  and  thence  in  faith  in  the  Lord. 
It  was  shoicn  also  hoio  they  were  driven  away,  viz.,  when  they 
thought  they  were  penetrating  towards  the  interiors  of  the  head 
and  brain,  they  were  conveyed  off  by  the  excrement  itious  ways 
therein,  and  thence  towards  the  externals  of  the  skin  ;  and  it  was 
seen  that  they  ivere  afterwards  cast  into  a  ditch  abounding  ivith 
loose  filth  ;  I  have  been  informed  that  such  spirits  correspond  to 
the  dirty  little  holes  in  the  outermost  skin  which  is  scabby,  thus 
they  correspond  to  the  scab. 

4794.  A  spirit,  or  a  man  after  death,  has  all  the  sensations 
which  he  had  whilst  he  lived  in  the  world,  viz.,  seeing,  hearing, 
smelling,  and  touch,  but  not  taste,  instead  of  which  something 
analogous  is  adjoined  to  the  smell.  The  reason  why  he  has  not 
taste,  is,  lest  he  should  enter  into  the  taste  of  .man,  and  thereby 
possess  his  interiors  ;  a'so  lest  that  sense  should  turn  him  away 
from  the  desire  of  knowing  and  of  groioing  wise,  thus  from 
spiritual  appetite. 

471)5.  From  these  considerations  also  it  may  appear  evident, 
why  the  tongue  is  assigned  to  the  double  office  of  administering 
to  speech,  and  of  administering  to  nourishment  ;  for  so  far  as 
it  administers  to  nourishment,  it  corresponds  to  the  affection  of 
knowing,  of  understanding,  and  of  relishing  truths,  wherefore 
also  wisdom  [sapientia]  or  growing  wise  [sapere]  derives  its  name 


4794-4798.]  GENESIS. 


373 


from  relish  [sapor]  and  so  far  as  it  administers  to  speech,  it 
corresponds  to  the  affection  of  thinking  and  of  producing  truths. 

4796.  When  the  angels  present  themselves  visibly,  all  their 
interior  affections  appear  clearly  from  the  face,  and  thence  shine 
forth,  so  that  the  face  is  their  external  form  and  representative- 
image.  To  have  any  other  face  than  that  of  their  respective 
affections,  is  not  granted  to  any  in  heaven;  they  who  .feign  any 
other  face,  are  cast  out  from  the  society.  Hence  it  is  manifest, 
that  the  face  corresponds  to  all -the  interiors  in  general,  both  to 
the  off>  ctions  and  the  thoughts  thereof,  or  to  the  things  of  the 
tvill  and  those  of  the  understanding  in  man.  Hence  also  in  the 
Word,  by  face  and  faces  are  signified  the  affections ;  and  by  the 
Lord's  elevating  his  faces  upon  any  one,  is  signified,  that  He 
pities  him  from  the  divine  affection,  which  is  of  love. 

4797.  The  changes  of  the  state  of  the  affections  appear  also 
to  the  life  in  the  faces  of  the  angels;  when  they  are  in  their  own 
society,  they  are  then  in  their  own  face,  but  when  they  come  into 
another  society,  their  faces  are  changed  according  to  the  affec- 
tions of  the  good  and  truth  of  that  society;  yet  still  the  genuine 
face  is  as  a  plane,  which  is  known  in  those  changes.  I  have 
seen  the  successive  variations  according  to  the  affections  of  the 
societies  with  which  they  communicated ;  for  every  angel  is  in 
some  province  of  the  Grand  Man,  and  thereby  generally  and 
widely  communicates  -with  all  who  are  in  the  same  province, 
although  he  is  in  apart  of  that  province,  to  which  he  properly 
corresponds.  I  have  seen  that  they  varied  their  faces  by  the 
changes  from  one  limit  of  affection  to  another;  but  it  was 
observed  that  the  same  face  in  general  was  retained,  so  that  the 
ruling  affection  always  shone  forth  with  its  variations ;  thus 
the  /aces  of  the  whole  affection  in  its  extension  were  shown. 
And  what  is  more  wonderful,  the  changes  of  affections  from 
infancy  even  to  adult  age  ivcre  also  shown  by  variations  of  the 
face;  and  it  was  given  me  to  know  in  this  latter  age  how  much 
of  infancy  it  had  retained,  and  that  this  infancy  ivas  its  very 
human  principle  itself;  for  with  an  infant  there  is  innocence 
in  the  external  form,  and  innocence  is  the  very  human  principle 
itself ,  for  love  and  charity  from  the  Lord  flow-in  to  innocence, 
as  into  a  plane.  When  man  is  regenerated  and  made  wise,  the 
innocence  of  infancy,  which  ivas  external,  becomes  internal  ; 
/unce  it  is  that  genuine  wisdom  dwells  in  no  other  sacred  abode 
flan  in  innocence,  see  n.  2305,  2306,  3183,  3994  ;  also  that  no 
one  can  en'er  into  heaven,  unless  he  has  somewhat  of  innocence, 
according  to  the  Lord's  words,  "  Except  ye  become  as  infants,  ye 
shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  the  heavens,"  Matt,  xviii  3  ; 
Mark  x.  15. 

4798.  Evil  spirits  may  also  be  known  from  their  faces,  for 

*  This  observation,  it  is  to  be  noted,  applies  to  the  Latin  language,  in  which 
the  author  wrote,  but  not  so  to  other  languages. 


374 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


all  their  lusts  or  evil  affections  are  inscribed  on  their  faces ;  and 
it  may  likewise  be  known  from  their  faces  ivith  what  hells  they 
communicate  ;  for  there  are  very  many  hells,  all  distinct  accord- 
ing to  the  genera  and  species  of  the  lusts  of  evil.  In  general, 
when  they  appear  by  the  light  of  heaven,  their  faces  are  almost 
without  life,  being  ghastly  like  those  of  dead  bodies,  in  some 
cases  black,  and  in  some  monstrous ;  for  they  are  the  forms  of 
hatred,  cruelty,  deceit,  and  hypocrisy ;  but  in  their  own  light 
amongst  themselves,  they  appear  otherwise  from  phantasy. 

4799.  There  were  spirits  attendant  upon  me  from  another 
orb  (of  which  orb  toe  shall  speak  etseivhere),  ivhose  faces  were 
different  from  the  faces  of  the  men  of  our  globe,  being  prominent, 
especially  about  the  lips,  and  moreover  being  free.  I  discoursed 
with  them  concerning  their  manner  of  living,  and  the  state  of 
conversation  amongst  them;  they  said  that  they  discoursed 
amongst  each  other  chiefly  by  variations  of  the  face,  esp>ecially 
about  the  lips,  and  that  they  expressed  affections  by  the  parts  of 
the  face  about  the  eyes,  so  that  their  companions  could  thence 
plainly  comprehend  both  what  they  thought  and  what  they 
willed.  This  also  they  endeavoured  to  show  me  by  an  influx 
into  my  lips,  through  the  various  foldings  and  windings  there- 
abouts;  but  I  coidd  not  receive  the  variations,  because  my  lips 
had  not  been  initiated  thereinto  from  infancy;  nevertheless  I 
could  perceive  what  they  sjmke  by  communication  of  their 
thought.  But  that  speech  in  general  may  be  expressed  by  the 
lips,  appears  evident  to  me  from  the  manifold  series  of  muscu- 
lar fibres  folded  together  one  amongst  another,  which  are  in  the 
lips,  and  in  which,  if  they  were  unfolded,  and  thereby  acted  ex- 
plicitly and  freely,  might  be,  jiresented  several  variations  alto- 
gether unknown  to  those  with  whom  those  muscular  fibres  lie 
compressed.  Such  speech  or  discourse  prevails  amongst  the 
above  spirits,  because  they  are  incapable  of  simulations,  or  of 
thinking  one  thing  and  looking  another ;  for  they  live  amongst 
each  other  in  such  a  principle  of  sincerity,  that  they  conceal 
nothing  at  all  from  their  companions,  bid  they  instantly  know 
tvhat  they  arc  thinking  and  willing,  their  quality,  and  likewise 
what  th- y  have  been  transacting ;  for  with  those  who  are  in  a 
principle  of  sincerity,  acts  performed  are  in  the  conscience ; 
hence  at  first  aspect  they  may  be  discriminated  by  others  as  to 
their  interior  countenances  or  minds.  They  showed  me  that  they 
do  not  force  the  face,  but  let  it  forth  freely,  otherwise  than  with 
those  who  from  youth  have  been  accustomed  to  simulation,  in 
speaking  and  acting  what  they  do  not  think  and  will ;  the  face, 
of  these  latter  is  contracted,  so  as  to  be  2^repared  to  vary  ilse  f  as 
cunning  suggests;  whatsoever  a  man  is  Willing  to  hide,  contracts 
his  face,  which  from  bring  contracted  is  dilated,  when  any  thing 
resembling  sincerity  is  deceitfully  brought  forth.  Whilst  I  was 
reading  in  the  Word  of  the  New  Testament  concerning  the  Lord 


1799—4801.] 


GENESIS. 


375 


the  above  spirits  were  present,  and  also  some  Christians,  and  it 
was  perceived  that  the  latter  cherished  inwardly  in  themselves 
scandals  against  the  Lord,  and  also  that  they  were  willing  ta- 
citly to  communicate  them:  the  former,  who  were  from  another 
orb,  ivondered  that  they  were  of  such  a  quality ;  but  it  was  given 
me  to  tell  them,  that  in  the  xoorld  they  were  not  such  in  mouth, 
but  in  heart ;  and  that  there  were  also  some  tvho  preach  the 
Lord,  notwithstanding  their  being  of  such  a  quality,  and  on  such 
occasions  they  moved  the  vulgar  to  sighs  and  even  to  tears  from 
the  zeal  of  pretended  piety,  but  they  do  not  in  the  least  communi- 
cate what  is  in  the  heart.  At  this  they  were  amazed,  to  think 
that  such  a  disagreement  of  the  interiors  and  exteriors  or  of  the 
thoughts  and  speech,  can  p>ossibly  have  place,  saying,  That  they 
themselves  are  altogether  ignorant  of  such  a  disagreement,  and 
that  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  express  anything  with  the  mouth 
and  face  but  ivhat  is  according  to  the  affections  of  the  heart; 
and  that  if  it  ivas  otherwise,  they  should  burst  asunder  and 
perish. 

4800.  Very  feio  can  believe  that  there  are  societies  of  spirits 
and  angels,  to  which  every  single  particular  in  man  corresponds ; 
also  that  the  more  societies  there  are,  and  the  more  in  a  society, 
so  much  the  better  and  mightier  is  the  correspondence,  for  in 
multitude  there  is  unanimous  power.  That  I  might  know  this 
to  be  the  case,  it  was  shoion  how  they  act  and  flow  into  the  face, 
the  muscles  of  the  forehead,  of  the  cheeks,  and  of  the  chin  and 
throat;  it  was  given  to  those  who  belonged  to  that  province,  to 
flow-in,  and  on  this  occasion,  according  to  their  influx,  each 
single  particular  teas  varied.  Some  of  them  also  discoursed  ivith 
me;  but  they  did  not  know  that  they  were  assigned  to  the  prov- 
ince of  the  face,  for  it  is  concealed  from  spirits  to  what  province 
they  are  assigned,  but  not  from  angels. 

4801.  A  certain  one  discoursed  with  me,  ivho,  whilst  he  lived 
in  the  world  had  been  distinguished  for  his  knowledge  of  the 
exterior  truths  of  faith,  but  still  had  not  led  a  life  conformable 
to  the  precepts  of  faith ;  for  he  had  loved  himself  only,  and  had 
despised  others  in  comparison  with  himself,  and  had  believed 
that  he  should  be  amongst  the  first  in  heaven  ;  but  in  consequence 
of  being  of  such  a  quality  and  character,  he  could  not  conceive 
any  other  opinion  concerning  heaven,  than  as  of  a  loorldly  king- 
dom. When  he  found  in  the  other  life,  that  heaven  was  alto- 
gether different  from  what  he  had  conceived,  and  that  they  were 
the  chief,  vmo  had  not  preferred  themselves  to  others,  especially 
who  had  believed  themselves  not  worthy  of  mercy,  and  thus  that 
if  estimated  by  merit  they  were  the  last,  he  was  exceedingly 
indignant,  and  rejected  those  things  tohicli  had  been  the  things  of 
his  faith  in  the  life  of  the  body.  He  continually  attempted  to 
offer  violence  to  those  xoho  xoere  of  the  province  of  the  tongue  ;  it 
was  given  me  also  to  be  very  sensible  of  his  attempt  for  several 


376 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvii. 


weeks,  and  hence  also  to  know  who  they  are,  and  of  what  quality, 
who  correspond  to  the  tongue,  and.  who  they  are  who  are  opposed 
to  tliem. 

4802.  There  are  also  such  spirits,  who  in  some  measure  ad- 
mit the  light  of  heaven,  and  receive  the  truths  of  faith,  and  still 
are  evil,  so  that  they  h~>v?  some  perception  of  truth;  they  like- 
wise eagerly  receive  truths,  but  not  for  the  end  that  they  man  live 
according  to  them,  but  that  they  may  glory  thence  in  appearing 
more  intelligent  and  sharp-sighted  than  others;  for  the  intellec- 
tual principle  of  man,  is  such,  thai  it  can  receive  truths,  but  still 
truths  are  not  appropriated  to  any  but  those  who  live  according 
to  them;  unless  man's  intellectual  principle  was  of  this  quality, 
he  could  not  be  reformed.  They  who  have  been  of  this  descrip- 
tion in  the  loortd,  viz.,  that  they  have  understood  truths,  and  yet 
have  lived  the  life  of  evil,  are  also  of  such  a  na'ure  in  the  other 
life;  but  there  they  abuse  the  faculty  of  understanding  truths  to 
acquire  dominion;  for  they  know  in  that  life,  that  by  truths 
they  have  communication  with  some  societies  of  heaven,  conse- 
quently that  they  ran  be  loith  the  evil,  and  prevail;  for,  in  the 
other  life,  truths  are  attended  with  power;  but  because  the  life 
of  evil  appertains  to  them,  they  are  in  hell.  I  have  discoursed 
with  tioo  who  had  been  of  this  description  in  the  life  of  the  body, 
ivho  were  surprised  that  they  were  in  hell,  lohen  yet  they  persua- 
sively believed  the  truths  of  faith;  but  they  were  told,  that  the 
light  appertaining  to  them,  whereby  they  understand  truths,  be- 
comes a  light  like  that  of  winter  in  the  world,  in  ivhich  light 
objects  appear  in  their  beauty  and  with  their  colours,  as  in  the 
light  of  summer,  but  still  all  things  are  torpid  in  it,  and  no- 
thing of  pleasantness  and,  gladness  is  presented  ;  and  that  as  the 
end  of  understanding  truths  has  been  for  the  sake  of  glorying, 
and  consequently  for  the  sake  of  themselves,  therefore  when  the 
sphere  of  their  ends  exalts  itsc'f  towards  the  interior  heavens  to 
the  angels  there,  by  ivhom  alone  ends  are  perceived,  it  cannot  be 
endured,  but  is  rejected,  and  hence  it  is  that  they  are  in  hell.  It 
ivas  told  them  further,  that  such  formerly  above  all  others  were 
called  serpents  of  the  tree  of  science;  because  when  they  reason 
from  life,  they  speak  against  truths.  And  moreover  that  they 
are  like  a  woman  ivho  is  beautifid  in  the  face,  and  yet  emits  a 
horrid  stench,  ivho  therefore  is  rejected  from  all  society  where- 
soever she  comes;  such  also  in  the  other  life,  ivhcn  they  come  to 
the  angelic  societies,  actually  emit  a  stench,  of  ivhich  they  them- 
selves are  likewise  sensible,  when  they  approach  those  societies. 
Hence  also  it  may  appear  what  faith  is  without  the  life  of 
faith. 

4803.  It  is  worthy  of  relation  (which  is  altogether  unknown 
in  the  world)  that  the  states  of  good  spirits  and  of  angels  are 
continually  changing  and  perfecting,  and  that  thus  they  are 
raised  into  the  interiors  of  the  province  in  which  they  are,  and 


4802—4805.] 


GENESIS. 


377 


so  into  nobler  functions:  for  in  heu~^'i  there  is  a  continual  pu- 
rification^ and  (if  it  may  he  so  expressed)  new  creation;  never- 
theless, it  is  impossible  for  any  angel  by  any  means  to  arrive  at 
absolute  perfection  to  eternity;  the  L  jrd  alone  is  perfect,  in 
Him  and  from  Him  is  all  perfection.  They  toho  correspond  to 
the  mouth,  are  continually  willing  to  speak,  for  in  speaking 
they  find  the  highest  degree  of  pleasure;  when  they  are  perfected, 
they  are  reduced  to  this,  that  they  do  not  speak  any  thing  but 
what  is  profitable  to  their  companions,  to  the  common  good,  to 
heav  n,  and  to  the  Lord;  the  delight  of  so  speaking  is  increased 
ivith  them  in  the  degree  that  the  desire  of  regarding  themselves 
in  their  speech,  and  of  seeking  tvisdom  from  their  own  proprium, 
perishes. 

48;  14.  There  are  very  many  societies  in  the  other  life,  tohich 
are  called  societies  of  friendship,  being  constituted  of  those  toho 
in  the  life  of  the  body  have  preferred  the  delight  of  conversation 
to  every  other  deligh' ,  and  who  have  loved  those  with  ivhom  they 
have  conversed,  not  caring  at  all  whether  they  were  good  or  evil, 
if  they  were  entertaining ;  thus  they  had  not  been  friends  either 
to  good  or  truth.  They  who  have  been  such  in  the  life  of  the 
body,  are  also  such  in  the  other  life,  where  they  unite  together 
with  a  view  only  to  the  entertainment  of  conversation.  Several 
such  societies  have  been  with  me,  but  at  a  distance ;  they  were 
chiefly  seen  a  little  to  the  right  above  the  head;  it  loas  given  me 
to  observe  that  they  ivere  present  by  a  torpor  and  dulness,  and 
by  privation  of  the  delight  in  tohich  I  teas,  for  the  presence  of 
such  societies  produces  those  effects;  for  wheresoever  they  come, 
they  take  away  delight  from  others,  and  (what  is  wonderful) 
appropriate  it  to  themselves ,  for  they  avert  the  spirits  attendant 
upon  others,  and  turn  them  toioards  themselves,  whereby  they 
transfer  another's  delight  to  themselves ;  and  as  hence  they  are 
troublesome  and  hurtful  to  those  ivho  are  in  good,  they  are  driven 
away  by  the  Lord,  and  prevented  from  coming  near  the  heavenly 
societies.  Hence  it  was  given  me  to  knoio  how  much  hurt  friend- 
ship ococtsions  to  man  as  to  spiritual  life,  if  the  person,  and  not 
good,  is  respected;  every  one  may  indeed  be  friendly  to  another, 
but  si  ill  he  ought  to  be  most  friendly  to  good. 

4805.  There  are  also  societies  of  interior  friendship,  which 
do  not  take  away  another' s  external  delight  and  derive  it  to  them- 
selves, but  take  away  Ids  internal  delight  or  blessedness  arising 
from  the  affection  of  spiritual  things  ;  they  are  in  front  to  the 
right,  a  little  beneath  the  inferior  earth,  and  some  of  them  some- 
what above  ;  I  have  orcasionally  discoursed  with  those  who  are 
beneath,  and  on  such  occasions  th  y  toho  we/c  above  floiued-  in  in 
common.  They  were,  such  in  the  life  of  the  body,  that  they  loved 
from  the  heart  those  who  were  within  their  common  consociation, 
and  mutually  embraced  them  as  united  in  brotherhood.  They 
believed  that  they  themselves  alone  were  alive  and  in  the  light, 


378 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


and  that  they  10I10  were  out  of  their  society  were  respectively  not 
alive  and  not  in  the  light;  and  'this  being  their  quality  and 
character,  they  also  thought  that  the  Lord's  heaven  consisted 
solely  of  those  few.  Bat  it  io%s  g<ven  to  tell  them,  that  the  Lord's 
heaven  is  immense,  and  that  it  consists  of  every  people  and 
tongue,  and  that  all  who  have  been  principled  in  the  good  of  love 
and  of  faith  are  therein;  and  it  toas  shown  that  in  heaven  there 
are  those  who  have  relation  to  all  the  provinces  of  the  body  as  to 
its  exteriors  and  interiors ;  but  that  if  they  aspired  further  than 
to  those  things  which  correspond  to  their  life,  they  could  not  have 
heaven,  especially  if  they  condemned  others  who  were  out  of 
their  society;  and  that  in  suck  case  their  society  is  a  society  of 
interior  friendship,  the  quality  whereof  is  such,  as  was  said, 
that  they  deprive  others  of  the  blessed  principle  of  spiritual  af- 
fection when  they  approach  them;  for  they  regard  them  as  not 
the  elect,  and  as  not  alive,  this  thought  communicated  induces 
sadness,  xohich,  according  to  the  law  of  order  in  the  other  life, 
returns  to  them. 

4806.  The  subject  of  the  correspondence  with  the  Grand  Man 
will  be  continued  at  the  close  of  the  subsequent  chapter. 


GENESIS 

CHAPTER  THE  THIRTY-EIGHTH. 


4807.  PREVIOUS  to  the  preceding  chapter  (n.  4661  to 
4664),  an  explanation  was  begun  of  what  the  Lord  spake  in 
Matthew  xxv.  31  to  the  end,  concerning  judgment  upon  the 
good  and  the  evil,  who  are  there  called  sheep  and  goats.  The 
inteimal  sense  of  those  words  has  not  yet  been  explained,  but 
it  will  now  be  explained  before  this  and  some  of  the  following 
chapters :  whence  it  will  appear  manifest,  that  by  the  last  judg- 
ment is  not  there  meant  the  last  time  of  the  world,  and  that  the 
dead  shall  then  first  rise  again,  and  be  gathered  together  before 
the  Lord  and  judged ;  but  that  it  means  the  last  time  of  every 
one  who  passes  out  of  this  world  into  the  other  life,  for  then  is 
his  judgment ;  this  is  the  judgment  winch  is  meant.  But  that 
this  is  the  cas9,  does  not  appear  from  the  sense  of  th.;  letter,  but 
from  the  internal  sense ;  the  reason  why  the  Lord  BO  spake,  is, 
because  He  spake  by  representatives  and  significatives,  as  else- 
where throughout  the  "Word  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament ; 


4806-4809.] 


GENESIS. 


379 


for  to  speak  by  representatives  and  significatives,  is  to  speak  at 
one  and  the  same  time  before  the  world  and  before  heaven,  or 
before  men  and  before  angels  ;  such  is  the  Divine  speech,  as 
being  universal,  and  hence  it  is  proper  to  the  Word.  "Where- 
fore they  who  are  in  the  world,  and  are  concerned  only  about 
worldly  things,  have  no  other  concoption  of  what  the  Lord 
here  spake  concerning  the  last  judgment,  than  that  all  are  to 
rise  again  at  one  and  the  same  time,  and  that  the  Lord  will 
then  sit  upon  the  throne  of  His  glory,  and  address  those  who 
are  gathered  together  according  to  the  words  there  expressed. 
But  they  who  are  concerned  about  heavenly  things,  know  that 
the  time  of  every  one's  resurrection  is  when  he  dies  ;  and  that 
the  Lord's  words  in  the  above  passage  involve  that  every  one 
will  be  judged  according  to  his  life,  thus  that  every  one  carries 
his  judgment  with  him,  because  he  carries  his  life. 

4808.  That  this  is  involved  in  the  internal  sense  of  those 
words,  will  appear  manifest  from  the  explanation  of  each  accord- 
ing to  that  sense  ;  but  at  present  we  shall  confine  ourselves  to 
the  explanation  of  the  contents  of  verses  31,  32,  33,  viz.  :  When 
the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels 
with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory :  and  before 
him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations ;  and  he  shall  separate  them  the 
one  from  the  other,  as  a  shepherd  divideth  the  sheep  from  the 
goats  ;  and  he  shall  set  the  slieep  on  his  right  hand,  and  the  goats 
on  the  left. 

4809.  JVJien  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  signi- 
fies when  the  Divine  Truth  shall  appear  in  its  light ;  which  is 
the  case  with  every  man  when  he  dies,  for  then  he  comes  into 
the  light  of  heaven,  in  which  he  can  perceive  what  is  true  and 
good,  and  hence  what  is  his  quality.  In  the  internal  sense  of 
the  Word,  the  Son  of  Man  is  the  Lord  as  to  Divine  Truth,  thus 
the  divine  truth  from  the  Lord  ;  glory  is  the  intelligence  and 
wisdom  thence  derived,  which  appears  as  fight,  and  before  the 
angels  as  the  splendour  of  light ;  this  splendour  of  light,  where- 
in is  wisdom  and  intelligence  derived  from  the  divine  truth 
from  the  Lord,  is  that  which  in  the  Word  is  called  glory  ;  that 
the  Son  of  Man,  in  the  internal  sense,  is  the  Divine  Truth,  may 
be  seen  in  n.  2159,  2803,  2813,  3704.  And  all  the  holy  angels 
with  him,  signifies  the  angehc  heaven  ;  the  holy  angels  are  the 
truths  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Good  ;  for  by  angels,  in  the  Word, 
are  not  meant  angels,  but  those  things  which  are  from  the  Lord, 
see  n.  1925,  4085  ;  for  the  angels  are  recipient  of  the  life  of 
truth  proceeding  from  the  Lord's  Divine  Good ;  and  so  far  as 
they  receive,  so  far  they  are  angels ;  hence  it  is  evident  that 
angels  are  those  truths.  As  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  the 
state  of  every  one  after  death,  and  the  judgment  of  every  one 
according  to  Lis  life,  therefore  it  is  said  that  all  the  holy  angels 
shall  be  with  Him,  and  thereby  is  signified  that  judgment  is 


380 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


through  heaven,  for  all  the  influx  of  Divine  Truth  is  made 
through  heaven,  as  immediate  influx  cannot  be  received  by 
any  one.  Then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory,  sig- 
nifies judgment,  for  throne  is  predicated  of  the  Lord's  royal 
principle,  which  is  the  Divine  Truth,  n.  1728,  2015,  3009,  3670, 
from  aud  according  to  which  judgment  is  made.  And  before 
him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations,  signifies  that  the  goods  and 
evils  of  all  shall  be  made  manifest ;  for  by  nations,  in  the  inteiv 
nal  sense  of  the  Word,  are  signified  good,  and  in  the  opposite 
sense  evils,  n.  1259,  1260,  1416,  2588,  4574  ;  thus  that  goods 
and  evils  shall  appear  in  the  divine  light,  that  is,  in  the  light 
from  the  Divine  Truth,  is  signified  by  all  nations  being  gathered 
together  before  Him.  And  he  shall  separate  them  the  one  from 
the  other,  as  a  shepherd  divideth  the  sheep  from  the  goats,  sig- 
nifies the  separation  of  good  from  evil,  for  the  sheep  are  they 
who  are  in  good,  and  the  goats  they  who  are  in  evil ;  properly 
those  who  are  in  charity  and  thence  in  faith,  are  called  sheep, 
and  those  who  are  in  faith  and  not  in  charity,  are  called  goats, 
both  the  latter  and  the  former  are  here  treated  of ;  that  sheep 
are  they  who  are  in  charity  and  thence  in  faith,  may  be  seen  in 
n.  2088,  4169  ;  and  that  goats  are  they  who  are  in  faith  and 
not  in  charity,  n.  4769.  And  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his  right 
hand,  and  the  goats  on  the  left,  signifies  separation  according 
to  truths  derived  from  good,  and  falses  derived  from  evils ; 
they  who  are  in  truths  derived  from  good,  also  actually  appear 
in  the  other  life  to  the  right ;  and  they  who  are  in  falses  de- 
rived from  evil,  to  the  left.  Hence  to  be  set  on  the  right  hand 
and  on  the  left,  is  to  be  arranged  according  to  life. 

4810.  From  these  considerations  it  is  manifest  what  these 
words  of  the  Lord  involve  ;  aud  that  they  are  not  to  be  under- 
stood according  to  the  letter,  that  the  Lord  at  some  last  time  is 
to  come  in  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  Him,  and  is  to 
sit  upon  a  throne  of  glory,  aud  to  judge  all  nations  gathered 
together  before  Him  ;  but  that  every  one  will  be  judged  accord- 
ing to  his  life,  when  he  passes  out  of  life  in  the  world  into  life 
eternal. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

1.  AND  it  came  to  pass  in  this  time,  that  Judah  went  down 
from  his  brethren,  aud  turned  aside  to  a  man  (vir),  an  Adullam- 
ite,  whose  name  was  Hirah. 

2.  And  Judah  saw  there  the  daughter  of  a  man  (vir),  a  Ca- 
naanite,  and  her  name  was  Shuah  ;  and  he  took  her,  and  came 
in  unto  her. 

3.  Aud  she  conceived,  and  bare  a  son ;  and  he  called  his 
name  Er. 


4810.] 


GENESIS. 


381 


4.  And  she  conceived  again,  and  bare  a  son  ;  and  she  called 
his  name  Onan. 

5.  And  she  added  yet,  and  bare  a  son  ;  and  called  his  name 
Shelah  :  and  he  was  in  Chezib  when  she  bare  him. 

6.  And  Judah  took  a  woman  for  Er  his  first-born,  and  her 
name  was  Tamar. 

7.  And  Er,  Judah's  first-born,  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  Jeho- 
vah ;  and  Jehovah  caused  him  to  die. 

8.  And  Judah  said  unto  Onan,  Come  unto  thy  brother's 
wife,  and  perform  the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother  unto  her,  and 
raise  up  seed  to  thy  brother. 

9.  And  Onan  knew  that  the  seed  was  not  for  himself :  and 
it  came  to  pass,  when  h3  went  in  unto  his  brother's  wife,  he 
destroyed  to  the  earth,  thit  he  might  not  give  seed  to  his  brother. 

10.  And  the  thing  which  he  did  was  evil  in  the  eyes  of 
Jehovah  ;  and  he  caused  him  also  to  die. 

11.  And  Judah  said  to  Tamar  his  daughter-in-law,  Kemain 
a  widow  in  thy  father's  house,  until  Shelah  my  son  is  grown 
up  ;  (for  he  said,  Lest  peradventure  he  die  also,  as  his  breth- 
ren.)   And  Tamar  went  and  remained  in  her  father's  house. 

12.  And  days  were  multiplied,  and  the  daughter  of  Shuah, 
Judah' s  wife,  died  ;  and  Judah  was  comforted,  and  went  up 
unto  the  shearers  of  his  flock,  he  and  his  companion  Hirah  the 
Adullamite,  to  Timnath. 

13.  And  it  was  told  Tamar,  saying,  Behold,  thy  father-in- 
law  goeth  up  to  Timnath  to  shear  his  flock. 

14.  And  she  put  off  the  garments  of  her  widowhood  from 
upon  her,  and  concealed  herself  with  a  veil,  and  covered  her- 
self, and  sat  in  the  gate  of  the  fountains,  which  is  on  the  way  to 
Timnath  ;  for  she  saw  that  Shelah  was  grown  up,  and  she  was 
not  given  unto  him  for  a  woman. 

15.  And  Judah  saw  her,  and  regarded  her  as  a  harlot ;  be- 
cause she  had  covered  her  faces. 

16.  And  he  turned  aside  unto  her  to  the  way,  and  said, 
Grant,  I  pray  thee,  that  I  may  come  in  unto  thee  ;  (for  he  knew 
not  that  she  was  his  daughter-in-law.)  And  she  said,  What 
dost  thou  give  me,  that  thou  mayest  come  in  unto  me  ? 

17.  And  he  said,  I  will  send  a  kid  of  the  goats  of  the  flock. 
And  she  said,  If  thou  wilt  give  me  a  pledge  till  thou  send. 

18.  And  he  said,  What  pledge  shall  I  give  thee  ?  And  she 
said,  Thy  signet,  thy  pannicle,  and  thy  staff  which  is  in  thine 
hand  :  and  he  gave  them  to  her,  and  came  in  unto  her  :  and 
she  conceived  to  him. 

19.  And  she  arose,  and  went,  and  removed  her  veil  from 
upon  her.  and  put  on  the  garments  of  her  widowhood. 

20.  And  Judah  sent  the  kid  of  the  goats,  in  the  hand  of  his 
companion  the  Adullamite,  to  receive  the  pledge  from  the  hand 
of  the  woman  ;  but  he  found  her  not. 


382 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xrxviii. 


21.  And  he  asked  the  men  of  that  place,  saying,  Where  is 
that  harlot  in  the  fountains  of  the  way  ?  And  they  said,  There 
was  no  harlot  here. 

22.  And  he  returned  to  Judah,  and  said,  I  have  not  found 
her  ;  and  also  the  men  of  the  place  said,  There  was  no  harlot 
here. 

23.  And  Judah  said,  Let  her  take  to  herself,  peradventure 
we  shall  become  a  contempt :  behold  !  I  have  sent  this  kid,  and 
thou  hast  not  found  her. 

24.  And  it  came  to  pass,  about  three  months  after,  that  it 
was  told  Judah,  saying,  Tamar  thy  daughter-in-law  hath  com- 
mitted whoredom ;  and,  behold !  also,  she  is  with  child  to 
whoredoms.  And  Judah  said,  Bring  her  forth,  and  let  her  be 
burnt. 

25.  "When  she  was  brought  forth,  she  sent  to  her  father-in- 
law,  saying,  By  the  man  whose  these  are,  I  am  with  child  ;  and 
she  said,  Acknowledge,  I  pray  thee,  whose  are  this  signet,  and 
pannicle,  and  staff. 

26.  And  Judah  acknowledged,  and  said,  She  is  more  just 
than  I ;  because  I  gave  her  not  to  Shelah  my  son  :  and  he  added 
no  longer  to  know  her. 

27.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  time,  that  she  brought  forth,  and, 
lo  !  twins  were  in  her  womb. 

28.  And  it  came  to  pass,  in  her  bringing  forth,  that  one  put 
forth  his  hand ;  and  the  midwife  took  and  bound  double-dyed 
scarlet  upon  his  hand,  saying,  This  came  forth  first. 

29.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  drew  back  his  hand,  that, 
behold,  his  brother  came  forth  ;  and  she  said,  Why  hast  thou 
broken  a  breach  over  thee  ?  and  she  called  his  name  Pharez. 

30.  And  afterwards  came  forth  his  brother,  upon  whose 
hand  was  the  double-dyed  scarlet ;  and  she  called  his  name 
Zarah. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

4811.  IN  the  internal  sense  in  this  chapter,  the  Jewish 
church  and  the  genuine  church  are  treated  of ;  the  J ewish 
church  is  described  by  Judah,  and  the  genuine  church  by 
Tamar. 

4812.  The  sons  of  Tamar  signify  the  two  essentials  of  the 
church,  viz.,  faith  and  love  ;  Pharez,  faith,  and  Zarah,  love. 
Their  birth  represents  that  love  is  actually  the  first-born  of  the 
church,  and  faith  only  apparently. 


4811—4814.1 


GENESIS. 


383 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

4813.  VERSES  1  to  5.  Ami  it  came  to  jwss  in  this  time, 
that  Judah  went  down  from  his  brethren,  and  turned  aside  to 
a  man,  an  Adullamite,  ivhose  name  was  Hirah.  And  Judah 
saw  there  the  daughter  of  a  man,  a  Canaanite,  and  her  name 
was  Shuah ;  and  he  took  her,'  and  came  in  unto  her.  And  she 
conceived,  and  bare  a  son;  and  he  called  his  name  Er.  And 
she  conceived  again,  and  bare  a  son;  and  she  ccdled  his  name 
Onan.  And  slie  added  yet,  and  bare  a  son,  and  called  his  name 
Shelah :  and  he  teas  in  Chezib  when  she  bare  him.  And  it 
came  to  pass  in  this  time,  signifies  the  state  of  the  things  which 
follow  :  Lat  Judah  went  down  from  his  brethren,  signifies  the 
posterit.'  of  Jacob,  specifically  the  tribe  of  Judah,  which  was 
separated  from  the  rest :  and  turned  aside  to  a  man,  an  Adul- 
lamite, signifies  to  the  false  :  whose  name  was  Hirah,  signifies 
his  quality  :  and  Judah  saw  there  the  daughter  of  a  man,  a 
Cina  mite,  signifies  the  affection  of  evil  derived  from  the  false 
of  evil ;  and  her  name  was  Shuah,  signifies  quality:  and  he 
took  her,  arid  came  in  unto  her,  signifies  that  the  tribe  of  Judah 
c  uijoiued  itself  to  them:  and  she  conceived,  and  bare  a  son, 
signifies  that  hence  was  the  false  of  the  church  :  and  he  called 
his  name  Er,  signifies  its  quality  :  and  she  conceived  again,  and 
bare  a  son,  signifies  evd  :  and  she  called  his  name  Onan,  sig- 
nifies its  quality :  and  she  added  yet,  and  bare  a  son,  signifies 
the  idolatrous  [principle]  :  and  called  his  name  Shelah,  signifies 
quality  :  and  he  was  in  Chezib  when  she  bare  him,  signifies 
state. 

4814.  Ver.  1.  "  And  it  came  to  pass  in  this  time." — That 
hereby  is  signified  the  state  of  the  things  which  follow,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  time,  as  denoting  state,  see  n.  2625, 
2788,  2837,  3254,  3356,  3404,  3938  ;  that  it  denotes  the  state 
of  the  things  which  follow,  is  signified  by  its  being  said,  "  It 
came  to  pass  (was  done)  in  this  time,"  for  what  was  done  is  re- 
lated in  the  sequel ;  the  things  also  which  follow  in  a  series,  flow 
from  those  which  go  before  ;  for  the  subject  treated  of  in  the 
preceding  chapter  was,  that  the  son  of  Jacob  sold  Joseph,  and 
that  Judah  persuaded  them  to  do  it,  of  whom  it  is  thus  written 
in  that  chapter,  "  Judah  said  unto  his  brethren,  What  gain  is 
it  that  we  slay  our  brother,  and  cover  his  blood  ?  Come,  and 
ht  vs  sell  him  to  the  Ishmaehtes,"  verses  26,  27,  whereby  was 
.signified,  that  they  alienated  the  divine  truth,  especially  Judah, 
by  whom  is  here  signified  in  the  proximate  sense  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  and  in  general  the  depraved  in  the  chm-ch  who  are 
ajainst  all  good  whatsoever,  see  n.  4750,  4751.  This  is  referred 
to  by  its  being  said  in  this  time:  for  now  the  subject  treated  of 
is  Judah,  and  his  sons  from  the  Canaanitish  woman,  and  next 


384 


GENESIS. 


TChap.  xxxviii. 


from  Tamar  his  daughter-in-law  ;  and  by  those  things,  in  the 
internal  sense,  the  tribe  of  Judah  is  described  as  to  the  things 
of  the  church  established  amongst  that  tribe.  That  by  time  is 
signified  state,  and  that  hence  by  "  it  came  to  pass  in  this  time," 
is  signified  the  state  of  those  things  which  follow,  must  neces- 
sarily appear  strange  ;  because  it  cannot  be  comprehended  how 
the  notion  of  time  can  be  changed  into  the  notion  of  state,  or, 
when  time  is  read  in  the  Word,  that  something  relating  to  state 
is  to  be  understood  thereby.  But  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  the 
thoughts  of  the  angels  do  not  draw  an}rthing  from  time  or  space, 
because  they  are  in  heaven ;  for  when  they  left  the  world,  they 
left  also  the  notion  of  time  and  space,  and  put  on  notions  of 
state,  viz.,  of  the  state  of  good  and  truth;  wherefore  when  man 
reads  the  Word,  and  thence  thinks  of  time  and  the  things  re- 
lating to  it,  the  attendant  angels  do  not  perceive  any  thing  of 
time,  but  instead  thereof  those  things  which  relate  to  state  ; 
they  also  correspond.  Neither  indeed  has  man  any  perception 
of  time  in  interior  thought,  but  in  exterior ;  as  may  appear 
manifest  from  the  state  of  man,  when  his  exterior  thought  is 
laid  asleep,  that  is,  when  he  sleeps  ;  and  also  from  a  variety  of 
other  experience.  But  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  in  general  there 
are  two  states,  a  state  of  good  and  a  state  of  truth  ;  the  former 
state  is  called  the  state  esse,  but  the  latter  the  state  existere  ; 
for  esse  relates  to  good,  and  the  existere  thence  derived  relates 
to  truth  ;  space  corresponds  to  the  state  esse,  and  time  to  the 
state  existere ;  hence  it  may  appear  manifest,  that  when  man 
reads  this  expression,  "  And  it  came  to  pass  (or  was  done)  in 
this  time,"  the  attendant  angels  cannot  in  any  wise  perceive  the 
words  as  man  does.  The  case  is  similar  in  other  instances  ;  for 
whatsoever  is  written  in  the  Word  is  of  such  a  nature,  that  it 
is  changed  into  the  corresponding  sense  with  the  angels  ;  which 
sense  does  not  at  all  appear  in  the  sense  of  the  letter,  for  what 
is  worldly,  as  appertaining  to  the  sense  of  the  letter,  is  changed 
into  the  spiritual  appertaining  to  the  internal  sense. 

4815.  "  That  Judah  went  down  from  his  brethren." — That 
hereby  is  signified  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  specifically  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  which  was  separated  from  the  rest,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  representation  of  Judah,  as  denoting  in  the  universal  sense 
the  posterity  of  Jacob,  and  in  the  special  sense  the  tribe  which 
was  called  the  tribe  of  Judah  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
going  down  from  the  brethren,  as  denoting  to  be  separated  from 
the  rest  of  the  tribes,  in  the  present  case  to  decline  into  a  worse 
state  than  they ;  for  to  g  >  down  involves  declension  to  evil,  as 
to  go  up  involves  elevation  to  good,  see  n.  3084,  4539.  The 
reason  is,  as  lias  been  observed  above,  because  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan represented  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  Jerusalem  and  Zion 
in  that  land  represented  the  inmost  of  that  kingdom ;  but  the 
things  which  were  out  of  the  borders  of  that  land,  represented 


4815,  4816.] 


GENESIS. 


385 


those  things  which  are  ont  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  viz.,  false 
and  evil :  therefore,  to  go  from  Zion  and  Jerusalem  towards  the 
borders,  was  called  descending;  but  to  go  from  the  borders  to 
Jerusalem  and  Zion,  was  called  ascending  :  hence  it  is,  that  to 
ascend  involves  elevation  to  truth  and  good,  and  to  descend  in- 
volves dejection  to  false  and  evil.  As  the  subject  here  treated 
of  is  concerning  the  false  and  evil,  to  which  the  tribe  of  Judah 
cast  itself  down,  therefore  it  is  said  that  Judah  went  down,  and 
further  that  he  turned  aside  to  a  man,  an  Adullaniite ;  by 
turning  aside,  is  signified  to  the  false,  and  afterwards  to  evil. 
That  the  tribe  of  Judah  was  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
tribes,  is  a  known  thing;  the  reason  was,  that  that  tribe  might 
represent  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom,  but  the  rest  of  the  tribes 
His  spiritual  kingdom  ;  on  which  account  also,  in  the  represent- 
ative sense,  Judah  is  the  celestial  man,  and  in  the  universal 
sense  the  Lord's  celestial  kingdom,  see  n.  3654,  3881 ;  and  the 
rest  of  the  tribes  were  included  under  the  common  term  of 
Israelites,  for  in  the  representative  sense,  Israel  is  the  spiritual 
man,  and  in  the  universal  sense  the  Lord's  spiritual  kingdom, 
n.  3654,  4286.  That  the  tribe  of  Judah  declined  into  a  worse 
state  than  the  rest,  is  specifically  signified  by  these  words,  "and 
Judah  went  down  from  his  brethren,  and  turned  aside."  This 
declension  of  Judah  is  likewise  evident  from  several  passages 
in  the  Word,  especially  in  the  prophets  ;  as  in  Jeremiah,  "  Her 
perfidious  sister,  Judah,  saw,  when  for  all  the  methods  whereby 
backsliding  Israel  committed  whoredom,  I  put  her  away,  and 
gave  her  a  bill  of  her  divorcement ;  yet  her  sister,  perfidious 
Judah,  was  not  afraid  for  herself,  but  went  away  and  committed 
whoredom  also ;  so  that  the  land  was  profaned  by  the  voice  of 
her  whoredom  :  she  committed  whoredom  with  stone  and  wood. 
Yet  in  all  these  things  perfidious  Judah  hath  not  returned  unto 
me ;  .  .  .  backsliding  Israel  hath  justified  her  soul  more  than 
perfidious  Judah"  iii.  7  to  11.  And  in  Ezekiel,  "Her  sister 
indeed  saw,  yet  she  corrupted  her  love  more  than  she,  and  her 
whoredoms  above  the  whoredoms  of  her  sister"  xxiii.  11  to  the 
end,  speaking  of  Jerusalem  and  Samaria,  or  of  the  tribes  of 
Judah  and  of  Israel;  and  in  several  other  passages  also.  In 
the  internal  sense  that  tribe  is  described  as  to  its  manner  of 
falling  into  the  false,  and  thence  into  evil,  and  at  length  into 
the  merely  idolatrous.  This  indeed  is  described  in  the  internal 
sense  before  that  tribe  was  separated  from  the  rest,  and  previ- 
ous to  its  fall ;  but  that  which  is  contained  in  the  internal  sense 
is  divine,  and  t'o  the  Divine  [Being]  future  things  are  present. 
See  what  was  predicated  concerning  that  nation,  Deut.  xxxii.  1 
to  43  ;  xxxiii.  6  to  25. 

4816.  "And  turned  aside  to  a  man  {vir),  an  Adullamite." — ■ 
That  hereby  is  signified  to  the  false,  appears  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  turning  aside,  as  denoting  to  go  away  into  that 
vol.  v.  25 


386 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


which  is  perverted,  for  turning  aside,  like  going  down,  is  pre- 
dieated  of  receding  from  good  to  evil,  and  from  truth  to  false  ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  man,  as  denoting  intelligence, 
and  in  the  abstract  sense  truth,  because  the  genuine  intellectual 
principle  is  derived  from  truths,  see  n.  265,  749,  1007,  3134, 
3309,  but  in  the  opposite  sense  denoting  non-intelligence, 
whence  the  false ;  this  false  is  represented  by  an  Adullamite, 
for  Adullam  was  in  the  border  of  the  inheritance  of  Judah, 
Joshua  xv.  35,  and  hence  is  signified  truth  from  good,  as  also 
in  Micah,  "  Yet  will  I  bring  an  heir  to  thee,  O  inhabitant  of 
Mareshah :  even  to  Adullam  shall  come  the  glory  of  Israel," 
i.  15 ;  but  whereas  most  of  the  expressions  in  the  Word  have 
also  an  opposite  sense,  so  likewise  has  Adullam,  and  it  signifies 
the  false  principle  from  evil.  The  reason  why  most  of  the  ex- 
pressions in  the  Word  have  also  an  opposite  sense,  is  because 
before  the  land  of  Canaan  was  made  an  inheritance  for  the  sons 
of  Jacob,  it  was  possessed  by  the  Gentiles,  by  whom  were  sig- 
nified falses  and  evils ;  and  also  afterwards  when  the  sons  of 
Jacob  took  a  contrary  course  ;  for  lands  put  on  the  representa- 
tion of  the  nations  or  people  who  inhabit  them,  according  to 
their  quality. 

4817.  ''Whose  name  was  Hirah." — That,  hereby  is  signified 
his  quality,  appears  from  the  signification  of  name,  and  calling 
a  name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  n.  144,  145,  1754,  1S96,  2009, 
2724,  3006,  3421.  The  quality  of  the  false  principle  spoken  of 
above  is  what  is  signified ;  for  in  the  Word,  by  names,  both  of 
places  and  of  persons,  are  signified  state  and  things,  see  n. 
1224.  1264,  1876,  1888,  1946,  2643,  3422.  4298,  4442. 

4818.  Ver.  2.  "  And  Judah  saw  there  the  daughter  of  a  man, 
(vir),  a  Canaanite." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  affection  of 
evil  derived  from  the  false  of  evil,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  daughter,  as  denoting  the  affection  of  good,  see  n. 
2362,  and  in  the  opposite  sense  the  affection  of  evil,  n.  3024; 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  man  (vir),  as  denoting  intelligence, 
and  in  the  abstract  sense,  truth,  but  in  the  opposite  sense  de- 
noting non-intelligence  and  the  false  principle,  see  just  above, 
n.  4816  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  Canaanite,  as  denot- 
ing evil,  see  n.  1573,  1574.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  the 
daughter  of  a  man,  a  Canaanite,  is  signified  evil  derived  from 
the  false  of  evil ;  the  nature  of  which  will  be  shown  beneath. 
It  may  be  expedient,  here  first  to  speak  of  the  origins  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  for  they  are  treated  of  in  this  chapter;  there 
are  three  origins  of  that  tribe  or  of  the  Jewish  nation,  one  is 
from  Shelah  the  son  of  Judah  by  the  Canaanitish  wife,  another 
is  from  Pharez,  and  a  third  from  Zarah,  the  sons  of  Judah  by 
Tamar  his  daughter-in-law  ;  that,  all  the  Jewish  nation  was 
from  these  three  sons  of  Judah,  is  evident  from  the  list  of  the 
sous  and  grandsons  of  Jacob  who  came  with  him  into  Egypt, 


4817,  4818.] 


GENESIS. 


387 


Gen.  xlvi.  12 ;  also  from  their  classification  according  to  their 
families,  spoken  of  in  Moses,  "The  sons  of  Judah  were  accord- 
ing to  their  families;  to  Shelah,  the  family  of  the  Shelanites; 
to  Phares,  the  family  of  the  Pharzites  ;  to  Zarah,  the  family 
of  the  Zarhites,"  Numb.  xxvi.  20;  1  Chron.  iv.  21.  Hence  it 
is  evident  what  was  the  origin  of  that  nation ;  a  third  part  was 
from  the  Canaanitish  mother,  a(hd  two  thirds  from  the  daughter- 
in-law,  consequently  all  from  an  illegitimate  bed,  for  marriages 
with  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites  were  severally  prohibited, 
as  may  appear  from  Gen.  xxiv.  3 ;  Exod.  xxxiv.  16 ;  Dent.  vii. 
3  ;  1  Kings  xi.  2  ;  Ezra  ix.  and  x. ;  and  to  lie  with  a  daughter- 
in-law  was  a  capital  crime,  as  is  evident  from  these  words  in 
Moses,  "If  a  man  lie  with  his  daughter-in-law,  both  of  them 
shall  surely  be  put  to  death :  they  have  wrought  confusion, 
their  bloods  shall  be  upon  them,"  Levit.  xx.  12.  Judah's  re- 
ferring this  deed  with  his  daughter-in-law  to  the  law  concern- 
ing the  husband's  brother  (in  which  an  ordinance  is  made 
respecting  the  brother,  but  in  no  wise  respecting  the  father,  as 
is  evident  from  verse  26  of  this  chapter),  implies,  that  the  sons 
of  Tamar  should  be  acknowledged  for  the  sons  of  Er  the  first- 
born, who  was  born  of  the  Canaanitish  mother,  and  was  evil  in 
the  eyes  of  Jehovah,  and  on  that  account  was  made  to  die, 
verse  7 ';  for  they  who  were  first-born,  in  consequence  of  the 
ordinance  relating  to  the  brother-in-law,  were  not  his  by  whom 
they  were  conceived,  but  his  whose  seed  they  raised  tip,  as  is 
evident  from  Deut.  xxv.  5,  6,  and  also  from  verses  8  and  9  of 
this  chapter.  Moreover,  they  who  were  born  of  Tamar,  were 
born  by  whoredom  ;  for  Judah  supposed,  when  he  entered  in 
unto  her,  that  she  was  a  whore,  verses  15,  16,  21  ;  hence  it  is 
manifest  whence  and  what  the  origin  of  the  Jewish  nation  was, 
and  that  they  spake  from  a  lie  when  they  said,  "  We  were  not 
born  from  whoredom,"  John  viii.  41.  What  this  origin  in- 
volves and  represents,  is  evident  from  what  follows,  viz.,  that 
their  interiors  were  similar,  or  had  a  like  origin  ;  Judah's  mar- 
rying a  Canaanite,  involves  an  origin  from  evil  derived  from 
the  false  of  evil,  for  this  is  signified  in  the  internal  sense  by  the 
daughter  of  a  man,  a  Canaanite ;  his  lying  with  his  daughter- 
in-law,  involves  and  represents  damnation  derived  from  falsi- 
fied truth  grounded  in  evil,  for  whoredom  in  the  Word  through- 
out signifies  the  falsification  of  truth,  see  n.  3708.  Evil  derived 
from  the  false  of  evil,  is  evil  of  the  life  derived  from  a  false 
doctrinal  tenet,  which  has  been  hatched  from  the  evil  of  self- 
love,  that  is,  from  those  who  are  in  that  evil,  and  confirmed  by 
the  sense  of  the  letter  of  the  Word  ;  such  is  the  origin  of  evil 
appertaining  to  the  Jewish  nation,  and  such  is  the  origin  of 
evil  with  some  in  the  Christian  world,  especially  with  those  who 
in  the  Word  are  understood  by  Babylon.  This  evil  is  such,  that 


388 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


it  shuts  up  every  way  to  the  internal  man,  insomuch  that  there 
cannot  be  any  thing  of  conscience  formed  therein  ;  for  the  evil 
which  a  man  does,  grounded  in  a  false  doctrinal  tenet,  he  be- 
lieves to  be  good  because  be  believes  it  is  true,  and  thus  he 
does  it  from  a  principle  of  lawfulness,  of  freedom,  and  of  de- 
light ;  hence  heaven  is  so  closed  to  him,  that  it  cannot  be 
opened.  The  quality  of  this  evil  may  be  best  explained  by  an 
example.  AYith  those  who,  from  the  evil  of  self-love,  believe 
that  it  is  only  a  single  nation  which  Jehovah  hath  chosen,  and 
that  all  the  rest  of  mankind  are  respectively  slaves,  and  so  vile 
that  they  may  be  slain  at  pleasure,  and  be  cruelly  treated,  and 
likewise  when  they  confirm  this  from  the  sense  of  the  letter  of 
the  Word,  as  the  Jewish  nation  believed,  and  as  at  this  day 
also  the  Babylonish  nation  believes,  in  this  case  whatsoever 
evil,  grounded  in  this  false  doctrinal  tenet  and  in  the  rest  ot 
the  doctrinal  tenets  which  are  built  on  this  as  a  foundation,  is 
done  by  them,  is  evil  grounded  in  the  false  of  evil,  and  de- 
stroys the  internal  man,  and  precludes  the  possibility  of  any 
conscience  being  formed  therein :  for  these  are  they  who  are 
spoken  of  in  the  Word,  and  are  said  to  be  in  bloods,  inasmuch 
as  they  exercise  a  cruel  rage  against  the  whole  human  race  who 
do  not  adore  their  articles  of  faith,  and  thereby  them,  and  do 
not  offer  their  gifts  upon  their  altars.  To  take  also  another  ex- 
ample :  with  those  who,  from  the  evil  of  self-love  and  the  love 
of  the  world,  believe  that  auy  one  shall  be  the  Lord's  vicar  on 
earth,  and  that  he  has  the  power  of  opening  and  shutting 
heaven,  thus  of  bearing  rule  over  the  minds  and  consciences 
of  men,  and  who  confirm  this  false  tenet  from  the  sense  of  the 
letter  of  the  Word,  in  this  case  whatsoever  evil  they  do  under 
the  influence  of  such  a  faith,  is  an  evil  grounded  in  the  false  of 
evil,  which  in  like  manner  destroys  the  internal  man  with  those 
who  from  that  evil  claim  that  power  to  themselves,  and  so  bear 
rule :  and  it  destroys  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  no  longer 
know  what  the  internal  man  is,  nor  that  any  one  has  con- 
science ;  consequently  they  no  longer  believe  that  there  is  any 
life  after  death,  nor  that  there  is  a  hell,  nor  a  heaven,  howso- 
ever they  speak  on  those  subjects.  This  evil,  as  to  its  quality, 
cannot  be  distinguished  from  other  evils  by  men  in  the  world, 
but  in  the  other  life  it  is  known  by  the  angels  as  in  clear  day ; 
for  in  that  life  evils  and  falses  appear  such  as  they  are,  and 
whence  they  are,  as  to  their  peculiar  discriminations,  which  are 
innumerable  ;  the  hells  also  are  distinct  according  to  the  gen- 
era and  species  of  those  evils  and  falses.  Of  these  innumer- 
able discriminations  man  scarcely  knows  any  thing,  he  only 
believes  that  evil  is,  but  he  does  not  know  what  is  its  quality  ; 
and  this  for  this  single  reason  alone,  because  lie  does  not  know 
what  <rood  is  ;  and  he  does  not  know  what  good  is,  because  he 


4819—4822.] 


GENESIS. 


389 


does  not  know  what  charity  is ;  if  he  had  known  the  good  of 
charity,  he  would  also  have  known  its  opposites,  or  evils,  with 
their  discriminations. 

4819.  "  And  her  name  was  Snuah." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied quality,  appears  from  the  signification  of  names,  as  denot- 
ing quality,  see  above,  n.  4817  ;  in  the  present  case,  the  quality 
of  evil  derived  from  the  false  of  evil,  see  also  above,  n.  4818. 

4820.  "  And  he  took  her,  and  came  in  nnto  her." — That 
hereby  is  signified  that  the  tribe  of  Judah  conjoined  itself  with 
evils  derived  from  the  falses  of  evil,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  taking  her,  viz.,  for  a  woman,  and  of  coming  or  entering 
in  unto  her,  as  denoting  to  be  conjoined,  of  which  we  have 
spoken  occasionally  above ;  for  in  the  internal  sense,  marriages 
represent  the  conjunction  of  good  and  truth,  because  they  are 
thence  derived,  n.  2727  to  2759,  but  in  the  opposite  sense  the 
conjunction  of  evil  and  false  ;  in  the  present  case  the  conjunc- 
tion of  the  tribe  of  Judah  with  those  principles,  for  it  is  spoken 
of  Judah,  by  whom  the  tribe  named  from  him  is  signified,  as 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  4S15.  It  is  not  here  said  that  he  took 
her  for  a  wife,  but  only  that  he  took  her,  and  came  in  unto  her, 
because  the  copulation  was  illegitimate,  n.  4818,  and  also  be- 
cause it  was  hereby  tacitly  declared  that  it  was  not  a  marriage, 
but  whoredom,  thus  that  the  sons  born  of  her  were  also  born 
of  whoredom  ;  neither  is  the  conjunction  of  evil  with  false  any 
thing  else.  Her  being  afterwards  called  his  wife,  in  these 
words,  "  and  the  days  were  multiplied,  and  the  daughters  of 
Shuah  the  wife  of  Judah  died,"  verse  12,  will  be  noted  below. 

4821.  Ver.  3.  "And  she  conceived,  and  bare  a  son." — -That 
hereby  is  signified,  that  hence  came  the  false  of  the  church, 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  conceiving  and  hinging 
forth,  as  denoting  to  acknowledge  in  faith  and  act,  see  n.  3905, 
3915,  3919;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  son,  as  denoting 
the  truth  of  the  church,  but  in  the  opposite  sense  the  false,  see 
n.  489,  491,  533,  1147,  2623,  3373,  4257;  hence  by  her  con- 
ceiving and  bearing  a  son,  is  here  signified,  that  the  church 
amongst  the  tribe  of  Judah  acknowledged  tbe  false  in  faith  and 
act.  The  reason  why  by  this  son  is  signified  the  false  of  the 
church,  is,  because  he  was  the  first-born,  and  by  the  first-born 
in  the  ancient  churches  was  signified  the  truth  of  faith,  n.  352, 
3325,  thus  in  the  opposite  sense  the  false,  as  also  the  first-born 
of  men  and  of  other  things  in  Egypt,  c  3325.  That  it  is  not 
truth  which  is  signified,  but  the  false,  is  evident  from  what  pres- 
ently follows,  for  it  is  said,  "Er,  Judah's  first-born,  was  evil  in 
the  eyes  of  Jehovah;  and  Jehovah  caused  him  to  die,"  verse 
7  ;  the  name  of  this  son  Er  also  involves  this  quality,  as  the 
name  of  the  second  son  Onan  involves  his  quality  likewise,  viz., 
iniquitous  or  evil. 

4S22.  "  And  he  called  his  name  Er." — That  herebv  is  sig* 


390 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxviiL 


nitied  its  quality,  appears  from  the  signification  of  calling  a 
name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  n.  144,  145,  1754,  1396,  2009, 
2724,  3006,  3421,  viz.,  the  quality  of  the  false  of  the  church, 
spoken  of  just  above,  n.  48:71.  It  is  said  the  quality  of  the 
false,  because  falses  differ  from  each  other,  as  also  do  truths ; 
insomuch  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  enumerate  their  genera, 
and  every  genus  of  the  false  has  its  own  peculiar  quality, 
whereby  it  is  distinguished  from  every  other.  Common  falses 
are  those  which  prevail  with  the  depraved  in  every  church,  and 
this  false  is  varied  with  every  one  in  the  church  according  to 
his  life ;  the  false  which  prevailed  in  the  Jewish  church,  and 
which  is  here  treated  of,  was  derived  from  the  evil  of  self-love, 
and  thence  of  the  love  of  the  world,  see  n.  4818. 

4823.  Yer.  4.  "  And  she  conceived  again,  and  bare  a  son." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  evil,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
son,  as  denoting  truth,  and  also  good,  see  n.  264,  thus  in  the 
opposite  sense  false,  and  also  evil,  but  evil  which  is  derived 
from  false ;  this  evil  in  its  essence  is  false,  because  it  is  thence 
derived  ;  for  he  who  does  evil  from  a  false  doctrinal  tenet,  does 
that  which  is  false,  but  as  it  is  in  act,  it  is  called  evil.  That  by 
the  first-born  is  signified  false,  and  by  this  latter  son,  evil,  is 
evident  from  this  consideration,  that  it  is  related  that  this  latter 
did  evil  in  act,  viz.,  that  he  destroyed  seed  to  the  earth,  that 
he  might  not  give  seed  to  his  brother ;  and  the  thing  which  he 
did  was  evil  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah  f  and  he  caused  him  also 
to  die,  verses  9  and  10  ;  that  this  evil  was  derived  from  false, 
is  also  manifest  in  the  same  passage  ;  moreover  in  the  ancient 
churches,  by  the  second-born  was  signified  the  truth  of  faith  in 
act,  in  this  case  therefore  the  false  in  act,  that  is,  evil.  That 
evil  is  signified  by  this  son,  may  also  appear  from  this  consid- 
eration, that  the  first-born  Er  was  named  by  the  father  or  Judah, 
but  this  son  Onan  by  the  mother  the  daughter  of  Shuah,  as 
may  be  seen  in  the  original  tongue ;  for  in  the  Word,  by  man 
{vir)  is  signified  the  false,  and  by  woman  the  evil  thereof,  see 
n.  915,  2517,  4510;  by  the  daughter  of  Shuah  is  signified  evil, 
see  n.  4818,  4819;  wherefore,  as  Er  was  named  by  the  father, 
by  him  is  signified  the  false,  and  as  Onan  was  named  by  the 
mother,  by  him  is  signified  evil;  for  the  former  was,  as  it  were, 
the  son  of  the  father,  but  the  latter  the  son  of  the  mother.  In 
the  Word,  frequent  mention  is  made  of  man  {vir)  and  wife,  and 
also  of  husband  and  wife ;  when  mention  is  made  of  man  and 
wife,  by  man  is  signified  truth,  and  by  wife  good  ;  and  in  the 
opposite  sense  by  man,  false,  and  by  wife,  evil :  but  when  men- 
tion is  made  of  husband  and  wife,  by  husband  is  signified  good, 
and  by  wife  truth  ;  and  in  the  opposite  sense  by  husband,  evil, 
and  by  wife,  false.  The  ground  of  this  arcanum  is  this  :  in  the 
celestial  church,  the  husband  was  in  good,  and  the  wife  in  the 
truth  of  that  good;  but  in  the  spiritual  church,  the  man  (vir) 


4823—4825.] 


GENESIS. 


391 


is  in  truth,  and  the  wife  in  the  good  of  that  truth ;  and  they 
also  actually  are  and  were  so,  for  the  interiors  with  man  under- 
went this  change.  Hence  it  is,  that  wheresoever  celestial  good 
and  consequent  celestial  truth  are  treated  of  in  the  Word,  men- 
tion is  made  of  husband  and  wife ;  but  where  spiritual  good 
and  consequent  spiritual  truth  are  treated  of,  mention  is  made 
of  man  (wr)  and  wife,  or  rather  man  and  woman  :  from  this 
circumstance,  as  also  from  the  expressions  themselves,  it  is 
known  what  good  and  what  truth  are  treated  of  in  the  Word, 
in  its  internal  sense.  This  also  is  the  reason  why  it  has  been 
said  throughout  this  work,  that  marriages  represent  the  conjunc- 
tion of  good  and  truth,  and  of  truth  and  good;  coujugial  love 
also  derives  its  origin  from  that  conjunction,  amongst  tiie  celes- 
tial from  the  conjunction  of  good  with  truth,  and  amongst  the 
spiritual  from  the  conjunction  of  truth  with  good  ;  marriages 
also  actually  correspond  to  those  conjunctions.  From  these 
considerations  it  is  manifest  what  is  involved  in  this  circum- 
stance, that  the  father  called  the  first  by  name,  and  the  mother 
the  second,  and  also  the  third,  as  is  plain  from  the  original 
tongue,  viz.,  the  father  called  the  first  by  name,  because  by 
him  was  signified  the  false  ;  and  the  mother  called  the  second 
by  name,  because  by  him  was  signified  evil. 

4824.  ''And  she  called  his  name  Onan." — That  hereby  is 
signified  the  quality  of  the  evil  spoken  of  above,  n.  4823,  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  calling  a  name,  as  denoting 
quality,  see  n.  4822 ;  Onan  signifies  and  involves  the  quality 
of  that  evil. 

4825.  Yer.  5.  "  And  she  added  yet,  and  bare  a  son." — That 
hereby  is  signified  the  idolatrous  [principle],  appears  from  the 
signification  of  son  in  this  case,  as  denoting  the  idolatrous,  for 
they  who  were  born  before  signified  the  false  and  evil,  n.  4821, 
4823  ;  hence  it  follows  that  the  third  denotes  the  idolatrous,  for 
the  false  and  evil  each  produces  it,  and  is  in  it.  This  son  was 
the  only  survivor  of  the  three  that  were  born  to  Judah  by  the 
Canaanitess,  and  from  him  came  a  third  part  of  the  Jewish 
nation,  which,  according  to  what  is  here  implied  in  the  internal 
sense,  derived  its  origin  from  the  idolatrous.  That  this  nation 
was  most  prone  to  idolatry,  is  manifest  from  the  historicals  and 
propheticals  of  the  Word,  according  to  the  sense  of  the  letter ; 
that  it  was  continually  idolatrous,  is  evident  from  the  internal 
sense.  For  idolatry  consists  not  only  in  worshipping  idols, 
graven  images,  and  other  gods,  but  also  in  worshipping  exter- 
nal things  without  internal ;  in  this  respect  that  nation  has  been 
continually  idolatrous ;  for  they  adored  external  things  alone,  and 
altogether  removed  internal  things,  not  being  even  willing  to 
have  any  knowledge  of  the  latter.  They  had  indeed  holy  things 
amongst  them,  as  the  tent  of  the  assembly  with  the  ark,  the 
propitiatory  therein,  the  tables  on  which  were  the  loaves,  the 


392 


GENESIS. 


[Chaf.  xxxviii. 


candlestick,  and  incenses ;  and  out  of  the  tent,  the  altar,  on  which 
were  ottered  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices,  which  were  all 
called  holy,  and  the  inmost  of  the  tent  the  holy  of  holies,  and 
likewise  the  sanctuary  ;  there  were  also  amongst  them  the  gar- 
ments of  Aaron  and  of  their  high  priests,  which  were  called  the 
garments  of  holiness,  for  there  was  the  ephod  with  the  breast- 
plate, in  which  was  the  Urim  and  Thnmmim,  with  several  things 
Besides.  Nevertheless,  those  things  were  not  holy  in  them- 
selves, but  because  they  represented  holy  things,  viz.,  the  divine 
celestial  and  spiritual  things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  the 
Lord  Himself:  still  less  were  they  holy  from  the  people  amongst 
whom  they  were,  for  that  people  was  not  at  all  afiected  by  the 
internal  things  which  were  represented,  but  only  by  the  exter- 
nal; and  to  be  affected  only  by  external  things  is  idolatrous, 
for  it  is  to  worship  wood  and  stone,  and  also  the  gold  and  silver 
with  which  they  are  covered,  from  a  phantasy  that  they  are 
holy  in  themselves;  such  was  that  nation,  and  such  also  it  is  at 
this  day.  Nevertheless,  amongst  such  there  might  be  the  rep- 
resentative of  a  church,  because  that  which  is  representative 
does  not  respect  the  person,  but  the  thing,  see  n.  665,  1097, 
3670,  4208,  4281,  4288 ;  hence  also  the  worship  did  not  make 
them  blessed  and  happy  in  the  other  life,  but  only  prosperous 
in  the  world  so  long  as  they  persisted  in  the  representatives, 
and  did  not  turn  aside  to  the  idols  of  the  nations,  and  thereby 
become  openly  idolaters,  for  in  such  case  nothing  of  the  church 
could  any  longer  be  represented  amongst  that  nation :  these 
now  are  "the  things  which  are  meant  by  the  idolatrous  [princi- 
ple], signified  by  the  third  son  of  Judah  by  the  Canaanitess. 
This  idolatrous  principle  had  derived  its  origin  with  that  nation 
from  their  internal  idolatrous  principle ;  for  they  were  princi- 
pled in  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world  above  all  other 
nations,  see  n.  4459,  4750  ;  and  they  who  are  principled  in  self- 
love  and  the  love  of  the  world,  are  in  internal  idolatry,  for  they 
worship  themselves  and  the  world,  and  perform  holy  duties  for 
the  sake  of  self-adoration  and  of  self-gain,  that  is,  with  a  view 
to  self  as  an  end ;  not  with  a  view  to  the  Lord's  church  and 
kingdom  as  an  end,  thus  not  with  a  view  to  the  Lord. 

4826.  "And  called  his  name  Shelah." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified quality,  appears  from  the  signification  of  calling  a  name., 
as  denoting  quality,  concerning  which  see  above,  where  the  two 
former  sons  of  Judah,  Er  and  Onan,  are  treated  of,  n.  4S22, 
4824.  The  quality  of  the  idolatrous  principle  is  what  is  signi- 
fied by  Shelah  ;  for  there  are  several  idolatrous  principles,  there 
is  the  external  and  the  internal,  and  each  in  general  is  the 
worship  of  false  and  evil. 

4827.  "  And  he  was  in  Chezib  when  she  bare  him." — That 
hereby  is  signified  state,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
Chezib,  as  denoting  a  state,  viz.,  of  the  idolatrous  principle 


4820—4831.] 


GKXESIS. 


393 


signified  by  Shelah,  in  which  the  Jewish  nation  was  ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  bearing  (bringing  forth),  as  denoting 
to  be  conjoined  in  act,  see  n.  3905,  3915,  3919  ;  and  as  the  con- 
junction was  with  the  evil  which  is  in  the  idolatrous  principle, 
it  is  said  that  she  called  his  name  Shelah,  as  is  evident  from  the 
original  tongue;  for  by  her,  viz.,  the  daughter  of  Shuah,  is 
signified  evil  derived  from  the  liilse  of  evil,  n.  4818,  4819. 

4828.  Verses  6  to  10.  And  Judah  took  a  woman  for  Er 
his  first-born,  and  her  name  was  Tamar.  And  Er,  Judah' 8 
first-bom^  was  evil  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah  ;  and  Jehovah,  caused 
It* in  to  die.  And  Judah  said  unto  Onan,  Come  unto  thy  bro- 
thers w[fe,  and  perform  the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother  unto 
her,  and  raise  up  seed  to  thy  brother.  And  Onan  knew  that  the 
seed  was  not  for  himself :  and  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  went  in 
unto  his  brother's  wife,  he  destroyed  to  the  earth,  that  he  might 
not  give  seed  to  his  brother.  And  the  thing  which  he  did  was 
evil  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah  ;  and  he  caused  him  also  to  die. 
And  Judah  took  a  woman,  signifies  a  church  for  his  posterity  : 
for  Er  his  first-born,  signifies  the  false  of  faith  :  and  her  name 
was  Tamar,  signifies  the  quality  of  the  church,  that  it  was  a 
church  representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial  things  :  and  Er, 
Judah's  first-born,  was  evil  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah,  signifies 
that  he  was  in  the  false  of  evil :  and  Jehovah  caused  him  to 
die,  signifies  that  there  was  no  representative  of  the  church  : 
and  Judah  said  unto  Onan,  signifies  to  preserve  a  representative 
of  the  church  :  Come  unto  thy  brother's  Avife,  and  perform  the 
duty  of  a  husband's  brother  unto  her,  signifies  that  he  should 
continue  it :  and  raise  up  seed  to  thy  brother,  signifies  lest  the 
church  should  perish:  and  Onan  knew  that  the  seed  was  not 
for  himself,  signifies  aversion  and  hatred  :  and  it  came  to  pass, 
when  he  went  in  unto  his  brother's  wife,  he  destroyed  to  the 
earth,  signifies  Avhat  is  contrary  to  conjugial  love  :  that  he  might 
not  give  seed  to  his  brother,  signifies  that  thereby  there  might 
be  no  continuation  :  and  the  thing  which  he  did  was  evil  in  the 
eyes  of  Jehovah,  signifies  that  it  Avas  contrary  to  divine  order : 
and  he  caused  him  also  to  die,  signifies  that  there  Avas  also  no 
representative  of  the  church. 

4829.  Ver.  6.  "  And  Judah  took  a  woman." — That  hereby 
is  signified  a  church  for  his  posterity,  appears  from  the  repre- 
sentation of  Tamar,  who  is  here  the  woman,  as  denoting  the 
church  treated  of  in  the  sequel.  That  it  was  for  the  posterity 
of  Judah,  is  signified  by  his  taking  her  for  Er  his  first-born,  that 
hence  he  might  have  descendants. 

4830.  "  For  Er  his  first-born."— That  hereby  is  signified  the 
false  of  faith,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  Er,  as  de- 
noting the  false,  see  n.  4821,  4822  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  first-born,  as  denoting  faith,  see  n.  352,  3325,  4821. 

4831.  "And  her  name  Avas  Tamar." — That  hereby  is  sig- 


394 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xxxviiL 


niiied  the  quality  of  the  church,  that  it  was  a  church  represent- 
ative of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  n.  144, 145, 1754, 1896, 
2009,  2724,  3006,  3421,  in  the  present  case  the  quality  of  the 
church,  because  by  Tamar  in  this  chapter  is  represented  the 
church,  and  indeed  a  church  representative  of  spiritual  and 
celestial  things,  which  was  to  be  established  amongst  the  pos- 
terity of  Judah ;  that  by  Tamar  this  church  is  represented,  is 
evident  from  what  follows.  The' subject  treated  of  in  this  chap- 
ter throughout  in  the  internal  sense  is  the  Jewish  church,  that 
it  should  become  representative  of  the  spiritual  and  celestial 
things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  as  the  ancient  church,  and  this 
not  only  in  the  external  form,  but  also  in  the  internal ;  for  a 
church  is  not  a  church  from  externals,  that  is,  from  rituals,  but 
from  internals,  for  these  latter  are  essential,  the  former  only 
formal.  But  the  posterity  of  Jacob  was  such,  that  they  were 
not  willing  to  receive  internal  things;  therefore  amongst  them 
the  ancient  church  could  not  be  raised  up,  but  only  the  repre- 
sentative of  that  church,  n.  4307,  4444,  4500 ;  the  internal  of 
the  church  here  is  Tamar ;  and  the  external,  Judah  with  the 
three  sons  by  the  Ganaanitish  woman. 

4832.  Ver.  7.  "  And  Er,  Judah's  first-born,  was  evil  in  the 
eyes  of  Jehovah." — That  herein  is  signified  that  he  was  in  the 
false  of  evil,  appears  from  the  representation  of  Er,  and  the 
signification  of  jirst-born,  as  denoting  the  false  of  faith,  see  just 
above,  n.  4830  ;  that  this  false  was  the  false  of  evil,  is  evident 
from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4818 ;  but  with  this  son  such  a 
false  of  evil,  that  not  even  the  representative  of  a  church  could 
be  instituted  amongst  any  of  the  posterity  derived  from  him, 
wherefore  it  is  said  that  he  was  evil  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah,  and 
Jehovah  caused  him  to  die.  The  false  of  evil,  that  is,  false 
doctrinal  grounded  in  evil  of  life,  prevailed  in  that  whole  nation 
from  its  first  origin,  especially  from  Judah  ;  but  with  one  son 
of  Judah  otherwise  than  with  another,  and  it  was  foreseen  which 
might  be  serviceable,  and  that  neither  that  which  prevailed  with 
Er  the  first-born,  nor  with  Onan  the  second-begotten,  could  be 
serviceable,  but  that  which  prevailed  with  Shelah  ;  wherefore 
the  former  two  were  extinguished,  and  the  latter  preserved. 
That  the  false  of  evil  prevailed  in  that  whole  nation  from  its 
first  origin,  is  described  manifestly  in  Moses  in  those  words, 
"  He  hath  corrupted  to  himself,  not  his  sons;  the  spot  is  theirs: 
they  are  a  perverse  and  crooked  generation.  .  .  .  When  Jehovah 
saw,  lie  reprobated  through  indignation  his  sons  and  his  daugh- 
ters ;  and  he  said,  I  will  hide  my  faces  from  them,  I  will  see 
what  their  end  will  he  •  for  they  are  a  generation  of  perversities, 
sons  in  whom  is  no  faithfulness.  .  .  .  I  will  add  evils  upon  them; 
I  will  consume  my  arrows  in  them.  They  are  exhausted  with 
hunger,  and  devoured  with  burning  coals,  and  with  bitter  do- 


4S32— 4835.] 


GENESIS. 


395 


struction.  .  .  .  A  nation  destroyed  by  counsels,  and  there  is  no 
understanding  in  them.  .  .  .  Their  vine  is  of  the  vine  of  /Sodom, 
and  of  the  fields  of  Gomorrah  :  their  grapes  are  grapes  of  gall, 
clusters  of  bitternesses  to  them  :  their  wine  is  tlie  poison  of  drag- 
ons, and  the  cruel  gall  of  asps.  Is  not  it  stored  up  with  me, 
sealed  in  my  treasures  ?  .  .  .  The  day  of  their  destruction  is  near, 
and  the  things  which  shall  befall  them  hasten  on,"  Dent,  xxxii. 
5,  19,  20,  23,  24,  28,  32  to  35.  By  those  words,  in  the  internal 
sense,  is  described  the  false  of  evil  in  which  that  nation  was 
principled,  and  that  it  was  rooted  in  them. 

4833.  "And  Jehovah  caused  him  to  die." — That  hereby  is 
signified,  there  would  be  no  representative  of  the  church,  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  dying,  as  denoting  to  cease  to  be 
such,  see  n.  494,  also  denoting  an  end  of  representation,  n.  3253, 
3259,  3276.  In  the  present  case,  therefore,  it  denotes  that  there 
would  be  no  representative  of  the  church  amongst  any  posterity 
derived  from  him,  according  to  what  was  said  just  above,  n. 
4832. 

4834.  Yer.  8.  "And  Judah  said  unto  Onan."— That  hereby 
is  signified,  to  preserve  a  representative  of  the  church,  appears 
from  the  things  which  follow,  for  these  latter  regard  the  former  ; 
for  he  said,  that  he  might  perform  the  duty  of  a  husband's 
brother  for  his  deceased  brother  ;  by  which  was  represented  the 
conservation  and  continuation  of  the  church,  of  which  we  shall 
now  proceed  to  speak. 

4835.  "  Come  unto  thy  brother's  wife,  and  perform  the  duty 
of  a  husband's  brother  unto  her." — That  hereby  is  signified  that 
he  should  continue  the  representative  of  the  church,  appears 
from  the  signitication  of  coming  or  entering-in  to  the  wife  of  a 
brother,  and  performing  the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother  unto 
her,  as  denoting  to  conserve  and  continue  that  which  is  of  the 
church.  The  commandment  in  the  Mosaic  law,  that  if  an}r  one 
died  childless,  his  brother  should  take  the  widow  to  wife,  and 
raise  up  seed  to  his  brother,  and  that  the  first-born  should  be 
called  by  the  name  of  the  deceased  brother,  but  the  rest  of  the 
sons  should  be  his,  this  was  called  the  duty  of  the  husband's 
brother  (levir'atus).  This  ordinance  was  not  any  thing  new  in 
the  Jewish  church,  but  it  was  in  use  before,  as  appears  from 
the  following  considerations  :  that  the  case  was  the  same  wdth 
several  ordinances  which  were  commanded  to  the  Israelites  by 
Moses,  as  that  they  should  not  take  wives  of  the  daughters  of 
the  Canaanites,  and  that  they  should  marry  each  within  his  own 
family,  Gen.  xxiv.  3,  4;  xxviii.  1,  2.  From  these  and  several 
other  cases  it  is  evident  that  there  had  been  a  church  before,  in 
which  such  things  had  been  ordained,  as  were  afterwards  pro- 
mulgated and  enjoined  to  the  sons  of  Jacob.  That  altars  and 
sacrifices  also  had  been  in  use  from  ancient  time,  is  evident  from 
Genesis  viii.  20,  21 ;  xxii.  3,  7,  8,  13  ;  hence  it  is  plain  that  the 


396 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


Jewish  church  was  not  any  new  church,  hut  that  it  was  a  re- 
suscitation of  the  ancient  church  which  had  perished.  What 
the  law  of  the  duty  of  the  brother-in-law  had  been,  is  evident 
from  Moses,  "  If  brethren  dwell  together,  and  one  of  them  die, 
and  have  no  son,  the  wife  of  the  deceased  shall  not  marry 
abroad  to  a  strange  man :  her  husband's  brother  shall  go  in 
unto  her,  and  take  her  to  himself  to  wife,  and  thus  shall  per- 
form the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother  unto  her.  In  this  case  it 
shall  be,  that  the  first-born  whom  she  shall  bear,  shall  stand 
upon  the  name  of  his  deceased  brother,  that  his  name  be  not 
blotted  out  from  Israel.  But  if  the  man  (vir)  shall  not  be  will- 
ing to  marry  his  brother's  wife,  his  brother's  wife  shall  go  up 
to  the  gate  unto  the  elders,  and  say,  My  husband's  brother  re- 
fuses to  raise  up  unto  his  brother  a  name  in  Israel,  he  will  not 
perform  to  me  the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother.  Then  the  elders 
of  his  city  shall  call  him,  and  speak  unto  him :  and  if  he  shall 
stand  and  say,  I  like  not  to  take  her ;  his  brother's  wife  shall 
come  near  unto  him  in  the  eyes  of  the  elders,  and  shall  draw  his 
shoe  from  off  his  foot,  and  shall  spit  in  his  face,  and  shall 
answer  and  say,  Thus  shall  it  be  done  unto  the  man  (vir)  who 
doth  not  build  up  the  house  of  his  brother.  Whence  his  name 
shall  be  called  in  Israel,  The  house  of  him  that  is  stripped  of 
his  shoe,"  Dent.  xxv.  5  to  10.  He  who  does  not  know  what 
the  duty  of  the  husband's  brother  represents,  cannot  believe 
otherwise  than  that  it  was  only  for  the  sake  of  preserving  a 
name,  and  thence  of  inheritance  ;  but  the  preservation  of  a 
name  and  of  inheritance  was  not  of  ?'ioh  consequence  that  on 
that  account  the  brother  should  contract  marriage  with  the 
sister-in-law ;  the  law  therefore  was  enjoined,  that  by  it  the 
conservation  and  continuation  of  the  church  might  be  repre- 
sented ;  for  marriage  represented  the  marriage  of  good  and 
truth,  that  is,  the  celestial  marriage,  consequently  also  the 
church :  for  the  church  is  such  by  virtue  of  the  marriage  of 
good  and  truth,  and  when  it  is  in  this  marriage,  it  makes  one 
with  heaven,  which  is  the  celestial  marriage  itself.  And  as 
marriage  has  this  representation,  therefore  sons  and  daughters 
represented  and  signified  truths  and  goods ;  wherefore,  to  be 
childless  signified  a  deprivation  of  good  and  truth,  thus  that 
there  was  no  longer  any  representative  of  the  church  in  that 
house,  consequently  that  it  was  out  of  communion  ;  moreover  a 
brother  represented  consanguineous  good,  to  which  the  truth 
represented  by  the  wife  the  widow  might  be  conjoined  ;  for 
truth,  to  be  truth  which  has  life  and  produces  fruit,  and  thereby 
continues  of  the  church,  cannot  be  conjoined  to  any  other  than 
its  own  and  consanguineous  good.  This  is  perceived  in  heaven 
by  tho  duty  prescribed  to  the  husband's  brother.  The  brother's 
wife  drawing  the  shoe  from  off  his  foot,  and  spitting  in  his  face, 
in  case  he  refused  to  perform  the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother, 


48351—4837.] 


GENESIS. 


897 


signified,  that  he  was  as  one  without  external  and  internal  good 
and  truth,  who  would  destroy  the  things  of  the  church,  for  shoo 
denotes  the  external,  n.  1748,  and  face  the  internal,  n.  1999, 
2434,  3527,  4066,  4796 ;  hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  the  duty 
of  the  husband's  brother  was  represented  the  conservation  and 
continuation  of  the  church.  But  when  the  representatives  of 
internal  things  ceased  by  the  •coming  of  the  Lord,  the  above 
law  was  abolished ;  the  case  herein  is  like  that  of  the  soul  or 
spirit  of  man  and  his  body ;  the  soul  or  spirit  of  a  man  is  his 
internal,  and  the  body  is  the  external ;  or  what  is  the  same 
thing,  the  soul  or  spirit  is  the  very  effigy  of  the  man,  but  the 
body  is  its  representative  image  ;  when  the  man  rises  again,  the 
representative  image  or  his  external,  which  is  the  body,  is  put 
off,  for  then  he  is  in  the  internal  or  in  the  very  effigy  itself. 
The  case  herein  is  also  like  that  of  a  person  in  darkness,  and 
who  thence  sees  the  things  which  are  of  the  light ;  or,  what  is 
the  same  thing,  like  that  of  a  person  who  is  in  the  light  of  the 
world,  and  from  that  light  sees  the  things  which  are  of  the  light 
of  heaven ;  for  the  light  of  the  world,  in  respect  to  that  of 
heaven,  is  as  darkness.  In  darkness,  or  in  the  light  of  the 
world,  the  things  of  the  light  of  heaven  do  not  appear  such  as 
they  are  in  themselves,  but  as  in  a  representative  image,  like 
the  mind  of  man  in  his  face  ;  wherefore,  when  the  light  of 
heaven  appears  in  its  clearness,  the  darkness  or  representative 
images  are  dissipated ;  this  was  effected  by  the  Lord's  coming. 

48351.  "  And  raise  up  seed  to  thy  brother." — That  hereby 
is  signified  lest  the  church  should  perish,  appears  from  the  sig- 
nification of  seed,  as  denoting  truth  grounded  in  good,  or  the 
faith  of  charity,  see  n.  1025,  1447, 1610, 1940,  2848,  3310,  3373, 
3671 ;  the  like  also  is  signified  by  the  first-born,  who  was  to 
stand  upon  the  name  of  the  deceased  brother,  n.  352,  367,  2435, 
3325,  3494.  To  raise  up  that  seed  to  a  brother,  is  to  continue 
that  which  is  of  the  church,  according  to  what  was  said  just 
above,  n.  4834,  thus  that  the  church  should  not  perish. 

4836.  Yer.  9.  "  And  Onan  knew  that  the  seed  was  not  for 
himself." — That  hereby  is  signified  aversion  and  hatred,  appears 
from  the  representation  of  Onan,  as  denoting  evil,  see  n.  4S23, 
4824 ;  and  whereas  not  to  give  seed  to  the  brother,  or  to  per- 
form the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother,  denotes  not  to  will  the 
good  and  truth  of  the  church  and  its  continuation  (n.  4834), 
hence  by  the  above  words  is  signified  aversion  and  hatred ;  for 
evil  is  nothing  else  but  aversion  and  hatred  against  the  good 
and  truth  of  the  church. 

4837.  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  went  in  unto  his 
brother's  wife,  he  destroyed  to  the  earth."— That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified what  is  contrary  to  conjugial  love,  appears  from  the 
following  considerations.  By  Er,  Judah's  first-born,  is  de- 
scribed the  false  of  evil,  in  which  the  Jewish  nation  was  first 


308 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


principled ;  and  by  Onan  the  second-begotten,  the  evil  derived 
from  the  false  of  evil,  in  which  that  nation  was  afterwards  prin- 
cipled ;  and  by  Shelah  the  third  son,  the  idolatrous  principle 
thence  derived,  in  which  they  were  afterwards  continually  prin- 
cipled ;  see  n.  4826.  Evil  derived  from  the  false  of  evil  is  de- 
scribed by  that  which  Onan  did,  viz.,  that  he  was  not  willing 
to  give  seed  to  his  brother,  but  destroyed  to  the  earth ;  this 
6ignities  what  is  contrary  to  conjugial  love,  because  by  the  con- 
jugial principle  in  the  internal  sense  is  understood  that  which 
is  of  the  church ;  for  the  church  is  the  marriage  of  good  and 
truth,  to  which  evil  grounded  in  the  false  of  evil  is  altogether 
contrary  ;  that  is  to  say,  they  who  are  principled  in  such  evil 
are  contrary  to  that  marriage.  That  this  nation  had  no  conju- 
gial principle,  whether  it  be  understood  in  a  spiritual  or  a  natu- 
ral sense,  is  manifest  from  this  consideration,  that  they  were 
permitted  to  have  more  wives  than  one ;  for  where  the  conju- 
gial principle  as  understood  in  a  spiritual  sense  has  place,  that 
is,  where  the  good  and  truth  of  the  church,  consequently  where 
the  church  is,  this  is  in  no  wise  permitted  ;  for  the  genuine 
conjugial  principle  cannot  be  given  except  amongst  those  with 
whom  the  church  or  kingdom  of  the  Lord  is,  and  amongst 
these  only  between  two,  see  n.  1907,  27-40,  3240.  Marriage 
between  two,  who  are  principled  in  genuine  conjugial  love,  cor- 
responds to  the  heavenly  marriage,  to  the  conjunction  of  good 
and  truth  ;  the  husband  corresponding  to  good,  and  the  wife  to 
the  truth  of  that  good  ;  also  when  they  are  in  genuine  conjugial 
love,  they  are  in  that  marriage ;  wherefore  where  the  church  is, 
it  is  not  permitted  in  any  wise  to  marry  more,wives  than  one  ; 
but  as  there  was  not  a  church  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob, 
but  only  the  representative  of  a  church,  or  the  external  of  a 
church  without  its  internal  (n.  4311,  4500),  therefore  it  was 
permitted  amongst  them.  Moreover,  the  marriage  of  one  hus- 
band with  several  wives  would  present  in  heaven  an  idea  or 
image  as  if  one  good  might  be  conjoined  with  several  truths 
which  do  not  agree  amongst  each  other,  and  thus  that  good 
would  be  none ;  for  good  becomes  none  from  non-concordant 
truths,  inasmuch  as  it  has  its  quality  from  truths  and  their  con- 
cordance amongst  themselves.  It  would  also  present  an  image 
as  if  the  church  was  not  one,  but  several,  and  these  distinct 
one  amongst  another  according  to  the  truths  of  faith,  or  doc- 
trinal* ;  when  yet  it  is  one  when  good  is  the  essential  therein, 
and  it  is  qualified  and  as  it  were  modified  by  truths  :  the  church 
is  the  image  of  heaven,  for  it  is  the  Lord's  kingdom  in  the 
earths.  Heaven  is  distinguished  into  many  general  societies, 
and  into  lesser  societies  subordinate  thereto;  but  still  they  are 
•one  by  good,  the  truths  of  faith  being  there  according  to  the 
good  with  which  they  are  congruous,  for  they  have  respect  to 
good,  and  are  from  it.    If  heaven  was  distinguished  according 


483S  4839.] 


GENESIS. 


399 


to  the  truths  of  faith,  and  not  according  to  good,  there  would 
be  no  heaven,  for  there  would  be  no  unanimity,  inasmuch  as 
they  could  not  have  from  the  Lord  one  principle  of  life  or  one 
soul ;  this  is  given  only  in  good,  that  is,  in  love  to  the  Lord, 
and  in  love  towards  the  neighbour;  for  love  conjoins  all,  and 
when  the  love  of  good  and  of  truth  is  in  every  individual,  there 
is  a  common  principle  which  Js  from  the  Lord,  thus  the  Lord, 
who  conjoins  all.  The  love  of  good  and  truth  is  what  is  called 
love  towards  the  neighbour,  for  the  neighbour  is  he  who  is  prin- 
cipled in  good  and  thence  in  truth,  and  in  the  abstract  sense  is 
the  good  itself  and  its  truth.  From  these  considerations  it  may 
be  evident,  why  marriage  within  the  church  is  between  one 
husband  and  one  wife;  and  why  it  was  permitted  to  the  de- 
scendants of  Jacob  to  marry  several  wives ;  and  that  this  was 
on  account  of  there  being  no  church  amongst  them,  and  conse- 
quently the  representative  of  a  church  could  not  be  established 
amongst  them  by  marriages,  because  they  were  in  a  principle 
contrary  to  conjugial  love. 

4838.  "That  he  might  not  give  seed  to  his  brother." — That 
hereby  is  signified,  that  thus  there  might  be  no  continuation, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  giving  seed  to  a  brother,  or  of 
performing  the  duty  of  the  husband's  brother,  as  denoting  to 
continue  that  which  is  of  the  church,  see  n.  4834  ;  hence  by  not 
giving  seed  to  his  brother,  is  signified  that  thus  there  would  be 
no  continuation. 

4839.  Ver.  10.  "And  the  thing  which  he  did  was  evil  in 
the  eyes  of  Jehovah." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  it  was  con- 
trary to  divine  order,  appears  from  the  signification  of  evil  in 
the  eyes  of  Jehovah,  or  of  evil  against  Him,  as  denoting  what  is 
contrary  to  the  order  which  is  from  Him.  This  also  appears 
from  the  deed,  and  from  the  ordinance  concerning  the  duty  ot 
a  husband's  brother,  viz.,  that  the  brother's  wife  should  draw 
the  shoe  from  off  his  foot,  and  should  spit  in  his  face,  and  that 
his  name  should  be  called  in  Israel,  The  house  of  him  that  is 
stripped  of  his  shoe,  Deut.  xxv.  8,  9, 10,  whereby  was  signified, 
that  he  was  without  external  and  internal  good ;  and  they  who 
are  without  good,  and  thence  in  evil,  are  contrary  to  divine 
order.  All  evil  which  springs  or  flows  forth  from  evil  interiorly, 
that  is,  from  the  intention  or  end  "of  evil,  such  as  was  this  of 
Onan,  is  contrary  to  divine  order,  but  that  which  does  not 
spring  from  evil  interiorly,  sometimes  appears  as  evil,  but  still 
is  not  evil,  if  the  end  be  not  evil;  for  the  end  intended  qualifies 
every  act,  inasmuch  as  the  life  of  man  is  in  the  end  he  intends, 
for  what  he  loves  and  thence  thinks,  he  has  for  an  end  ;  the  life 
of  his  soul  is  nothing  else.  That  evil  is  contrary  to  divine  order, 
and  good  according  thereto,  may  be  known  to  every  one ;  for 
the  divine  order  is  the  Lord  Himself  in  heaven,  as  the  Divine 
Good  and  Truth  from  Him  constitute  order,  insomuch  that  they 


400 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


are  order;  the  divine  good  being  its  essential,  and  the  divine 
truth  its  formal.  When  the  divine  order  is  represented  in  form, 
it  appears  as  a  man ;  for  the  Lord,  from  Whom  it  is,  is  the  Sole 
Man,  see  n.  49,  288,  477,  565,  1871,  1894,  3638,  3639 ;  and 
so  much  as  angels,  spirits,  and  men  have  from  Him,  that  is,  so 
much  as  they  are  in  good  and  hence  in  truth,  thus  so  much 
as  they  are  in  His  divine  order,  so  much  they  are  men.  Hence 
it  is,  that  the  universal  heaven  represents  one  man,  which  is 
called  the  Grand  Man,  and  that  all  and  each  of  the  things  ap- 
pertaining to  man  correspond  thereto,  as  has  been  shown  at  the 
close  of  the  chapters:  hence  also  it  is,  that  all  the  angels  in 
heaven  appear  in  the  human  form  ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  the 
evil  spirits  in  hell  appear  indeed  amongst  themselves  from  phan- 
tasy as  men,  but  in  the  light  of  heaven  as  monsters,  more  direful 
and  horrible  according  to  the  evil  in  which  they  are  principled, 
n.  4533,  and  this  because  evil  itself  is  contrary  to  order,  thus 
contrary  to  the  human  form ;  for,  as  was  said,  divine  order,  when 
represented  in  form,  appears  as  a  man. 

4840.  "  And  he  caused  him  also  to  die." — That  hereby  is 
signified  that  there  was  also  no  representative  of  the  church, 
appears  from  what  was  shown  above,  n.  4833,  where  the  like 
words  occur. 

4841.  Verse  11.  And  Judah  said  to  Tamar  his  daughter- 
in-law,  Remain  a  widow  at  thy  father's  house,  until  Shelah  my 
son  be  grown  up :  {for  he  said,  Lest  pcradventure  he  die  also, 
as  his  brethren.)  And  Tamar  xoent  and  remained  at  the  house 
of  her  father.  And  Judah  said,  signifies  in  general  the  poster- 
ity of  Jacob,  specifically  that  which  was  derived  from  Judah  : 
to  Tamar  his  daughter-in-law,  signifies  the  church  representa- 
tive of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  which  is  called  daughter- 
in-law  from  truth  :  Remain  a  widow  at  thy  father's  house,  signi- 
fies alienation  from  himself:  until  Shelah  my  son  be  grown  up, 
signifies  until  the  time:  for  he  said,  signifies  thought:  Lest  per- 
adventure  he  die  also,  as  his  brethren,  signifies  fear  lest  he 
should  perish :  and  Tamar  went,  and  remained  at  her  father's 
house,  signifies  alienation  from  himself. 

4842.  Ver.  11.  "And  Judah  said."— That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied in  general  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  specifically  that  which 
was  derived  from  Judah,  appears  from  the  signification  of  Ju- 
dah, in  the  proximate  sense,  as  denoting  the  nation  which  was 
from  Jacob,  and  specifically  the  nation  which  Jacob  had  from 
Judah,  as  was  also  shown  above,  n.  4815.  In  the  Word  indeed 
a  distinction  is  made  between  Judah  and  Israel,  and  in  the 
historical  sense  by  Judah  is  meant  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  by 
Israel  the  ten  tribes  which  were  separated  from  that  tribe  ;  but 
in  the  internal  or  spiritual  sense,  by  Judah  is  represented  the 
celestial  principle  or  good  of  the  church,  and  by  Israel  the  spir- 
itual principle  or  truth  of  the  church;  but  in  the  opposite  sense, 


4840—4813.] 


GENESIS. 


40i 


by  Judah,  the  evil  of  the  church,  and  by  Israel  the  false  of 
the  church,  wheresoever  those  principles  prevailed,  whether 
amongst  the  Jews  or  amongst  the  Israelites.  For  tiie  internal 
or  spiritual  sense  of  the  Word  is  universal,  and  does  not  distin- 
guish the  tribes  like  the  external  or  historical  sense ;  hence  it 
is  that  by  Judah  in  the  proximate  sense  is  signified  all  the  nation 
which  was  from  Jacob,  and  specifically  that  portion  which 
Jacob  had  from  J udah. 

4843.  "To  Tamar  his  daughter-in-law." — That  hereby  is 
signified  the  church  representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial 
things,  which  is  called  daughter-in-law  from  truth,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  representation  of  Tamar,  as  denoting  the  church  rep- 
resentative of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  concerning  which 
see  above,  n.  4831 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  daughter- 
in-law,  as  denoting  the  spiritual  principle  or  truth  of  the  church. 
The  reason  why  daughter-in-law  has  this  signification,  is,  be- 
cause all  things  relating  to  marriage,  and  all  who  were  derived 
from  marriage,  represented  such  tilings  as  are  of  the  heavenly 
marriage,  see  above,  n.  4837 ;  consequently  which  are  of  good 
and  truth,  for  these  are  of  the  heavenly  marriage;  hence,  in  the 
Word,  husband  signifies  good,  and  wife  truth,  also  sons  and 
daughters  signify  the  goods  and  truths  thence  derived ;  hence 
also  daughter-in-law,  as  being  the  wife  of  a  son  as  a  new  hus- 
band, signifies  the  truth  of  the  church  conjoined  to  good  ;  and 
so  forth.  But  these  significations  have  a  difference  in  respect  to 
those  who  are  of  the  celestial  church,  and  those  who  are  of  the 
spiritual  church  ;  for  in  the  spiritual  church  the  husband  is 
called  man  (vir)  and  signifies  truth,  and  the  wife  woman  and 
signifies  good,  see  above,  n.  4823.  That  by  daughter-in-law,  in 
the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  is  signified  the  truth  of  the 
church  adjoined  to  its  good,  consequently  in  the  opposite  sense 
the  false  of  the  church  adjoined  to  its  evil,  may  also  appear 
from  the  passages  of  the  Word  where  it  is  mentioned ;  as  in 
Hosea,  "  They  sacrifice  upon  the  heads  of  the  mountains,  and 
burn  incense  upon  the  hills,  under  the  oak,  the  poplar,  and  the 
strong  oak,  because  the  shade  thereof  is  good ;  therefore  your 
daughters  commit  whoredom,  and  your  daughters-in-law  com- 
mit adultery.  Shall  I  not  visit  upon  your  daughters  because 
they  commit  whoredom,  and  upon  your  daughter's-in-law,  be- 
cause they  commit  adultery  ?"  iv.  13,  14 ;  the  subject  there 
treated  of  is  the  worship  of  evil  and  of  false,  the  former  is  sig- 
nified by  sacrificing  on  the  heads  of  the  mountains,  and  the 
latter  by  burning  incense  on  the  hills ;  the  life  of  evil  is  signi- 
fied by  the  daughters  committing  whoredom  ;  and  the  doctrine 
of  the  false  which  gives  birth  to  the  life  of  evil,  by  the  daugh- 
ters-in-law committing  adultery ;  that  adulteries  and  whore- 
doms in  the  Word  signify  the  adulterations  of  good  and  the 
falsifications  of  truth,  may  be  seen,  n.  2466,  2729,  3399  ;  in  the 
vol.  v.  26 


402 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


above  passage,  therefore,  daughters-in-law  denote  the  affections 
of  the  false.  So  in  Micah,  "The  great  one  speaks  the  perver- 
sity of  his  soul ;  and  he  warps  it  aside.  Their  good  one  is  as  a 
thorn ;  the  right  one  as  a  bramble  bush.  .  .  .  The  son  dishon- 
oured the  father,  the  daughter  riseth  up  against  the  mother,  the 
daughter-in-law  against  the  father-in-law  /  a  mail's  enemies  are 
they  of  his  own  house,"  vii.  3,  4,  6 ;  the  subject  here  treated  of 
is  the  false  derived  from  evil,  in  which  the  church  is  principled 
in  the  last  time  when  it  is  vastated;  in  the  proximate  sense,  in 
which  the  Jewish  church  was  principled ;  the  daughter  rising 
up  against  the  mother,  signifies  that  the  affection  of  evil  was 
contrary  to  truth ;  and  the  daughter-in-law  against  the  father- 
in-law,  that  the  affection  of  the  false  was  contrary  to  good.  In- 
asmuch as  the  case  is  similar  with  the  man  who  is  in  temptations 
(for  in  these  there  is  a  combat  of  evil  against  truth,  and  of  false 
against  good,  spiritual  temptations  being  nothing  else  but  vasta- 
tions  of  the  false  and  evil  appertaining  to  man),  therefore  tempt- 
ations or  spiritual  combats  are  described  by  the  Lord  in  nearly 
the  like  words  in  Matthew,  "  Jesus  said,  Think  not  that  I  am 
come  to  send  peace  upon  earth  ;  I  came  not  to  send  peace,  but  a 
sword.  For  I  came  to  set  a  man  at  variance  against  his  father, 
and  the  daughter  against  her  mother,  and  the  daughter-in-law 
against  her  mother-in-law:  and  a  man's  foes  shall  he  they  of 
his  own  household,"  x.  34,  35,  3G.  These  words,  like  those  of 
the  prophet  just  above  quoted,  signified  the  vastation  of  the 
church  ;  but  here  they  signify  the  temptation  of  those  who  are 
of  the  church,  because,  as  was  said,  temptations  are  nothing  else 
than  vastations,  or  removals  of  evil  and  false;  on  which  account 
also,  both  temptations  and  vastations  are  signified  and  described 
by  inundations  of  waters  and  by  floods,  see  n.  705,  739,  756, 
907 ;  here,  therefore,  the  daughter  against  the  mother  denotes 
also  the  affection  of  evil  against  truth,  and  the  daughter-in-law 
against  the  mother-in-law  denotes  the  affection  of  the  false 
against  good :  and  as  evils  and  falses,  with  the  man  who  is  in 
temptation,  are  within,  or  his  own,  they  are  called  "  they  of  his 
own  household"  (domcstici):  therefore  it  is  said,  "A  man's 
foes  shall  be  they  of  his  own  household."  That  temptations  are 
thus  described  in  the  above  passage,  is  evident  from  this  con- 
sideration, that  it  is  said  He  came  not  to  send  peace  upon 
earth,  but  a  sword  ;  for  by  a  sword  is  signified  truth  combating, 
and  in  the  opposite  sense  the  false  combating,  n.  2799,  4499  ; 
when  yet  He  came  to  give  peace,  John  xiv.  27  ;  xvi.  43;  that 
they  are  temptations  which  are  so  described,  is  evident  from 
what  follows  in  the  same  chapter,  "  "Whosoever  taketh  not  up 
his  cross,  and  followeth  after  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me,"  verse 
38.   In  like  manner  in  Luke,  "  Think  ye  that  I  am  come  to 

five  peace  on  the  earth?  I  tell  you,  Nay;  but  division:  for 
enceforth  there  shall  be  five  in  one  house  divided,  three 


4844.] 


GENESIS. 


403 


against  two,  and  two  against  three.  The  father  shall  he  divided 
against  the  son,  and  the  son  against  the  father ;  the  mother 
against  the  daughter,  and  the  daughter  against  the  mother;  the 
mother-in-law  against  her  daughter-in-law,  and  the  daughter-in- 
law  against  her  mother-in-law"  xii.  51,  52,  53.  From  these 
considerations  it  is  also  manifest,  that  by  father,  mother,  son, 
daughter,  daughter-in-law,  mother-in-law,  are  signified  such 
things  as  are  derived  from  the  heavenly  marriage,  viz.,  goods 
and  truths  in  their  order ;  and  also  the  opposite  principles ;  as 
likewise  in  Mark,  "  Jesus  said,  There  is  no  man  who  forsaketh 
house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or  mothei',  or  wife,  or  chil- 
dren, or  lands,  for  my  sake,  and  the  gospel's,  but  he  shall  receive 
hundred-folds  now  in  this  time,  houses,  and  brethren,  and  sis- 
ters, and  mothers,  and  children,  and  lands,  with  persecutions ; 
and  in  the  world  to  come  eternal  life,"  x.  29,  30;  he  who  is  not 
acquainted  with  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  will  believe 
that  by  house,  brethren,  sisters,  father,  mother,  wife,  children, 
lands,  such  are  signified  literally :  but  they  are  such  things  as 
appertain  to  man,  being  proper  to  him,  which  he  is  to  forsake, 
and  in  their  stead  he  is  to  receive  the  spiritual  and  celestial 
things  of  the  Lord,  and  this  by  temptations,  which  are  there 
meant  by  persecutions  :  every  one  may  see,  that  if  he  forsakes 
a  mother,  he  is  not  to  receive  mothers,  in  like  manner  neither 
brethren  nor  sisters. 

4844.  "  Remain  a  widow  at  thy  father's  house." — That  here- 
by is  signified  alienation  from  himself,  may  appear  from  this 
consideration,  that  hereby  he  was  willing  that  she  should  recede, 
and  no  longer  return  to  himself;  he  said  indeed,  that  she  should 
remain  there  until  Shelah  his  son  was  grown  up,  nevertheless 
he  thought  that  she  should  not  be  given  to  Shelah  his  son,  for 
he  said  within  himself,  Lest  perad venture  he  die  also,  as  his 
brethren ;  and  the  fact  also  proved  it,  as  is  evident  from  verse 
14,  "Tamar  saw  that  Shelah  was  grown  up,  and  she  was 
not  given  unto  him  for  a  woman."  Hence  now  it  follows,  that 
by  the  above  words  is  signified  that  he  alienated  her  from 
himself;  that  is,  in  the  internal  sense,  the  church  representa- 
tive of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  which  is  represented  by 
Tamar,  n.  4811,  4831,  from  the  Jewish  church,  represented  by 
Judah ;  for  they  could  not  agree  together,  because  Judaism 
was  only  the  representative  of  the  church,  but  not  a  repre- 
sentative church,  n.  4307,  4500,  for  it  acknowledged  the  exter- 
nal without  the  internal.  A  widow  also  signifies  the  truth  of 
the  church  without  its  good,  because  in  the  representative  sense 
a  wife  signifies  truth,  and  a  husband  good,  n.  4824,  4843 ; 
wherefore  a  wife  without  a  husband  is  the  truth  of  the  church 
without  its  good,  by  whom,  when  it  is  said  that  she  should 
remain  in  the  house  of  her  father,  is  signified  that  the  truth  of 
the  church  would  be  alienated,  and  also  that  it  would  not  be 


404 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


received  in  his  house  ;  neither  could  the  Jewish  nation  receive 
it,  because  they  were  not  principled  in  good,  but  in  evil.  Fre- 
quent mention  is  made  ol  widow  in  the  Word,  and  he  who  is 
unacquainted  with  the  internal  sense,  cannot  believe  otherwise 
than  that  by  a  widow  is  signified  a  widow ;  but  by  a  widow, 
in  the  internal  sense,  the  truth  of  the  church  without  good  is 
there  signified,  that  is,  they  who  are  in  truth  without  good,  and 
yet  desire  to  be  in  good,  consequently  who  love  to  be  led  by 
good ;  husband  is  the  good  which  should  lead ;  such  in  the 
ancient  church  were  understood  in  the  good  sense  by  widows, 
whether  they  were  women  or  men  {viri).  For  the  ancient 
church  distinguished  the  neighbour,  towards  whom  they  were 
to  exercise  charity,  into  several  classes  ;  some  they  called  poor, 
others  miserable  and  afflicted,  bound  and  in  prison,  blind  and 
lame,  sojourners,  orphans,  and  widows,  and  according  to  their 
qualities  they  dispensed  works  of  charity  ;  their  doctrinals  in- 
structed them  in  this  respect,  being  the  only  doctrinals  with 
which  that  church  was  acquainted.  Wherefore  they  who  lived 
at  that  time,  both  taught  and  wrote  according  to  their  doc- 
trinals ;  consequently  when  they  spake  of  widows,  they  meant 
no  other  than  such  as  were  in  truth  without  good,  and  still  de- 
sired to  be  led  by  good.  Hence  also  it  is  evident,  that  the 
doctrinals  of  the  ancient  church  taught  those  things  which 
related  to  charity  and  the  neighbour,  and  their  knowledges  and 
scientifics  were  for  the  purpose  of  knowing  what  external  things 
signified,  for  the  church  was  representative  of  spiritual  and 
celestial  things;  therefore  the  spiritual  and  celestial  things, 
which  were  represented  and  signified,  were  what  they  learnt 
by  doctrinals  and  sciences.  But  these  doctrinals  and  scienti- 
fics are  at  this  day  altogether  obliterated,  and  indeed  to  such  a 
degree,  that  it  is  not  known  that  they  ever  existed;  for  in  their 
place  the  doctrinals  of  faith  succeeded,  which,  if  they  be  wid- 
owed and  separated  from  the  doctrinals  of  charity,  teach  almost 
nothing  ;  for  the  doctrinals  of  charity  teach  what  good  is,  and  the 
doctrinals  of  faith  what  truth  is,  and  to  teach  truth  without  good 
is  to  walk  as  one  who  is  blind,  for  good  teaches  and  leads,  and 
truth  is  taught  and  led ;  between  those  two  doctrinals  the  dif- 
ference is  as  great  as  between  light  and  darkness ;  unless  the 
darkness  be  illustrated  by  the  light,  that  is,  unless  truth  be 
illustrated  by  good,  or  faith  by  charity,  there  is  nothing  but 
darkness.  Hence  it  is,  that  no  one  knows  from  intuition,  con- 
sequently neither  from  perception,  whether  truth  be  truth,  but 
only  from  doctrine  imbibed  in  childhood  and  confirmed  in 
adult  age ;  hence  also  it  is,  that  churches  so  much  disagree, 
and  one  calls  that  true  which  another  calls  false,  and  they  in  no 
wise  accord  with  each  other.  That  by  widows,  in  a  good  senso, 
are  signified  they  who  are  in  truth  without  good,  but  who  still 
are  desirous  to  be  led  by  good,  may  appear  from  the  passages 


4844.] 


GENESIS. 


405 


in  the  "Word  where  widows  are  mentioned ;  as  in  David,  "  Je- 
hovah who  executeth  judgment  for  the  oppressed,  who  giveth 
bread  to  the  hungry  /  Jehovah  who  looseth  the  bound  ;  Jeho- 
vah who  openeth  the  blind  ;  Jehovah  who  raiseth  them  that  are 
bowed  doion ;  Jehovah  who  loveth  the  just ;  Jehovah  who 
guardeth  the  sojourners,*  supporteth  the  fatherless  and  the 
widow,''''  Psalm  cxlvi.  7,  8,  9 ;  the  subject  here  treated  of  in 
the  internal  sense  is  concerning  those  who  are  instructed  by 
the  Lord  in  truths,  and  are  led  to  good ;  but  some  of  these  are. 
called  oppressed,  others  hungry,  bound,  blind,  bowed  down, 
sojourners,  fatherless,  widows,  according  to  their  quality  ;  but 
no  one  can  know  their  quality,  except  from  the  internal  sense; 
the  doctrines  of  the  ancient  church  taught  that  quality.  In 
this,  as  in  several  other  passages,  the  sojourner,  the  fatherless, 
and  the  widow  are  named  jointly,  because  by  the  sojourner  are 
signified  they  who  are  willing  to  be  instructed  in  the  truths  of 
faith,  see  n.  14G3,  4444 ;  by  the  fatherless,  they  who  are  in  good 
without  truth,  and  are  desirous  through  truth  to  be  led  to  good ; 
and  by  the  widow,  they  who  are  in  truth  without  good,  and 
are  desirous  through  good  to  be  led  to  truth  :  those  three  are 
named  jointly  in  this  and  in  other  passages  in  the  Word,  be- 
cause in  the  internal  sense  they  constitute  one  class ;  for  by 
them  together  are  signified  they  who  are  willing  to  be  instruct- 
ed and  led  to  good  and  truth.  Again,  "The  Father  of  the 
fatherless,  and  Judge  of  the  widows,  God  in  the  habitation  of 
his  holiness,"  Psalm  lxviii.  5  ;  where  the  fatherless  denote  those 
who  like  infants  are  in  the  good  of  innocence,  but  not  as  yet  in 
truth,  whose  father  is  said  to  be  the  Lord,  because  as  a  father 
He  leads  them  by  truth  into  goods,  viz.,  into  the  good  of  life  or 
wisdom ;  widows  denote  those  who  as  adults  are  in  truth  but 
not  yet  in  good,  whose  judge  is  said  to  be  the  Lord,  because  He 
leads  them  by  good  into  truth,  viz.,  into  the  truth  of  intelli- 
gence ;  for  by  a  judge  is  signified  a  leader.    Good  without 

*  In  our  common  English  version  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  Hebrew  term  here 
rendered  sojourners  is  generally  translated  strangers;  but  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  it 
is  derived  from  a  Hebrew  root  signifying  to  sojourn,  or  to  dwell  any  where  for  a 
time,  and  accordingly  our  author  renders  it  very  properly  by  the  Latin  peregrini. 
These  sojourners,  with  the  children  of  Israel,  were  such  from  amongst  the  neigh- 
bouring nations  as  came  to  dwell  with  them  for  a  time,  in  order  to  be  instructed  in 
their  laws  and  customs  ;  and  in  this  respect,  they  differed  very  essentially  from 
those  properly  called  strangers  or  aliens,  who  were  unwilling  to  learn  their  laws,  or 
to  have  any  intercourse  of  association  with  them.  And  as  this  distinction  between 
sojourners  and  strangers,  in  the  external  sense  of  the  words,  leads  to  a  still  more 
important  distinction  in  their  internal  sense,  it  is  necessary,  for  the  sake  of  this 
latter  sense  more  especially,  that  the  distinction  should  be  attended  to.  As  a  re- 
markable instance  of  this  distinction,  whether  considered  internally  or  externally, 
it  may  not  be  improper  here  to  note,  that  the  son  of  the  stranger  was  not  allowed 
to  eat  the  passover,  whereas  the  sojourner,  when  circumcised,  might  eat  the  pass- 
over,  see  Exod.  xii.  43,  48. 

N.  B.  In  our  common  English  translation,  the  distinction  in  this  passage,  plainly 
pointed  outiu  the  original  Hebrew,  is  not  attended  to. 


406 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


truth,  which  is  the  fatherless,  becomes  the  good  of  wisdom  by 
the  doctrine  of  truth  ;  and  truth  without  good,  which  is  the 
widow,  becomes  the  truth  of  intelligence  by  the  life  of  good. 
So  in  Isaiah,  "  Wo  unto  them  who  ordain  statutes  of  iniquity 
to  turn  away  the  poor  from  judgment,  and  to  snatch  away  into 
judgment  the  miserable  of  my  people,  that  the  widows  may  be 
their  spoil,  and  that  they  may  plunder  the  fatherless  /"  x.  1,  2  ; 
where  by  the  poor,  the  miserable,  the  widows,  and  the  father- 
less, none  are  signified  but  they  who  are  spiritually  such ;  and 
whereas  in  the  Jewish  church,  as  in  the  ancient,  all  things  were 
representative,  so  also  was  doing  good  to  the  fatherless  and  the 
widows ;  for  on  such  occasion,  charity  towards  those  who  in  a 
spiritual  sense  were  such,  was  represented  in  heaven.    So  in 
Jeremiah,  "Execute  judgment  and  justice,  and  deliver  the 
spoiled  out  of  the  hand  of  the  oppressor :  and  defraud  not  the 
sojourner,  the  fatherless,  and  widow,  neither  do  violence,  neither 
shed  ye  innocent  blood  in  this  place,"  xxii.  3,  where  also  by 
the  sojourner,  the  fatherless,  and  the  widow,  are  signified  they 
who  are  spiritually  such ;  for  in  the  spiritual  world  or  heaven 
it  is  not  known  who  is  a  sojourner,  who  fatherless,  and  who  a 
widow,  for  they  who  had  been  such  in  the  natural  world  are 
not  such  in  that  world ;  therefore  when  these  words  are  read 
by  man,  they  are  perceived  by  the  angels  according  to  their 
spiritual  or  internal  sense.   In  like  manner  in  Ezekiel,  "  Behold, 
the  princes  of  Israel,  every  one  according  to  his  arm,  have  been 
in  thee,  that  they  might  shed  blood.   In  thee  have  they  account- 
ed the  father  and  the  mother  vile ;  in  thee  have  they  dealt  by 
oppression  with  the  sojourner,  in  thee  have  they  defrauded  the 
fatherless  and  the  widow"  xxii.  6,  7.    Also  in  Malachi,  "  I  will 
come  near  to  you  into  judgment:   and  I  will  be  a  swift  wit- 
ness against  the  sorcerers,  and  against  the  adulterers,  and 
against  false  swearers,  and  against  the  oppressors  of  the  hire 
of  the  hireling,  the  widoio,  and  the  fatherless,  and  those  who 
turn  aside  the  sojourner  ;  nor  fear  me,"  iii.  5.    In  like  manner 
in  Moses,  "Thou  shalt  not  distress  the  sojourner,  nor  oppress 
him :  .  .  .  thou  shalt  not  afflict  any  widow  or  orphan.    If  in 
afflicting  thou  afnictest  him,  and  if  in  crying  he  crieth  unto  me, 
hearing  I  will  hear  his  cry  :  and  my  anger  shall  be  hot,  and  I 
will  slay  you  with  the  sword,  that  your  wives  may  become 
widows,  and  your  children  orphans,"  Exodus  xxii.  21  to  24 ; 
this,  like  all  the  rest  of  the  precepts,  judgments,  and  statutes  in 
tho  Jewish  church,  was  representative  ;  and  also  in  that  church 
they  were  held  in  externals  so  to  do,  and  by  such  things  to  rep- 
resent the  internal  things  of  charity,  although  they  had  nothing 
of  charity,  or  did  not  perform  them  from  internal  affection. 
The  internal  principle  was,  from  affection  to  instruct  those  who 
were  in  ignorance,  in  truths,  and  to  lead  them  by  truths  to 
good  ;  and  to  lead  those  who  were  in  science,  by  good  to  truths ; 


4844.] 


GENESIS. 


407 


whereby  they  would  have  done  good  in  the  spiritual  sense  to 
the  sojourner,  the  fatherless,  and  the  widow.  That  the  exter- 
nal might  still  remain  for  the  sake  of  representation,  it  waa 
amongst  the  curses  pronounced  on  mount  Ebal,  "  to  turn  aside 
the  judgment  of  the  sojourner,  the  orphan,  the  widow"  Deut. 
xxvii.  19;  to  turn  aside  their  judgment,  denotes  to  do  the  con- 
trary, that  is,  to  lead  to  false  'and  evil  by  instruction  and  life. 
As  to  deprive  others  of  goods  and  truths,  and  to  appropriate 
those  things  to  self  for  the  sake  of  self-honour  and  gain,  was 
also  amongst  the  curses,  therefore  the  Lord  said,  "  Wo  unto 
you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  for  ye  devour  icidows'  houses,  and 
this  under  the  cover  of  making  long  prayers  :  therefore  ye  shall 
receive  more  abundant  judgment,"  Matt,  xxiii.  14;  Luke  xx. 
47 ;  to  devour  widows'  houses,  denotes  to  deprive  those  of 
truths  who  desire  truths,  and  to  teach  falses.  In  like  manner 
it  was  representative,  that  what  was  left  in  the  fields,  olive- 
yards,  and  vineyards,  should  be  for  the  sojourner,  the  father- 
less, and  the  widow,  Deut.  xxiv.  19  to  22 ;  also  that  when  they 
had  made  an  end  of  tithing  the  tenths  of  their  increase  in  tbe 
third  year,  they  should  give  to  the  sojourner,  the  fatherless, 
and  the  widow,  that  they  might  eat  in  their  gates,  and  be  satis- 
fied, Deut.  xxvi.  12.  Since  it  is  the  Lord  alone  who  instructs, 
and  leads  to  truth  and  good,  it  is  said  in  Jeremiah,  "  Leave  thy 
orphans,  I  will  make  alive,  and  the  widows  shall  trust  in  me," 
xlix.  11.  And  in  Moses,  "  Jehovah  executeth  the  judgment  of 
the  orphan  and  widow,  and  loveth  the  sojourner,  in  giving  him 
bread  and  raiment,"  Deut.  x.  18 ;  bread  denotes  the  good  of 
love,  n.  2165,  2177,  3478,  3735,  3813,  4211,  4217,  4735 ;  rai- 
ment denotes  the  truth  of  faith,  n.  4545,  4763.  The  circum- 
stances related  of  Elijah,  how,  during  the  famine  occasioned 
by  want  of  rain,  he  was  sent  to  Zarephath  to  a  widow,  and 
asked  of  her  a  small  cake,  which  she  was  to  make  and  give  to 
him  in  the  first  place,  and  to  herself  and  son  in  the  next  place, 
and  how  in  this  case  the  barrel  of  meal  belongino;  to  her  was 
not  consumed,  and  the  cruse  of  oil  did  not  fail  (1  Kings  xvii.  1 
to  13),  were  representative,  like  all  the  rest  which  are  related 
of  him,  and  in  general  which  are  related  in  the  "Word ; — the 
famine  which  was  in  the  land  in  consequence  of  the  want  of 
rain,  represented  the  vastation  of  truth  in  the  church,  n.  1460, 
3364 ;  the  widow  in  Zarephath  represented  those  out  of  the 
church  who  desire  truth  ;  the  cake  which  she  was  to  make  for 
him  in  the  first  place,  represented  the  good  of  love  to  the  Lord, 
n.  2177,  whom  out  of  her  scantiness  she  loved  above  herself 
and  her  son ;  the  barrel  of  meal  signifies  truth  derived  from 
good,  n.  2177 ;  and  the  cruse  of  oil,  charity  and  love,  n.  886, 
3728,  4582 ;  Elijah  represents  the  Word,  by  which  such  things 
are  produced,  n.  2762.  This  also,  in  the  internal  sense,  is  un- 
derstood by  the  Lord's  words  in  Luke,  "  No  prophet  is  accepted 


408 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


in  his  own  country.  In  the  truth  I  say  unto  you,  many  widows 
were  in  Israel  in  the  days  of  Elias,  when  the  heaven  was  shut 
up  for  three  years  and  six  months,  whilst  a  great  famine  was 
over  all  the  land,  yet  unto  none  of  them  was  Elias  sent,  save 
unto  Sarepta  of  Sidon,  unto  a  wowan  a  widow"  iv.  24,  25,  26, 
that  is,  to  those  out  of  the  church  who  desire  truth  ;  but  the 
widows  who  were  within  the  vastated  church,  to  whom  Elijah 
was  not  sent,  are  they  who  are  not  in  truth,  because  not  in 
good ;  for  where  good  is  not,  there  neither  is  truth,  and  howso- 
ever in  such  case  it  may  appear  in  the  external  form  as  truth, 
yet  it  is  as  a  shell  without  a  kernel.  They  who  are  in  such 
truth,  and  also  they  who  are  in  the  false,  are  signified  by 
widows  in  the  opposite  sense ;  as  in  Isaiah,  "  Jehovah  will  cut 
off  from  Israel  head  and  tail,  branch  and  rush,  in  one  clay. 
The  old  and  the  honoured  in  faces  is  the  head  ;  and  the  prophet, 
the  teacher  of  a  lie,  is  the  tail.  .  .  .  Therefore  the  Lord  shall 
have  no  joy  in  their  young  men,  and  will  not  pity  their  fat  Jier- 
less  and  widows"  ix.  14,  15,  17.  And  in  Jeremiah,  "  I  will 
winnow  them  with  a  winnowing  fan  in  the  gates  of  the  land; 
I  will  bereave  them  of  children,  I  will  destroy  my  people,  they 
have  not  turned  from  their  ways.  Their  widows  are  increased 
unto  me  above  the  sands  of  the  seas :  I  will  bring  upon  thein, 
upon  the  young  mother,  a  spoiler  at  noon-day.  .  .  She  who  hath 
borne  seven  languisheth ;  she  hath  breathed  out  her  soul,  her 
sun  is  gone  down  whilst  it  is  yet  day,"  xv.  7,  8,  9.  Again, 
"  Our  inheritance  is  turned  away  to  strangers,  our  houses  to 
aliens.  We  are  become  orphans  and  fatherless,  our  mothers  are 
as  widows"  Lament,  v.  2,  3.  As  by  widows  were  signified 
those  who  are  not  in  truth,  because  not  in  good,  therefore  it 
was  disgraceful  for  churches,  even  such  as  were  principled  in 
falses  derived  from  evil,  to  be  called  widows  ;  as  in  John,  "  She 
hath  said  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am  not  a  widow,  and 
I  shall  not  see  mourning.  Therefore  in  one  day  shall  her 
plagues  come,  death,  and  mourning,  and  famine  ;  and  she  shall 
be  utterly  burned  with  fire,"  Rev.  xviii.  7,  8,  speaking  of  Baby- 
lon :  in  like  manner  it  is  written  of  the  same  in  Isaiah,  "  Hear 
this,  thou  delicate  one,  sitting  securely,  saying  in  her  heart,  I, 
and  there  is  none  besides  as  1 ;  I  shall  not  sit  a  ividoio,  neither 
shall  I  know  the  loss  of  children :  but  these  two  things  shall 
come  to  thee  in  a  moment  in  one  day,  the  loss  of  children,  and 
widowhood"  xlvii.  8,  9.  From  these  considerations  it  may  now 
appear  what  is  meant  by  widow,  in  the  internal  sense  of  the 
Word ;  and  since  widow  represented  and  thence  signified  the 
truth  of  the  church  without  its  good  (because  a  wife  denotes 
truth,  and  a  husband,  good),  therefore  in  the  ancient  churches, 
where  all  and  each  thing  represented,  the  priests  were  prohibited 
from  marrying  a  widow  who  was  not  the  widow  of  a  priest ;  as 
it  is  written  in  Moses,  "  The  high  priest  shall  take  a  wife  in  her 


4845.] 


GENESIS. 


409 


virginity.  A  widow,  or  one  that  is  divorced,  or  profane,  or  a 
harlot,  these  shall  he  not  take  ;  but  he  shall  take  a  virgin  of  his 
own  people  to  wife,"  Lev.  xxi.  13  to  15 ;  and  speaking  of  the 
new  temple  and  of  the  new  priesthood  in  Ezekiel,  it  is  written, 
"The  priests  the  Levites  shall  not  take  to  themselves  for  wives 
a  widow,  or  one  that  is  divorced  ;  but  virgins  of  the  seed  of  the 
house  of  Israel :  nevertheless  a  widow  who  hath  been  the  widow 
of  a  priest  they  may  take,"  xliv.  22 ;  for  the  virgins,  whom 
they  were  to  marry,  represented  and  thence  signified  the  affec- 
tion of  truth  ;  a  widow  likewise  of  a  priest  represented  the  affec- 
tion of  truth  derived  from  good,  for  in  the  representative  sense 
a  priest  denotes  the  good  of  the  church.  On  this  account  also 
it  was  allowed  the  widows  of  a  priest,  who  had  no  offspring,  to 
eat  of  the  oblations  or  holy  things,  Lev.  xxii.  12,  13.  That  this 
is  the  signification  of  a  widow,  was  known  from  their  doctrinals 
to  those  of  the  ancient  church,  for  their  doctrinals  were  those 
of  love  and  charity,  which  contained  innumerable  things  that 
at  this  day  are  altogether  obliterated ;  from  these  doctrinals 
they  knew  what  charity  they  were  to  exercise,  or  their  duty 
towards  the  neighbour  called  widows,  or  fatherless,  or  sojourn- 
ers, and  so  forth.  Their  knowledges  of  truth  and  their  scienti- 
fics  consisted  in  knowing  (cognoscere)  and  knowing  {scire)* 
what  the  i"ituals  of  their  church  represented  and  signified  ;  and 
they  who  were  learned  amongst  them,  knew  what  the  things 
in  the  earth  and  in  the  world  represented,  for  they  knew  that 
universal  nature  was  a  theatre  representative  of  the  heavenly 
kingdom  ;  see  n.  2758,  2989,  2999,  3483.  Such  knowledge 
elevated  their  minds  to  celestial  things,  and  their  doctrinals  led 
them  to  life.  But  after  the  church  had  turned  away  from  charity 
to  faith,  especially  after  it  had  separated  faith  from  charity,  and 
made  the  former  saving  without  the  latter  and  its  works,  minds 
could  then  no  longer  be  elevated  by  knowledges  to  celestial 
things,  nor  by  doctrinals  be  led  to  life  ;  insomuch  that  at  length 
scarcely  any  one  believes  that  there  is  any  life  after  death,  and 
scarcely  any  one  knows  what  the  heavenly  principle  is  :  that 
there  is  any  spiritual  sense  of  the  "Word,  which  does  not  appear 
in  the  letter,  cannot  even  be  believed,  so  much  are  minds  closed. 

4845.  "  Until  Shelah  my  son  be  grown  up." — That  hereby  is 
signified  until  the  time,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
growing  up,  as  denoting  to  be  of  that  age,  thus  until  the  time ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Shelah  the  son,  as  denoting 

*  The  author  here  distinguishes,  as  in  many  other  parts  of  his  theological  works, 
between  knowledges  (cognitiones)  and  scientifics  (scientifica),  as  also  between  know- 
ing (cognoscere)  and  knowing  (scire).  It  may  be  expedient  to  remind  the  reader, 
that  the  terms  cognitiones  and  cognoscere  are  applied  by  the  author  in  reference 
exclusively  to  what  is  good  and  true,  whereas  the  terms  scientifica  and  scire  are 
applied  in  reference  to  all  other  subjects  of  science.  It  is  to  be  lamented  that  we 
have  no  terms  in  the  English  language  to  express  the  distinct  ideas  here  suggested 
by  the  Latin  cognoscere  and  scire. 


410 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


the  idolatrous  principle,  see  above,  n.  4825,  4826,  thus  the  Jew- 
ish religion,  which  was  respectively  idolatrous,  n.  4825.  Hence 
by  the  above  words,  "  until  Shelah  my  son  be  grown  up,"  is 
signified  until  the  time  that  the  Jewish  religion  can  receive  in- 
ternal things,  or  the  spiritual  and  celestial  things  of  the  repre- 
sentative church,  which  is  Tamar,  n.  4829,  4831,  4843. 

4846.  "  For  he  said." — That  hereby  is  signified  thought, 
appeai-s  from  the  signification  of  saying,  in  the  historical  of  the 
Word,  as  denoting  to  perceive,  and  also  to  think,  see  n.  1791, 
1815,  1819,  1822,  1898,  1919,  2080,  3395;  here  therefore  by 
"  he  said,"  is  signified  that  he  said  in  himself,  or  thought,  that 
Tamar  should  not  be  given  to  Shelah  his  son  for  a  woman ;  in 
the  internal  sense,  that  the  internals  of  the  representative  church 
should  be  alienated,  n.  4844. 

4847.  "  Lest  perad venture  he  die  also,  as  his  brethren."— 
That  hereby  is  signified  fear  lest  he  should  perish,  viz.,  the  rep- 
resentative of  a  church  which  was  amongst  the  posterity  de- 
scended from  Jacob,  and  specifically  which  Jacob  had  from 
Judah,  appears  from  the  signification  of  lest  per  adventure  he 
die,  as  denoting  fear  lest  he  should  perish.  In  regard  to  this 
circumstance,  that  the  representative  of  a  church,  which  was 
amongst  the  posterity  descended  from  Jacob,  would  perish,  if 
the  internal  things  of  a  genuine  representative  church  were 
adjoined  thereto,  the  case  is  this  :  a  representative  church,  such 
as  had  existed  amongst  the  ancients,  was  to  have  been  instituted 
amongst  the  posterity  descended  from  Jacob ;  but  that  nation 
was  of  such  a  quality,  that  they  were  willing  only  to  worship  and 
adore  external  things,  and  to  know  nothing  at  all  of  internal 
things ;  for  they  were  immersed  in  the  lusts  of  self-love  and 
the  love  of  the  world,  and  thence  in  falses.  They  believed 
more  than  the  Gentiles  that  there  were  several  gods,  but  that 
Jehovah  was  greater  than  them,  because  He  coidd  do  greater 
miracles ;  wherefore  as  soon  as  miracles  ceased,  and  also  when 
they  were  become  of  little  account  by  reason  of  their  being 
frequent  and  familiar,  they  instantly  turned  themselves  to  other 
gods,  as  may  appear  manifest  from  the  historical  and  pro- 
pheticals  of  the  Word.  Such  being  the  quality  of  that  na- 
tion, it  was  impossible  for  such  a  representative  church  as  had 
existed  with  the  ancients  to  be  instituted  amongst  them,  but 
only  the  representative  of  a  church ;  and  it  was  provided  by 
the  Lord,  that  somewhat  of  communication  with  heaven  might 
be  effected  thereby  ;  for  a  representative  may  be  given  amongst 
the  wicked,  because  it  does  not  respect  the  person,  but  the  thing. 
Hence  it  is  evident,  that  worship  in  regard  to  them  was  merely 
idolatrous,  n.  4825,  although  the  representatives  contained  holy 
divine  things:  with  such  idolatrous  worship,  the  internal  could 
not  be  conjoined ;  for  if  any  thing  internal  had  been  adjoined 
(that  is,  if  they  had  acknowledged  internal  things),  they  would 


4846—4849.]  GENESIS. 


411 


have  profaned  holy  things,  for  if  a  holy  internal  principle 
he  conjoined  with  an  idolatrous  external,  it  hecoines  profane ; 
hence  it  is  that  internal  things  were  not  discovered  to  that  na- 
tion, and  that  if  they  had  been  discovered  it  would  have  per- 
ished. That  the  Jewish  nation  could  not  receive  and  acknow- 
ledge internal  things,  howsoever  they  might  have  been  revealed 
to  them,  is  evident  from  what  is  observable  of  them  at  this  day  ; 
for  at  this  day  they  are  acquainted  with  internal  things,  inas- 
much as  they  live  amongst  Christians,  but  still  they  reject  and 
scoff  at  them  ;  several  likewise  of  those  who  have  become 
Christians,  do  the  same  at  heart.  From  these  considerations  it 
is  evident,  that  a  church  representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial 
things  was  not  instituted  amongst  that  nation,  but  only  the  rep- 
resentative of  a  church,  that  is,  an  external  without  an  internal, 
which  in  itself  is  idolatrous.  From  these  considerations  also  it 
may  be  seen  how  erroneously  those  Christians  think,  who  be- 
lieve that  in  the  end  of  the  church  the  Jewish  nation  will  be 
converted,  and  chosen  in  preference  to  the  Christians  ;  and  still 
more  they  who  believe  that  at  that  time  the  Messiah  or  the  Lord 
will  appear  to  them,  and  by  a  great  prophet  and  great  miracles 
will  bring  them  back  into  the  land  of  Canaan :  but  into  these 
errors  they  fall,  who  in  the  propheticals  of  the  Word,  by  Judah, 
Israel,  and  the  land  of  Canaan,  understand  them  to  be  meant 
literally,  consequently  who  believe  only  the  literal  sense,  and 
are  unconcerned  about  any  internal  sense. 

4848.  "And  Tamar  went  and  remained  in  her  father's 
house." — That  hereby  is  signified  alienation  from  himself,  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  remaining  a  widow  in  a  father's 
house,  as  denoting  alienation,  see  above,  n.  4844. 

4849.  Yerses  12,  13,  14.  And  the  days  were  multiplied, 
and  the  daughter  of  Shuah,  Judah' 's  wife,  died:  and  Judah  was 
comforted,  and  went  up  unto  the  shearers  of  his  flock,  he  and  his 
companion  Tlirah  the  Adullamite,  to  Timnath.  And  it  was  told 
Tamar,  saying,  Beliold,  th y  father-in-law  goeth  up  to  Timnath  to 
shear  his  flock.  A  nd  she  p  ut  off  the  garments  of  her  w  idowhood 
from  upon  her,  and  concealed  herself  with  a  veil,  and  covered 
herself,  and  sat  in  the  gate  of  the  fountains  lohich  is  on  the  way 
to  Timnath  /  for  she  saw  that  Shelah  was  grown  up,  and  she 
was  not  given  unto  him  for  a  woman.  And  the  days  were  mul- 
tiplied, signifies  a  change  of  state  :  and  the  daughter  of  Shuah 
died,  signifies  as  to  evil  derived  from  false :  the  wife  of  Judah, 
signifies  the  religious  principle  prevailing  in  the  nation  de- 
scended from  Jacob,  specifically  from  Judah :  and  Judah  was 
comforted,  signifies  rest :  and  went  up  unto  the  shearers  of  his 
flock,  signifies  somewhat  of  elevation  to  consult  for  the  church  : 
he  and  his  companion  Hirah  the  Adullamite,  signifies  that  still 
he  was  in  the  false  :  to  Timnath,  signifies  state  :  and  it  was  told 
Tamar,  saying,  signifies  somewhat  of  communication  with  the 


412 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


church  representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial  things  :  Behold, 
thy  father-in-law  goeth  up  to  Timnath  to  shear  his  nock,  signi- 
fies that  the  Jewish  church  was  willing  to  consult  for  itself :  and 
she  put  off  the  garments  of  her  widowhood  from  upon  her,  sig- 
nifies a  simulation  of  the  truth  which  is  from  good :  and  con- 
cealed herself  with  a  veil,  signifies  truth  obscured  :  and  covered 
herself,  signifies  thus  not  acknowledgd :  and  sat  in  the  gate 
of  the  fountains,  which  is  on  the  way  to  Timnath,  signifies  the 
intermediate  to  the  truths  of  the  church  and  to  falses :  for  she 
saw  that  Shelah  was  grown  up,  and  she  was  not  given  unto  him 
for  a  woman,  signifies  a  clear  view  that  she  could  not  otherwise 
be  conjoined  with  the  religious  principle  in  which  the  posterity 
descended  from  Jacob  was,  specifically  the  posterity  from  Judah. 

4850.  Ver.  12.  "And  the  days  were  multiplied." — That 
hereby  is  signified  change  of  state,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  the  days  heing  multiplied,  as  denoting  states  being 
changed  ;  for  in  the  internal  sense,  days  or  times  denote  state, 
see  n.  23,  487,  488,  893,  2788,  3462,  3785;  and  to  be  mul- 
tiplied, when  predicated  of  days  or  times,  denotes  to  be  changed  ; 
that  a  change  of  state  is  signified,  is  evident  also  from  what  fol- 
lows :  mention  is  made  of  being  multiplied,  because  it  involves 
a  change  of  state  as  to  truths,  for  multiplication  is  predicated 
of  truths,  see  n.  43,  53,  913,  983,  2846,  2847.  As  such  fre- 
quent mention  is  made  of  state,  and  also  of  change  of  state,  it 
may  be  expedient  to  explain  what  is  meant  thereby.  Neither 
time  and  process  of  time,  nor  yet  space  and  extension  of  space 
can  be  predicated  of  the  interiors  of  man,  viz.,  his  affections 
and  consequent  thoughts,  because  they  are  not  in  time,  nor  in 
place  (although  it  appears  before  the  senses  in  the  world  that 
they  are),  but  in  the  interior  principles  which  correspond  to 
time  and  place  ;  these  corresponding  principles  cannot  be  called 
by  any  other  name  than  states,  because  there  is  no  other  term 
whereby  they  may  be  expressed.  The  state  of  the  interiors  is 
said  to  be  changed,  when  the  mind  (mens)  or  mind  (animus)  is 
changed  as  to  its  affections  and  consequent  thoughts,  as  from 
sorrow  to  gladness,  and  again  from  gladness  to  sorrow,  from 
impiety  to  piety  or  devotion,  and  so  forth.  These  changes  are 
called  changes  of  state,  and  are  predicated  of  the  affections,  and 
of  the  thoughts  also,  so  far  as  they  are  governed  by  the  affec- 
tions ;  but  the  changes  of  the  state  of  the  thoughts  are  in  those 
of  the  affections  as  particulars  are  in  generals,  and  they  are 
respectively  variations 

4851.  "And  the  daughter  of  Shuah  died." — That  hereby  is 
signified  as  to  evil  derived  from  false,  appeal's  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  dying,  as  denoting  to  cease  to  be  such,  see  n.  494 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  daughter  of  Shuah,  as  de- 
noting evil  derived  from  false,  see  above,  n.  4818,  4819;  here 
therefore  by  the  daughter  of  Shuah  dying  after  multiplied  Jt 


4850—4855.] 


GENESIS. 


413 


more  clays,  is  signified  a  change  of  state  as  to  evil  derived  from 
false,  that  it  was  not  such  as  it  was  heretofore. 

4852.  "The  wife  of  Judah."— That  hereby  is  signified  the 
religious  principle  prevailing  in  the  nation  descended  from  Ja- 
cob, specifically  from  Judah,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  wife,  as  denoting  the  church,  see  n.  252,  253,  409,  749,  770; 
but  in  the  present  case,  it  denotes  a  religious  principle,  because 
the  subject  treated  of  is  the  Jewish  nation,  in  which  there 
was  not  a  church,  but  only  the  external  of  a  church  separate 
from  the  internal,  n.  4281,  4288,  4289,  4311,  4433,  4500,  4680, 
4825,  4844,  4847;  this  cannot  be  called  by  any  other  name  than 
somewhat  religious,*  for  they  were  capable  of  being  in  a  holy 
external,  and  altogether  without  a  holy  internal,  see  n.  4293. 
(2.)  From  the  representation  of  Judah,  as  denoting  the  nation 
descended  from  Jacob,  and  specifically  that  descended  from 
Judah,  see  above,  n.  4815,  4842. 

4853.  "  And  Judah  was  comforted,  and  went  up  unto  the 
shearers  of  his  flock." — That  hereby  is  signified  somewhat  of 
elevation  to  consult  for  the  church,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  going  up,  as  denoting  to  be  elevated,  viz.,  from  what 
is  exterior  to  what  is  interior,  see  n.  3084,  4539 ;  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  a  shearer,  as  denoting  use,  n.  4110,  thus  to  will 
or  consult  for  use;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  flock,  as 
denoting  the  church,  see  n.  343,  3767,  3768,  3772. 

4854.  "He  and  his  companion  Hirah  the  Adullamite." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  that  still  he  was  in  the  false,  appears 
from  the  representation  of  Ilirah  the  Adullamite,  as  denoting 
the  false,  see  above,  n.  4816,  4817  ;  when  therefore  he  is  said  to 
be  his  companion,  thereby  is  signified  that  the  false  was  adjoined 
to  him,  or  that  he  was  still  in  the  false. 

4855.  "  To  Timnath." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  state 
in  which  he  was  of  consulting  for  the  church,  is  evident  from 
the  book  of  Judges,  where  Samson  went  down  to  Timnath,  and 
took  there  a  woman  of  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines,  xiv.  1, 
2,  3,  4,  7 ;  where  by  Timnath  in  like  manner  is  signified  a  state 
of  consulting  for  the  church  ;  the  woman,  whom  he  took  from 
the  daughters  of  the  Philistines,  in  the  representative  sense,  is 
truth  from  what  is  not  good,  thus  truth  obscured,  which  is  here 
also  now  represented  by  Timnath ;  for  the  Philistines  are  they 
who  are  in  the  doctrinals  of  faith,  and  not  in  a  life  according 
thereto,  n.  1197, 1198,  3412,  3413  ;  moreover,  Timnath  is  named 
amongst  the  places  of  inheritance  for  the  tribes  of  Dan,  Josh. 

*The  term  religious  (religiosum),  here  used  by  the  author,  appears  to  be  ap- 
plied by  him  in  a  bad  sense,  as  denoting  something  only  externally  or  apparently 
religious,  but  not  so  internally  or  in  reality,  and  consequently  only  superstitious ; 
in  which  sense  it  is  occasionally  applied  by  Latin  writers.  The  reader  is  re- 
quested to  attend  to  this  sense  of  the  term,  as  it  occurs  in  the  subsequent  part! 
of  this  chapter. 


414 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


xix.  43.  All  the  names  of  places  in  the  "Word  signify  things 
and  states ;  see  n.  1224,  1264, 1888,  3422,  4298,  4442. 

4856.  Ver.  13.  "  And  it  was  told  Tamar,  saying."— That 
hereby  is  signified  somewhat  of  communication  with  the  church 
representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  being  told,  as  denoting  apperception,  n.  3608, 
thus  communication;  in  the  present  case  somewhat  of  commu- 
nication ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Tamar,  as  denoting 
a  church  representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  see  n. 
4829,  4831 ;  mention  is  made  of  communication  with  this 
church,  when  the  state  was  changed,  and  at  the  same  time  there 
was  somewhat  of  elevation  to  consult  for  the  church,  see  above, 
n.  4850,  4853. 

4857.  "Behold,  thy  father-in-law  goeth  up  to  Timnath  to 
shear  his  flock." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  the  Jewish 
church  was  willing  to  consult  for  itself,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
representation  of  Judah,  as  denoting  the  church  established 
with  the  nation  descended  from  Jacob,  specifically  in  Judah, 
see  n.  4815,  4842,  4852,  who  is  here  called  father-in-law,  be- 
cause there  was  somewhat  of  communication  with  the  church 
representative  of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  which  is  here 
the  daughter-in-law;  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  going  up,  as 
denoting  somewhat  of  elevation,  see  just  above,  4853  ;  and  (3.) 
from  the  signification  of  shearing  the  flock,  as  denoting  to  con- 
sult for  the  church,  see  above,  n.  4853  ;  the  state  of  consulting 
for  the  church  is  Timnath,  n.  4855.  That  this  is  the  internal 
sense  contained  in  these  words,  cannot  possibly  appear  from  the 
letter;  for  in  reading  the  above  passage,  the  mind  thinks  of 
Judah,  of  Timnath,  and  of  shearing  the  nock,  but  not  of  spiritual 
things,  which  are  separate  from  person,  place,  and  worldly  use; 
nevertheless,  the  angels,  as  they  are  in  spiritual  tilings,  have  no 
other  perception  from  the  above  words  than  that  which  has 
been  described ;  for  when  the  literal  sense  passes  into  the 
spiritual,  such  things  as  relate  to  person,  place,  and  the  world, 
perish,  and  are  succeeded  by  those  which  relate  to  the  church, 
its  state,  and  use  performed  therein.  It  appears  indeed  in- 
credible that  this  should  be  the  case;  but  the  reason  is,  because 
so  long  as  man  lives  in  the  world,  he  thinks  from  the  natural 
and  worldly  things  which  are  therein,  and  not  from  spiritual 
and  celestial  things  ;  and  they  who  are  immersed  in  corporeal 
and  terrestrial  things  do  not  know  that  there  is  any  thing  spiritual 
and  celestial,  and  still  less  that  spiritual  and  celestial  are  dis- 
tinct from  worldly  and  natural  things  ;  when  yet  they  are  dis- 
tinct, as  the  spirit  of  man  is  distinct  from  his  body  ;  neither  do 
they  know  that  the  spiritual  sense  lives  in  the  natural  sense,  as 
the  spirit  of  man  in  his  body,  and  also  that  the  spiritual  sense  in 
like  manner  survives  when  the  natural  sense  perishes,  whence 
the  internal  sense  may  be  called  the  soul  of  the  Word. 


4S5G— 4S59.] 


GENESIS. 


415 


4858.  Ver.  14.  "  And  she  put  off  the  garments  of  her 
widowhood  from  upon  her." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  sin  il- 
lation of  the  truth  which  is  from  good,  appears  from  the  signi- 
fication of  widow,  as  denoting  those  who  are  in  truth  without 
good,  and  still  desire  to  be  led  by  good,  see  n.  4844 ;  the  gar- 
ments with  which  widows  were  clad,  represented  such  truth, 
because  garments  signify  truths,  n.  2576,  4545,  4703  ;  hence,  to 
put  off  those  garments,  is  to  lay  aside  the  representation  of  a 
widow,  that  is,  of  truth  without  good;  and,  because  she  con- 
cealed herself  with  a  veil,  to  assume  a  simulation  of  the  truth 
which  is  from  good. 

4859.  "And  concealed  herself  with  a  veil." — That  hereby 
is  signified  truth  obscured,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
concealing  herself,  or  her  face,  with  a  veil,  as  denoting  to  hide, 
and  thereby  to  obscure  the  truth  which  she  pretended  was  from 
good,  as  just  above,  n.  4858;  and  this  for  the  sake  of  conjunc- 
tion with  Judah.  For  when  brides  first  came  to  the  bridegroom, 
they  concealed  themselves  with  a  veil ;  as  it  is  written  of  Re- 
becca, when  she  came  to  Isaac,  Gen.  xxiv.  65,  by  which  were 
signified  the  appearances  of  truth,  see  n.  3207 ;  for  a  wife  sig- 
nifies truth,  and  a  husband  good ;  and  whereas  truth  does  not 
appear  such  as  it  is,  until  it  is  conjoined  to  its  good,  therefore, 
for  the  sake  of  representing  that  circumstance,  brides  on  first 
seeing  .the  husband  covered  themselves  with  a  veil.  Tamar 
acted  in  like  manner  on  the  present  occasion,  for  she  considered 
Judah's  sonShelah  as  her  husband,  but  as  she  was  not  given  to 
him,  she  considered  his  father  in  his  place  as  the  person  who 
should  perform  the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother,  therefore  she 
concealed  herself  with  a  veil  as  a  bride,  but  not  as  a  whore; 
although  Judah  believed  the  latter,  because  whores  at  that  time 
were  wont  to  cover  their  faces  in  like  manner,  as  is  evident  from 
verse  15.  The  reason  why  Judah  considered  her  as  such,  was, 
because  the  Jewish  nation,  which  is  there  signified  by  Judah, 
regarded  the  internal  truths  of  the  representative  church  no 
otherwise  than  as  a  whore;  wherefore  also  Judah  was  conjoined 
with  her  as  with  a  whore,  but  not  so  Tamar  with  him.  As  in- 
ternal truths  could  not  possibly  appear  otherwise  to  that  nation, 
therefore  here,  by  her  concealing  herself  with  a  veil,  is  signified 
truth  obscured.  And  that  the  truth  of  the  church  is  obscured 
to  them,  is  represented  also  at  this  day  by  their  covering  them- 
selves with  veils  in  their  synagogues.  The  like  was  also  repre- 
sented by  Moses,  when  the  skin  of  his  face  shone,  in  descending 
from  Mount  Sinai,  that  he  covered  himself  with  a  veil  as  often 
as  he  spake  with  the  people,  Exod.  xxxiv.  28  to  the  end.  Moses 
represented  the  Word,  which  is  called  the  law,  see  the  preface 
to  Genesis  xviii.,  wherefore  sometimes  it  is  said  the  law  and  the 
prophets,  as  Matt.  v.  17  ;  xi.  13  ;  xxii.  40  ;  and  sometimes  Moses 
and  the  prophets,  as  Luke  xvi.  29,  31 ;  xxiv.  27,  44 ;  by  the 


416 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


shining  of  the  skin  of  his  face,  was  represented  the  internal  oi 
the  Word,  for  the  face  is  the  internal,  n.  358, 1999,  2434,  3527 
4066,  4796,  4797,  for  that,  as  heing  spiritual,  is  in  the  light  of 
heaven  ;  his  veiling  his  face  as  often  as  he  spake  with  the  people, 
represented  that  internal  truth  was  covered  to  them,  and  so 
obscured  that  they  could  not  endure  any  thing  of  light  thence 
derived. 

4860.  "And  covered  herself." — That  hereby  is  signified 
thus  it  was  not  acknowledged,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  covering,  as  denoting  to  hide,  thus  not  to  be  acknowledged ; 
see  what  was  said  just  above,  n.  4859. 

4861.  "And  sat  in  the  gate  of  the  fountains  which  is  on  the 
way  to  Timnath." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  intermediate  to 
the  truths  of  the  church  and  to  falses,  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  fountains,  as  denoting  the  truths  of  the  church  which 
are  from  the  Word ;  for  fountain,  in  the  universal  sense,  is  the 
Word,  see  n.  2702,  3096,  3424;  in  the  gate  thereof,  denotes  in 
the  entrance  to  those  truths ;  and  whereas  the  external  truths, 
which  are  of  the  letter  of  the  Word,  afford  an  entrance,  they 
are  the  gate ;  which  truths,  unless  they  be  illustrated  by  in- 
ternal truths,  that  is,  by  those  which  are  of  the  internal  sense, 
present  falses  with  those  who  are  in  evil ;  wherefore,  by  the 
gate  of  the  fountains,  is  here  signified  the  intermediate  to  the 
truths  of  the  church  and  to  falses.  On  the  way  to  Timnath, 
denotes  to  the  use  of  the  church,  for  Timnath  is  a  state  of  con- 
sulting for  the  church,  n.  4855,  4857. 

4862.  "For  she  saw  that  Shelah  was  grown  up,  and  she 
was  not  given  unto  him  for  a  woman." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified a  clear  view  that  she  could  not  otherwise  be  conjoined 
with  the  religious  principle  in  which  the  posterity  descended 
from  Jacob  was,  specifically  the  posterity  from  Judah,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  seeing,  as  denoting  a  clear  view,  see 
n.  2150,  2325,  3764,  3863,  4403  to  4421 ;  the  reason  why  it  is  a 
clear  view  that  she  could  not  otherwise  be  conjoined  with  the 
religious  principle  which  prevailed  with  the  posterity  descended 
from  Jacob,  specifically  with  the  posterity  from  Judah,  is,  be- 
cause by  Judah  that  posterity  is  signified,  see  n.  4S15,  4842, 
4852,  consequently  the  religious  principle  prevailing  amongst 
them,  to  which  she  was  conjoined,  because  she  could  not  be 
conjoined  with  Shelah  ;  by  Slielah  also  is  represented  the  idol- 
atrous, n.  4825,  4S26,  4S45,  with  which  the  truth  of  the  repre- 
sentative church,  which  is  Tamar,  could  not  be  conjoined. 

4863.  Verses  15  to  18.  And  Judah  saio  her,  and  regarded 
her  as  a  harlot;  because  sJie  had  covered  her  faces.  And  he 
turned  aside  unto  her  to  the  way,  and  said,  Grant,  I  pray  thee, 
that  I  may  come  in  unto  thee  :  (for  he  hiew  not  that  she  was 
his  daughter-in-law.)  And  she  said,  What  dost  thou  give  me, 
that  thou  ?nayest  come  in  unto  me  t    And  he  said,  I  will  send 


4860— 4864.] 


OEXESIS. 


417 


a  kid  of  the  goats  of  the  flock.  And  she  said,  If  thou  vrilt 
give  me  a  pledge  till  thou  se?id.  And  he  said,  What  pledge  shall 
I  give  thee  ?  And  she  said,  Thy  signet,  thy  pannicle,  and  thy 
staff  which  is  in  thy  hand  ;  and  he  gave  them,  to  her,  and  came 
in  unto  her :  and  she  conceived  to  him.  And  Judah  saw  her, 
signifies  how  the  religions  principle  of  the  Jewish  nation  at 
that  time  considered  the  internals'  of  the  representative  church  : 
and  lie  regarded  her  as  a  harlot,  signifies  no  otherwise  than  as 
the  false  :  because  she  had  covered  her  faces,  signifies  that  inte- 
rior things  were  hidden  from  them :  and  he  turned  aside  unto 
her  to  the  way,  signifies  that  he  applied  himself  as  being  such  : 
and  he  said,  Grant,  I  pray  thee,  that  I  may  come  in  unto  thee, 
signifies  the  lust  of  conjunction  :  for  he  knew  not  that  she  was 
his  daughter-in-law,  signifies  that  he  did  not  perceive  it  to  be- 
the  truth  of  the  representative  church  :  and  she  said,  AVhat  dost 
thou  give  me,  that  thou  mayest  come  in  unto  me?  signifies  a 
reciprocal  principle  of  conjunction  with  condition  :  and  he  said, 
I  will  send  a  kid  of  the  goats  of  the  flock,  signifies  a  pledge  of 
conjunction :  and  she  said,  If  thou  wilt  give  me  a  pledge  till 
thou  send,  signifies  a  reciprocal  principle  in  case  of  certainty ; 
and  he  said,  What  pledge  shall  I  give  thee  ?  signifies  that  it 
was  certain :  and  she  said,  Thy  signet,  signifies  a  token  of  con- 
sent :  thy  pannicle,  signifies  by  truth :  and  thy  staff  which  is 
in  thy  hand,  signifies  by  its  power :  and  he  gave  them  to  her, 
signifies  thus  it  was  certain :  and  came  in  unto  her,  signifies 
conjunction  :  and  she  conceived  to  him,  signifies  thereby  re- 
reption. 

4864.  Yer.  15.  ''And  Judah  saw  her." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified, how  the  religious  principle  of  the  Jewish  nation  at  that 
time  considered  the  internals  of  the  representative  church,  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  seeing,  as  denoting  to  per- 
ceive and  understand,  see  n.  2150,  2325,  2807,  3764,  3863,  thus 
to  consider ;  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  Tamar,  who  in  this 
case  is  her,  as  denoting  a  church  representative  of  spiritual  and 
celestial  things,  see  n.  4829,  4831,  in  the  present  case  the  inter- 
nal of  that  church,  because  it  is  the  subject  treated  of,  how  it 
was  considered  and  received  by  the  religious  principle  of  the 
Jewish  nation ;  and  (3.)  from  the  representation  of  Judah,  as 
denoting  specifically  the  Jewish  nation,  see  n.  4815,  4842,  con- 
sequently its  religious  principle;  for  where  mention  is  made  of 
a  nation  in  the  Word,  in  the  internal  sense  is  meant  what  re- 
lates to  the  church  thereof ;  for  the  internal  sense  is  not  at  all 
concerned  about  the  memoirs  and  historical  transactions  relat- 
ing to  any  nation,  but  only  about  its  quality  as  to  those  things 
which  regard  the  church.  Hence  it  is  evident  that  by  Judah 
seeing  her,  is  signified  the  manner  in  which  the  religious  prin- 
ciple of  the  Jewish  church  at  that  time  considered  the  internals 
of  the  representative  church. 

vox.  v.  27 


413 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvffj. 


4865.  "  And  he  regarded  her  as  a  harlot." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  he  considered  her  no  otherwise  than  as  the 
false,  appears  from  the  signification  of  harlot,  as  denoting  the 
false,  see  n.  2466,  2729,  3399,  thus  that  the  Jewish  nation  from 
their  religious  principle  considers  the  internal  of  the  church 
no  otherwise  than  as  false.  A  harlot  denotes  the  false,  because 
a  marriage  represents  the  heavenly  marriage  of  good  and  truth, 
the  husband  is  the  good,  and  the  wife  the  truth,  and  hence 
sons  represent  truths,  and  daughters  goods,  and  son-in-law  and 
daughter-in-law,  father-in-law  and  mother-in-law,  with  the  seve- 
ral affinities  according  to  their  degrees,  represent  those  things 
which  are  of  the  heavenly  marriage  ;  therefore  as  adulteries 
and  harlotries  are  opposite,  they  signify  evil  and  false.  They 
•are  opposite  in  reality,  for  they  who  spend  their  lives  in  adul- 
tery and  harlotry,  have  no  concern  at  all  about  good  and  truth; 
the  reason  is,  because  genuine  conjugial  love  descends  from  the 
heavenly  marriage  of  good  and  truth  ;  but  adulteries  and  har- 
lotries from  the  conjunction  of  evil  and  the  false,  which  is  from 
hell ;  sec  n.  2727  to  2759.  That  the  Jewish  nation  considered, 
and  also  at  this  day  considers  the  internal  things  of  the  church 
no  otherwise  than  as  falses,  is  what  is  signified  by  Judah's  re- 
garding Tamar  his  daughter-in-law  no  otherwise  than  as  a  har- 
lot, and  by  his  conjoining  himself  with  her  as  with  a  harlot; 
by  the  origin  of  that  nation  being  such,  is  represented  whence 
their  religious  principle  originated,  and  its  quality.  That  this 
nation  considers  the  internal  of  the  church  as  a  harlot,  or  as 
false,  is  very  evident;  as  for  example,  if  any  one  should  tell 
them  that  the  internal  of  the  church  is  that  the  Messiah,  who 
is  predicted  in  the  propheticals  of  the  Word,  and  whom  there- 
fore they  expect,  is  the  Lord,  this  they  altogether  reject,  as 
false.  If  any  one  should  tell  them,  that  the  internal  of 
the  church  is  that  the  Messiah's  kingdom  is  not  worldly  and 
temporal,  but  heavenly  and  eternal,  this  also  they  pronounce 
to  be  false.  If  any  one  should  tell  them,  that  the  rituals  of 
their  church  represented  the  Messiah  and  His  heavenly  king- 
dom, they  do  not  know  what  this  means.  If  any  one  should 
tell  them,  that  the  internal  of  the  church  is  the  good  cf  charity 
and  the  truth  of  faith,  in  doctrine  and  life  together,  they  re- 
gard this  no  otherwise  than  as  false ;  in  like  manner  in  all  other 
cases  ;  yea,  at  the  bare  suggestion  that  the  church  has  an  in- 
ternal, they  affect  a  stupid  smile.  The  reason  is,  because  they 
are  solely  in  externals,  and  indeed  in  the  lowest  of  externals, 
viz.,  the  love  of  earthly  things ;  for  above  all  other  men  they 
are  immersed  in  avarice,  which  is  altogether  earthly.  Persons 
of  such  a  character  cannot  possibly  have  any  other  views  of 
the  interior  things  of  the  church,  for  they  are  more  remote 
from  heavenly  light  than  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  thus  more 
immersed  in  thick  darkness. 


4865—4868.] 


GENESIS. 


419 


4866.  "  Because  she  had  covered  her  faces." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  interior  things  were  hidden  from  them,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  representation  of  Tamar,  as  denoting  the  repre- 
sentative church,  see  n.  4829,  4831 ;  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  covering,  as  denoting  to  be  hidden ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  faces,  as  denoting  internal  things,  see  n.  358,  1999, 
2434,  3527,  3573,  4066,  4326,  4796  to  4799.  Hence  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  by  covering  her  faces,  is  signified  that  the  interior 
things  of  the  church  are  hidden  from  them  ;  see  above,  n.  4859, 
4865. 

4867.  Ver.  16.  "And  he  turned  aside  unto  her  to  the  way." 
—  That  hereby  is  signified  that  he  applied  himself  as  being 
such,  appears  from  the  representation  of  way,  as  denoting  truth, 
see  n.  627,  2333,  3123,  3142,  3477,  thus  in  the  opposite  sense 
the  false ;  in  the  present  case  the  false,  because  he  regarded 
her  as  a  harlot,  by  whom  the  false  is  signified,  as  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  4865 ;  on  this  account  also  it  is  said  that  he  turned 
aside  to  the  way,  for  to  turn  aside  is  predicated  of  the  false, 
n.  4815,  4816. 

4868.  "And  he  said,  Grant,  I  pray  thee,  that  I  may  come 
in  unto  thee." — That  hereby  is  signified  the  lust  of  conjunction, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  coming  or  entering-in  to  any 
one,  as  denoting  to  be  conjoined,  see  n.  4820;  that  it  denotes 
lust,  such  as  that  of  conjunction  with  a  harlot,  is  evident;  in 
the  internal  sense,  with  the  false.  That  the  Jewish  nation, 
which  is  here  signified  by  Judah  (n.  4815,  4842,  4864),  con- 
sidered the  internal  truth  of  the  representative  church  no 
otherwise  than  as  false,  and  at  this  day  so  considers  it,  may  be 
seen  above,  in  n.  4865  ;  the  subject  now  treated  of  in  this  pas- 
sage is,  that  still  this  nation  conjoined  itself  with  truth,  yet  not 
as  with  a  wife,  but  as  with  a  harlot,  that  is,  not  as  with  truth, 
but  as  with  the  false  ;  lust  is  predicated  of  conjunction  with  the 
false,  as  of  conjunction  with  a  harlot.  All  they  conjoin  them- 
selves with  internal  truth  as  with  a  harlot,  who  believe  only  the 
external  or  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  and  entirely  reject  all  its 
internal  or  spiritual  sense ;  but  principally  they  who  apply  the 
external  or  literal  sense  of  the  Word  to  favour  the  lusts  of  self- 
love  and  the  love  of  the  world,  or  the  lusts  of  rule  and  gain  ; 
they  who  do  this,  cannot  possibly  view  internal  truth  in  any 
other  manner  than  as  above  described,  and  if  they  conjoin 
themselves  with  it,  they  do  it  from  lust,  like  that  of  conjunc- 
tion witli  a  harlot.  This  is  done  especially  by  those  who  are 
of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  also  by  those  who  in  the  Word  are 
meant  by  Babylon  ;  but  not  by  those  who  indeed  believe  in 
simplicity  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word,  and  yet  live  according 
to  those  things  which  are  of  the  internal  sense,  viz.,  in  love  and 
charity,  and  thence  in  faith,  for  these  principles  are  of  the  in- 
ternal sense  of  the  Word ;  neither  by  those  who  teach  these 


420 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


principles  from  the  literal  sense ;  for  the  internal  and  external 
senses  agree  in  these  two  precepts,  that  every  one  ought  to  love 
the  Lord  ahove  all  things,  and  his  neighbour  as  himself.  That 
the  Jewish  nation  regards  internal  truth  as  a  harlot,  and  if  it 
conjoins  itself  therewith,  that  it  does  so  from  lust  as  of  con- 
junction with  a  harlot,  may  be  illustrated  by  the  following 
cases.  If  they  are  told  that  the  Word  is  holy,  yea,  even  most 
holy,  also  that  every  tittle  therein  is  holy,  they  acknowledge 
it,  and  conjoin  themselves,  but  from  a  principle  of  lust,  as 
above  described  ;  for  they  believe  it  holy  in  the  letter,  and  not 
that  a  holy  principle  flows-in  through  the  holy  of  the  letter, 
with  those  who  are  in  the  affection  of  good  and  of  truth  whilst 
they  read  it.  Again,  if  they  are  told  that  several  who  are 
named  in  the  Word  are  to  be  venerated  as  saints,  as  Abraham, 
Isaac,  Jacob,  Moses,  Aaron,  David,  they  acknowledge  it  and 
conjoin  themselves,  but  from  a  like  lust ;  for  they  believe  that 
those  persons  were  chosen  in  preference  to  others,  and  are 
thence  holy,  and  on  this  account  are  to  be  worshipped  as 
deities  ;  when  yet  they  have  nothing  of  holiness  from  any  other 
source  than  this,  that  they  represented  the  Lord,  and  a  repre- 
sentative holiness  does  not  at  all  affect  the  person  ;  and  more- 
over, the  respective  life  of  every  one  without  distinction  re- 
mains with  him  after  death.  Again,  if  they  are  told  that  the 
ark,  which  they  had  in  their  possession,  the  temple,  the  altar  of 
burnt-offering,  the  altar  of  incense,  the  bread  upon  the  table, 
the  candlestick  with  the  lights,  the  perpetual  fire,  the  sacrifices, 
the  perfumes,  the  oil,  also  the  garments  of  Aaron,  especially 
the  breastplate  on  which  was  the  Urim  and  Thummini,  were 
holy,  they  acknowledge  it  and  conjoin  themselves,  but  from 
the  lust  above  described  ;  for  they  believe  those  things  to  have 
been  holy  in  themselves,  thus  that  the  wood,  the  stone,  the  gold, 
the  silver,  the  bread,  the  fire,  were  holy,  and  this  interiorly,  be- 
cause Jehovah  was  in  them,  or  that  the  holiness  of  Jehovah 
applied  to  them  was  actually  in  them.  This  is  their  internal 
truth,  which  yet  is  respectively  false ;  for  a  holy  principle  is 
only  in  good  and  truth,  which  is  from  the  Lord  in  love  to  Him 
and  in  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  and  thence  in  faith  ;  con- 
sequently in  none  but  in  living  subjects,  that  is,  in  men  who 
receive  those  principles  from  the  Lord.  Again,  if  they  are  told 
that  the  Christian  church  is  one  with  the  church  which  was 
instituted  amongst  them,  but  that  it  is  internal,  whereas  this 
latter  was  external,  so  that  when  the  church  instituted  amongst 
them  is  divested  of  its  externals,  and  stripped  naked,  the 
Christian  church  appears,  this  they  do  not  acknowledge  any 
otherwise  than  as  a  harlot,  that  is,  as  false  ;  nevertheless  severa. 
of  them,  who  are  converted  from  Judaism  to  Christianity,  con- 
join themselves  with  that  truth,  but  also  from  the  lust  above 
described.    Such  things  in  the  Word  are  frequently  called 


4869—4873.] 


GENESIS. 


421 


whoredoms.  Those  who  are  signified  in  the  "Word  by  Babylon, 
have  like  views  of  the  internal  truths  of  the  church  ;  but  as 
they  are  acquainted  with  internal  things,  and  acknowledge 
them  in  childhood,  yet  deny  them  in  adult  age,  they  are  de- 
scribed in  the  AVord  by  filthy  adulteries  and  heinous  copula- 
tions ;  for  they  are  profanations. 

4869.  "  For  he  knew  not  that  she  was  his  daughter-in-law." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  that  he  did  not  perceive  it  to  be  the 
truth  of  the  representative  church,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  daughter-in-law,  as  denoting  the  truth  of  the  church 
adjoined  to  its  good,  see  n.  4843.  The  truth  of  the  representa- 
tive church  is  signified,  because  by  Tamar,  who  in  this  case  is 
the  daughter-in-law,  is  represented  a  church  representative  of 
spiritual  and  celestial  things,  n.  4829,  4831  ;  on  this  subject  see 
what  was  shown  above,  n.  4865,  4866,  4868. 

4870.  "And  she  said,  AVhat  dost  thou  give  me,  that  thou 
mayest  come  in  unto  me  ?"■ — That  hereby  is  signified  a  recipro- 
cal principle  of  conjunction  with  condition,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  coming  in  unto  me,  as  denoting  conjunction, 
see  n.  4820,  4S68 ;  that  it  is  a  reciprocal  principle  with  condi- 
tion, is  evident  without  explanation. 

4871.  Ver.  17.  "  And  he  said,  I  will  send  a  kid  of  the 
goats  of  the  flock." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  pledge  of  con- 
junction, appears  from  the  signification  of  a  kid  of  the  goats,  as 
denoting  the  innocence  of  the  external  or  natural  man,  see  n. 
3519  ;  and  inasmuch  as  it  is  innocence,  it  is  a  pledge  of  con- 
jugial  love,  or  of  conjunction,  for  genuine  conjugiul  love  is  in- 
nocence, see  n.  2736.  Hence  it  was  a  received  custom  amongst 
the  ancients,  when  they  went  in  anew  to  their  wives,  to  send 
before  a  kid  of  the  goats  ;  as  is  also  manifest  from  what  is  re- 
lated of  Samson,  in  the  book  of  Judges,  "It  came  to  pass  after 
days,  in  the  days  of  wheat  harvest,  that  Samson  visited  his 
wife  with  a  hid  of  the  goats  /  for  he  said,  I  will  go  in  to  my 
wife  into  the  chamber,"  xv.  1 ;  in  like  manner  in  the  present 
case,  but  as  the  promised  kid  of  the  goats  was  not  to  be  ac- 
cepted, Tamar  required  a  pawn.  It  is  said  a  pledge  of  con- 
junction, not  a  conjugial  pledge,  because  on  the  part  of  Judah 
it  was  such  conjunction  as  has  place  with  a  harlot. 

4872.  "And  she  said,  If  thou  wilt  give  me  a  pledge  till 
thou  send." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  reciprocal  principle  in 
case  of  certainty,  appears  from  what  Tamar  said  above,  "  AVhat 
dost  thou  give  me,  that  thou  mayest  come  in  unto  me?"  as  de- 
noting a  reciprocal  principle  of  conjunction  with  condition,  n. 
4870  ;  in  the  present  case  a  reciprocal  principle  in  case  of  cer- 
tainty, because  a  pledge  was  for  the  sake  of  certainty,  that  the 
promise  might  be  granted. 

4873.  Ver.  18.  "And  he  said,  AVhat  pledge  shall  I  give 
thee?" — That  hereby  is  signified  that  it  was  certain,  appears 


422 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii 


from  the  signification  of  a  pledge,  as  denoting  thence  certainty, 
see  above,  n.  4872  ;  that  it  is  certain,  appears  also  from  what 
now  follows,  that  the  pledge  was  given. 

4874.  "  And  she  said,  Thy  signet." — That  hereby  is  signified 
a  token  of  consent,  appears  from  the  signification  of  a  signet,  as 
denoting  a  token  of  consent  ;  the  reason  of  this  signification  is, 
because  in  ancient  times  decrees  were  confirmed  by  a  signet  (or 
seal) ;  wherefore  by  the  signet,  the  confirmation  itself  is  prop- 
erly signified,  and  testification  that  it  was  so.  Tamar's  asking 
for  his  signet,  his  pannicle,  and  staff,  as  a  pawn  that  the  kid  of 
the  goats  might  be  sent,  which  afterwards  she  did  not  accept, 
involves  an  arcanum  which  cannot  possibly  be  known  without 
the  internal  sense ;  the  arcanum  is,  inasmuch  as  the  kids  of 
the  goats  signified  the  genuine  conjugial  principle,  consequently 
an  internal  principle  (for  every  genuine  principle  is  at  the  same 
time  internal),  which  was  not  on  the  part  of  Judah,  therefore 
neither  did  she  accept  the  kid  of  the  goats,  as  is  evident  from 
the  sequel ;  but  instead  thereof  she  assumed  an  external  prin- 
ciple, with  which  the  internal  of  the  church,  signified  by  Tamar, 
might  be  conjoined;  the  external  of  the  church  is  signified  by 
the  signet,  the  pannicle,  and  the  staff ;  by  the  signet,  the  con- 
sent itself ;  by  the  pannicle,  external  truth  ;  and  by  the  staff, 
the  power  of  that  truth  ;  those  things  also  are  pledges  of  the 
conjunction  of  the  external  or  natural  man.  The  conjunction 
of  internal  truth  with  the  external,  or  with  the  religious  prin- 
ciple of  the  Jewish  nation,  is  represented  by  the  conjunction 
of  Tamar  with  Judah,  as  of  the  daughter-in-law  with  the  father- 
in-law  under  pretext  of  fulfilling  the  duty  of  the  husband's 
brother;  and  the  conjunction  of  the  religious  principle  of  the 
Jewish  nation  with  the  internal  of  the  church,  is  represented  by 
the  conjunction  of  Judah  with  Tamar  as  with  a  harlot.  The 
conjunctions  also  are  of  a  nature  similar  to  those  by  which  they 
are  represented ;  but  their  quality  cannot  be  so  well  explained 
to  the  apprehension  ;  it  is  manifest  clearly  before  the  angels 
and  good  spirits,  for  it  is  presented  to  them  in  the  light  of 
heaven,  in  which  the  arcana  of  the  Word  appear  evident  as  in 
clear  day  ;  it  is  otherwise  in  the  light  of  the  world  with  man  ;  a 
few  words  therefore  must  suffice  on  the  subject.  The  represent- 
atives, instituted  amongst  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  Avere  not  ex- 
actly similar  to  those  instituted  in  the  ancient  church  ;  they 
were  for  the  most  part  similar  to  those  which  prevailed  in  the 
church  instituted  by  Eber,  which  was  called  the  Hebrew  church: 
in  this  were  several  new  kinds  of  worship,  such  as  burnt-offer- 
ings and  sacrifices,  which  were  unknown  in  the  ancient  church, 
besides  others  ;  the  internal  of  the  church  was  not  so  conjoined 
with  these  representatives,  as  with  those  of  the  ancient  church  ; 
but  how  the  internal  of  the  church  was  conjoined  with  the 
representatives  instituted  amongst  the  Jewish  nation,  and  how 


±874— 4876.] 


GENESIS. 


423 


the  latter  were  in  their  turn  conjoined  with  the  internal  of  the 
church,  is  described  in  the  internal  sense  by  the  conjunction  of 
Tamar  with  Judah,  as  a  daughter-in-law  with  a  father-in-law, 
under  pretext  of  fulfilling  the  duty  of  a  husband's  brother,  and 
by  the  conjunction  of  Judah  with  Tamar  as  with  a  harlot. 
Concerning  the  Hebrew  church,  see  n.  1238,  1241,  1327,  1343, 
3031,  4510,  4517  ;  and  that  the  sacrifices  in  this  church  were 
not  in  the  ancient  church,  n.  923,  1128,  1343,  2180,  2818. 

4875.  "  Thy  pannicle." — That  hereby  is  signified  by  truth, 
viz.,  a  token  of  consent,  appears  from  the  signification  of  pan- 
nicle* as  denoting  truth.  A  pannicle  denotes  truth  because 
it  is  amongst  the  things  which  have  relation  to  garments  ;  and 
by  garments  in  general  are  signified  truths,  for  as  garments 
clothe  the  flesh,  so  truths  clothe  good,  n.  297,  2132,  2576,  4545, 
4763  ;  therefore  amongst  the  ancients,  every  thing  with  which 
they  were  clad  signified  some  special  and  particular  truth ; 
hence  the  under  garment  {tunica)  signified  one  truth,  the  upper 
garment  [chlamys)  another,  the  uppermost  garment  {toga)  an- 
other, the  coverings  of  the  head  also,  as  the  cap  and  turban, 
another  ;  the  coverings  of  the  thighs  and  feet  likewise,  as 
breeches  and  hose,  another,  and  so  forth ;  but  the  pannicle  sig- 
nified outermost  or  lowest  truth  ;  it  was  made  of  threads  twisted 
together,  by  which  are  signified  the  determinations  of  such 
truth.  The  pannicle  also  signifies  such  truth  in  this  passage  in 
Moses,  "  Every  open  vessel,  upon  which  there  is  not  a,  pannicle 
for  a  covering,  it  is  unclean,"  Numb.  xix.  15  ;  whereby  was  sig- 
nified that  nothing  should  be  indeterminate,  for  whatsoever  is 
indeterminate  is  open  ;  there  are  also  outermost  truths,  to  which 
interior  truths  are  determined,  and  in  which  they  terminate. 

4876.  "  And  thy  staff  which  is  in  thy  hand."— That  hereby 
is  signified  by  the  power  of  that  truth,  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  staff,  as  denoting  power,  of  which  we  shall  speak 
presently  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  hand,  as  also  denot- 
ing power  or  ability,  see  n.  878,  3091,  3387,  3563.  It  is  said, 
"which  is  in  thy  hand,"  because  the  power  of  that  truth,  viz., 
the  lowest,  is  signified,  such  as  appertained  to  the  religious 
principle  of  the  Jewish  nation,  which  is  here  denoted  by  Judah. 
That  power  is  predicated  of  truth,  see  n.  3091,  3563.  Frequent 
mention  is  made  in  the  Word  of  staff,  and  it  is  surprising  that 
scarcely  any  one  at  this  day  knows  that  any  thing  in  the  spir- 
itual world  was  represented  by  it ;  as  where  Moses  was  ordered, 
as  often  as  miracles  were  wrought,  to  lift  up  his  staff,  whereby 
also  they  were  wrought.  This  was  known  even  amongst  the 
Gentiles,  as  may  appear  from  their  fabulous  relations,  in  which 
staves  arc  ascribed  to  magicians ;  the  reason  why  a  staff  signifies 
power,  is,  because  it  is  a  support,  for  it  supports  the  hand  and 

*  The  term  pannicle  literally  signifies  a  small  piece  of  cloth,  applied  of  old  it 
the  way  of  dress,  but  whose  specific  application  and  use  is  at  this  day  unknown. 


424 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


arm,  and  thereby  the  whole  body;  consequently  a  staff  assumes 
the  signification  of  that  part  which  it  proximately  supports,  viz., 
of  the  hand  and  arm,  by  both  which  in  the  Word  is  signified 
the  power  of  truth  ;  that  the  hand  and  arm  also  correspond 
thereto  in  the  Grand  Man,  will  be  seen  at  the  close  of  the  chap- 
ters. That  by  a  staff,  power  was  represented,  is  evident,  as  was 
said,  from  what  is  related  of  Moses,  viz.,  that  he  was  ordered 
to  take  a  staff,  with  which  he  was  to  do  miracles;  and  "he 
took  the  staff  of  God  in  his  hand,"  Exod.  iv.  17,  20.  The  wa- 
ters in  Egypt,  being  smitten  with  the  staff,  "  became  blood." 
vii.  17  to  20 ;  on  stretching  out  the  staff  over  the  rivers,  frogs 
were  produced,  viii.  1  to  11 ;  the  dust  beina:  smitten  by  the  staff, 
lice  were  made,  viii.  16  to  19  ;  the  staff  being  stretched  out 
towards  heaven,  there  was  hail,  ix.  23 ;  that  the  staff  being 
stretched  out  over  the  earth,  locusts  were  produced,  x.  3  to  19. 
As  the  hand  is  the  principal,  by  which  is  signified  power,  and 
staff  is  the  instrumental,  therefore  also  miracles  were  wrought 
when  the  hand  was  stretched  out,  x.  12, 13  ;  when  the  hand  was 
lifted,  up  towards  heaven,  there  was  darkness  over  the  land  of 
Egypt,  x.  21,  22  ;  and  on  stretching  out  the  hand  over  the  Red 
sea,  the  sea  became  dry  by  an  east  wind  ;  and  again  on  stretch- 
ing out  the  hand,  the  waters  returned,  xiv.  21,  26,  27.  More- 
over, when  the  rock  of  Horeb  was  smitten  by  a  staff,  the  waters 
flowed  forth,  Exod.  xvii.  5,  6;  Numb.  xx.  7  to  10.  When 
Joshua  fought  against  Amalek,  "  Moses  said  unto  Joshua, 
Choose  out  men  for  us,  and  go  forth,  fight  with  Amalek:  to- 
morrow I  will  stand  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  the  staff  of  God 
shall  be  in  my  hand.  .  .  .  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Moses  lifted 
up  his  hand,  that  Israel  prevailed ;  and  when  he  let  down  his 
hand,  Amalek  prevailed,"  Exod.  xvii.  9, 11.  From  these  pas- 
sages it  is  very  evident  that  the  staff,  as  the  hand,  represented 
power;  and  in  the  supreme  sense,  the  Divine  omnipotence  of 
the  Lord  :  and  hence  also  it  is  evident,  that  at  that  time  repre- 
sentatives constituted  the  externals  of  the  church,  and  that  the 
internals,  which  are  spiritual  and  celestial  things  such  as  are 
in  heaven,  corresponded  thereto,  and  that  hence  was  their  effi- 
cacy ;  from  this  consideration  it  is  also  evident  how  extravagant 
they  are,  who  believe  that  there  was  any  power  in  the  staff,  or 
in  the  hand  of  Moses,  by  infusion.  That  a  staff  denotes  power 
in  the  spiritual  sense,  is  also  manifest  from  several  passages  in 
the  prophets  ;  as  in  Isaiah,  "  Behold,  the  Lord  Jehovah  Zebaoth 
removeth  from  Jerusalem  .  .  .  the  staff  and  the  stay,  the  whole 
staff  of  bread,  and  the  whole  staff  of  water,"  iii.  1;  where  the 
staff  of  bread  denotes  support  and  power  derived  from  the  good 
of  love ;  the  staff  of  water,  support  and  power  from  the  truth 
of  faith  ;  that  bread  is  the  good  of  love,  may  be  seen  in  n.  276, 
680,  2165,  2177,  3464,  3478,  3735,  3813,  4211,  4217,  4735  ;  and 
that  water  is  the  truth  of  faith,  n.  28,  680,  739,  2702,  3058,  3424. 


4876.] 


GENESIS. 


425 


The  staff  of  bread  is  mentioned  in  like  manner  in  Ezekiel  iv. 
16;  v.  16;  adv.  13;  Psalm  cv.  16.  Again,  in  Isaiah,  "The 
Lord  Jeliovih  Zebaoth  said,  O  my  people  that  dwellest  in  Zion, 
bo  not  afraid  of  the  Assyrian,  who  will  smite  thee  with  a  rod, 
and  lift  a  staff  over  thee  in  the  way  of  Egypt.  .  .  .  Jehovah  shall 
stir  up  against  him  a  scourge,  according  to  the  slaughter  of 
Midian  in  the  rock  of  Oreb  ;  and  his  staff  shall  beiqjonthe  sea, 
winch  he  will  lift  up  in  the  way  of  Egypt,"  x.  24,  26 ;  where 
staff  denotes  power  derived  from  reasoning  and  science,  such  as 
is  the  power  of  those  who  reason  from  scientifics  against  the 
truths  of  faith,  and  pervert  them  or  make  light  of  them  ;  these 
things  are  signified  by  the  rod  witli  which  the  Assyrian  will 
smite,  and  by  the  staff  which  he  will  lift  up  in  the  way  of 
Egypt ;  that  the  Assyrian  denotes  reasoning,  see  n.  1186  ;  and 
Egypt,  science,  n.  1164,  1165,  1186,  1462.  In  like  manner  in 
Zecharlah,  "  The  pride  of  the  Assyrian  shall  be  cast  down,  and 
the  staff  of  Egypt  shall  depart  away,"  x.  11.  And  in  Isaiah, 
"  Thou  hast  trusted  on  the  staff  of  a  bruised  reed,  on  Egypt ; 
whereon,  when  any  one  leaneth,  it  entereth  into  his  hand,  and 
pierceth  it  through,"  xxxvi.  6  ;  Egypt  denotes  scientifics,  as 
above;  power  from  them  in  spiritual  things  is  the  staff  of  a 
bruised  reed ;  the  hand  which  it  enters  and  pierces,  is  power 
from  the  Word.  Again,  "  Jehovah  hath  broken  the  staff  of  the 
wicked,  the  rod  of  the  rulers"  xiv.  5  ;  staff  and  rod  manifestly 
denote  power.  So  in  Jeremiah,  "  Grieve  ye,  all  ye  circuits  of 
Moab,  and  say,  How  is  the  staff  of  strength  broken,  the  staff  of 
gracefulness /"  xlviii.  17  ;  where  the  staff  of  strength  denotes 
power  from  good ;  and  the  staff  of  gracefulness,  power  from 
truth.  And  in  Hosea,  "  My  people  ask  their  wood,  and  the 
staff  thereof  answereth  them  ;  for  the  spirit  of  whoredom  hath 
seduced  them,"  iv.  12 ;  to  ask  wood,  denotes  to  consult  evils  ; 
the  staff  answering,  denotes  that  the  false  is  thence  derived, 
which  has  power  from  the  evil  which  they  confirm ;  the  spirit 
of  whoredom  denotes  the  life  of  the  false  grounded  in  evil.  So 
in  David,  "  Yea,  though  I  walk  in  the  valley  of  shade,  I  will 
fear  no  evil  to  myself,  for  thou  art  with  me ;  thy  rod  and  thy 
staff,  they  comfort  me,"  Psalm  xxiii.  4  ;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff 
denote  the  divine  truth  and  good,  to  which  belongs  power. 
Again,  "  The  staff  of  wickedness  shall  not  fall  upon  the  lot  of 
the  just,"  cxxv.  3.  Again,  "  Thou  shalt  bruise  them  with  a  rod 
of  iron,  y  as  the  vessels  of  a  potter  thou  shalt  disperse  them," 
ii.  9 ;  a  rod  of  iron  denotes  the  power  of  spiritual  truth  in 
natural,  for  all  natural  truth,  in  which  there  is  spiritual,  has 
power ;  iron  is  natural  truth,  see  n.  425,  426.  In  like  manner 
in  the  Apocalypse,  "  To  him  who  overcometh,  and  keepeth  my 
works  unto  the  end,  will  I  give  power  over  the  nations,  that  he 
may  feed  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  •  as  the  vessels  of  a  potter 
they  shall  be  broken  to  shivers,"  ii.  26,  27 ;  xii.  5  ;  xix.  15. 


426 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


Inasmuch  as  a  staff  represented  the  power  of  truth,  that  is,  the 
power  of  good  by  truth,  therefore  kings  had  sceptres,  formed 
like  short  staves  ;  for  by  kings  the  Lord  is  represented  as  to 
truth  ;  the  essential  regal  [principle]  is  the  divine  truth,  n. 
1672,  1728,  2015,  2069,  3670,  4581 ;  the  sceptre  denotes  the 
power  belonging  to  them,  not  by  dignity,  but  by  the  truth 
which  ought  to  rule,  nor  any  other  truth  than  that  which  is 
grounded  in  good,  thus  principally  the  divine  truth ;  and  with 
Christians,  the  Lord,  from  Whom  is  all  divine  truth. 

4877.  "  And  he  gave  them  to  her." — That  hereby  is  signified 
that  thus  it  was  certain,  appears  from  the  signification  of  the 
pawn  which  Tamar  requested,  and  which  was  given  to  her,  as 
denoting  what  is  certain,  see  n.  4872,  4873. 

4878.  "  And  came  in  unto  her." — That  hereby  is  signified 
conjunction,  appears  from  the  signification  of  coming  or  entering 
in  unto  any  one,  as  denoting  conjunction,  see  also  above,  n.  4820, 
4568,  4870. 

4879.  "  And  she  conceived  to  him." — That  hereby  is  signi- 
fied reception  thereby,  appears  from  the  signification  of  conceiv- 
ing, as  denoting  reception,  see  n.  3860,  3S68,  3919 ;  but  what 
the  quality  of  the  reception  was,  see  n.  4874. 

4880.  Verses  19  to  23.  And  she  arose  and  went,  and  re- 
moved her  veil  from  \ipon  her,  and  put  on  the  garments  of  her 
widowhood.  And  Judah  sent  the  kid  of  the  goats,  in  the  hand 
of  his  companion  the  Adullamite,  to  receive  the  pledge  from  the 
hand  of  the  woman  /  but  he  found  her  not.  And  he  asked  the 
men  of  that  place,  saying,  Where  is  that  harlot  in  the  fountains 
an  the  way?  And  they  said,  There  was  no  harlot  here.  And 
he  returned  to  Judah,  and  said,  I  have  not  found  her  •  and 
also  the  men  of  the  place  said,  There  was  no  harlot  here.  And 
Judah  said,  Let  her  take  to  herself,  peradventure  we  shall  be- 
come a  contempt:  behold,  I  have  sent  this  kid,  and  thou  hast 
not  found  her.  And  she  arose,  signifies  elevation:  and  went, 
signifies  life  :  and  removed  her  veil  from  upon  her,  signifies 
that  the  obscure  principle  was  dissipated  :  and  put  on  the  gar- 
ments of  her  widowhood,  signifies  intelligence  :  and  Judah  sent 
the  kid  of  the  goats,  signifies  a  conjugial  pledge :  in  the  hand 
of  his  companion  the  Adullamite,  signifies  by  the  false  :  to  re- 
ceive the  pledge  from  the  hand  of  the  woman,  signifies  in  the 
place  of  external  pledges  :  but  he  found  her  not,  signifies  be- 
cause there  was  no  conjugial  principle  on  his  part :  and  lie 
asked  the  men  of  that  place,  saying,  signifies  that  truths  were 
consulted :  where  is  that  harlot,  signifies  whether  it  was  the 
false  :  in  the  fountains  upon  the  way,  signifies  that  it  appeared 
as  truth  :  and  they  said,  signifies  perception  from  truths  :  there 
was  no  harlot  here,  signifies  that  it  was  not  the  false  :  and  he 
returned  to  Judah,  signifies  reflection  :  and  he  said,  I  have  not 
found  her,  signifies  that  this  cannot  be  discovered  by  the  false: 


4877— 4S82.] 


GENESIS. 


427 


and  also  the  men  of  the  place  said,  There  was  no  harlot  here, 
signifies  perception  from  truths  that  it  was  not  the  false  :  and 
Judah  said,  Let  her  take  to  herself,  signifies  that  it  was  in- 
different to  him :  peradventure  we  shall  become  a  contempt, 
signifies  although  it  was  a  disgrace  :  behold,  I  have  sent  this 
kid,  signifies  that  it  was  enough  that  there  is  a  pledge  :  and 
thou  hast  not  found  her,  signifies  if  there  be  not  a  conjugial 
[principle]. 

4881.  Ver.  19.  "  And  she  arose." — That  hereby  is  signified 
elevation,  appears  from  the  signification  of  arising,  as  involving 
some  elevation,  see  n.  2401,  2785,  2912,  2927,  3171,  4103  ;  the 
elevation  signified  by  arising,  is  in  the  spiritual  sense  from  an 
obscure  state  into  a  clearer,  as  from  a  state  of  ignorance  into  a 
state  of  intelligence,  for  thereby  man  is  elevated  from  a  state  of 
the  light  of  the  world,  into  a  state  of  the  Light  of  heaven. 

4882.  "  And  went." — That  hereby  is  signified  life,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  going,  as  denoting  to  live,  see  n.  3335, 
3690.  That  in  the  internal  sense  going  denotes  living,  appears 
indeed  very  remote  or  abstracted  from  the  ideas  of  thought  in 
which  man  is,  because  man  is  in  space  and  in  time,  and  has 
formed  therefrom  the  ideas  of  his  thought,  as  an  idea  of  going, 
of  advancing,  of  journeying,  of  sojourning,  and  of  moving  :  as 
these  things  exist  in  space,  and  also  in  time,  and  hence  space 
and  time  are  injoined  to  the  ideas  concerning  them,  it  is  diffi- 
cult for  man  to  conceive,  that  by  them  are  signified  states  of 
life.  But  when  the  idea  concerning  those  things  is  laid  aside  or 
put  off,  there  results  the  spiritual  thing  which  is  signified  ;  for 
in  the  spiritual  world  or  in  heaven  nothing  of  space  and  time 
enters  the  ideas,  but  instead  thereof  the  things  relating  to  states 
of  life,  see  n.  1274,  1382,  2625,  2788,  2837,  3356,  3404,  3827, 
4814 ;  it  appears  indeed  to  spirits  and  angels,  that  they  also 
have  progressive  motion  from  place  to  place,  exactly,  indeed, 
as  it  appears  to  men ;  but  still  they  are  changes  of  the  state  of 
the  life  which  produce  that  appearance  ;  as  it  appears  to  them, 
equally  as  to  men,  that  they  live  from  themselves,  when  yet 
they  do  not  live  from  themselves,  but  from  the  Divine  of  the 
Lord,  from  Whom  is  the  all  of  life.  These  appearances,  in  the 
case  of  the  angels,  are  called  real,  because  they  appear  as  they 
really  are :  I  have  occasionally  discoursed  with  spirits  concern- 
ing these  appearances  ;  and  they  who  are  not  principled  in  good, 
consequently  neither  in  truth,  are  unwilling  to  hear  that  it  is 
an  appearance  that  they  live  from  themselves,  for  they  desire  to 
live  from  themselves  ;  but  it  was  shown  them  by  living  expe- 
rience, that  they  do  not  live  from  themselves,  and  that  progres- 
sions from  place  to  place  are  changes  and  progressions  of  the 
state  of  life  ;  and  they  were  likewise  told,  that  it  may  suffice 
them  to  know  no  otherwise  than  that  they  have  life  from  them 
selves,  and  that  they  could  not  have  more,  if  it  was  in  them  of 


428 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


themselves  ;  but  that  still  it  is  better  to  know  how  the  case  is, 
1  iccause  then  they  are  in  truth,  and  if  they  are  in  truth,  they 
lire  also  in  the  light  of  heaven,  for  the  light  of  heaven  is  the  very 
essential  truth  from  the  Divine  of  the  Lord ;  thus  also  neither 
.vould  they  claim  to  themselves  good,  neither  would  evil  hereby 
adhere  to  them ;  the  angels  are  in  that  truth,  not  by  science 
only,  but  by  perception  also.  That  times  and  spaces  in  the 
spiritual  world  are  states  of  life,  and  that  the  all  ot  life  is  from 
the  Lord,  may  appear  from  the  following  experience  :  every 
spirit  and  angel  sees  the  good  to  the  right,  and  the  evil  to  the 
left,  and  this  to  whatsoever  quarter  he  turns  himself ;  if  he  looks 
towards  the  east,  the  good  and  the  evil  so  appear  to  him,  in  like 
manner  if  lie  looks  to  the  west,  and  also  if  to  the  south  or  the 
north.  This  is  the  case  with  every  spirit  and  angel ;  so  that 
were  two  looking,  the  one  towards  the  east,  and  the  other 
towards  the  west,  still  to  each  the  good  appear  on  the  right,  and 
the  evil  on  the  left ;  in  like  manner  it  appears  to  those  who  are 
remote  from  those  who  are  seen,  although  they  were  to  the  back 
of  them.  Hence  it  may  be  concluded  of  a  certainty,  that  the 
all  of  life  Is  from  the  Lord,  or  that  the  Lord  is  in  the  life  of 
every  one ;  for  the  Lord  appears  there  as  a  sun,  and  on  His 
right  are  the  good  or  the  sheep,  and  on  His  left  are  the  evil  or 
the  goats  ;  hence  the  case  is  similar  with  every  one,  because  the 
Lord  is  the  all  of  life.  This  cannot  appear  otherwise  than  as  a 
paradox  to  man,  because,  so  long  as  he  is  in  the  world,  he  has 
ideas  from  worldly  things,  consequently  from  space  and  time  ; 
whereas  in  the  spiritual  world,  as  was  said  above,  the  ideas  are 
not  from  space  and  time,  but  from  the  state  of  the  affections  and 
thoughts  thence  derived :  this  is  also  the  reason  why  spaces 
and  times  in  the  AVord  signify  states. 

4883.  "And  removed  her  veil  from  upon  her." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  the  obscure  principle  was  dissipated,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  covering  herself  with  a  veil,  as  denot- 
ing to  obscure  the  truth,  see  above,  n.  4S59  ;  hence  to  remove 
the  veil,  is  to  dissipate  that  obscurity. 

4884.  "  And  put  on  the  garments  of  her  widowhood." — That 
hereby  is  signified  intelligence,  appears  (1.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  a  xoidow,  as  denoting  one  who  is  in  truth  without  good, 
but  who  still  desires  to  be  led  by  good,  see  above,  n.  4844  ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  garments,  as  denoting  truths,  see  D. 
297,  2576,  4545,  4763.  These  things,  taken  together,  signify 
intelligence,  because  nothing  but  truths  constitute  intelligence, 
for  they  who  are  in  truths  grounded  in  good,  are  in  intelligence; 
the  intellectual  mind  is  in  the  light  of  heaven,  by  means  of 
truths  grounded  in  good,  and  the  light  of  heaven  is  intelligence, 
because  it  is  the  divine  truth  derived  from  the  divine  good.  A 
further  reason  why' putting  on  the  garments  of  widowhood  here 
signifies  intelligence,  is,  because  a  widow  in  the  genuino  sense 


4883— 4888.J 


GENESIS. 


429 


is  one  who  is  in  truth,  and  desires  hy  good  to  be  led  to  the 
truth  of  intelligence,  as  was  also  shown  above,  n.  4844;  thus 
into  intelligence.  It  may  be  expedient  briefly  to  explain  how 
this  case  is,  in  order  that  it  may  be  known ;  the  truth  apper- 
taining to  man  is  not  the  truth  of  intelligence,  until  it  is  led  by 
good,  and  when  it  is  led  by  good,  it  first  becomes  the  truth  of 
intelligence ;  for  truth  has  not  life  from  itself,  but  from  good, 
and  this,  when  man  lives  according  to  truth,  for  then  it  infuses 
itself  into  man's  will-principle,  and  from  his  will-principle  into 
his  actions,  thus  into  the  whole  man :  the  truth,  which  man 
only  knows  or  apprehends,  remains  out  of  his  will,  thus  out  of 
his  life,  for  the  will  of  man  is  his  life  ;  but  when  man  wills  the 
truth,  it  is  then  in  the  threshold  of  his  life ;  and  when  from 
willing  he  comes  to  perform  it,  the  truth  in  such  case  is  in  the 
whole  man ;  and  when  he  frequently  perforins  it,  it  then  not 
only  recurs  from  habit,  but  also  from  affection,  and  thereby 
from  a  free  principle.  Let  any  one  who  pleases,  consider, 
whether  any  thing  can  give  a  tincture  to  man,  except  that 
which  he  does  from  his  will-principle  ;  what  he  only  thinks, 
ami  does  not  perform,  and  still  more  what  lie  thinks  and  is  not 
willing  to  perform,  is  no  otherwise  than  out  of  the  man,  and  is 
dispersed  like  chaff  by  the  least  wind  ;  it  is  also  dispersed  in 
the  other  life  :  hence  it  may  be  known  what  faith  is  without 
works.  From  these  considerations  now  it  is  evident  what  the 
truth  of  intelligence  is,  viz.,  it  is  truth  from  good  ;  truth  is  pre- 
dicated of  the  understanding,  and  good  of  the  will,  or  what  is 
the  same  thing,  truth  is  of  doctrine  and  good  is  of  life. 

4885.  Ver.  20.  "  And  Judah  sent  the  kid  of  the  goats."— 
That  hereby  is  signified  a  conjugial  pledge,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  a  kid  of  the  goats,  as  denoting  a  pledge  of  con- 
jugial love,  or  a  pledge  of  conjunction,  see  above,  n.  4871. 

4886.  "  In  the  hand  of  his  companion  the  Adullamite." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  by  the  false,  appears  from  the  repre- 
sentation of  Hirah  the  Adullamite,  who  was  the  companion  of 
Judah,  as  denoting  the  false,  see  n.  4817,  4854. 

4887.  "  To  receive  the  pledge  from  the  hand  of  the  woman." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  in  the  place  of  external  pledges,  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  the  signet,  the  pannicle,  and  the 
staff,  which  were  the  pledge,  as  being  pledges  of  the  conjunction 
of  the  external  or  natural  man,  thus  external  pledges,  n.  4874. 

4888.  "  But  he  found  her  not." — That  hereby  is  signified 
because  there  was  not  a  conjugial  principle  on  the  part  of  Judah, 
appears  from  what  has  been  already  said,  for  he  entered-in  to 
her,  not  as  to  a  wife,  but  as  to  a  harlot;  wherefore  neither  was 
Tamar  willing  to  receive  a  kid  of  the  goats,  by  which  was  sig- 
nified a  conjugial  pledge,  n.  4885 ;  nor  indeed  was  there  a  gen- 
uine conjugial  principle  on  the  part  of  Tamar,  for  she  was  as  a 
daughter-in-law  with  a  father-in-law  under  pretext  of  the  duty 


4:30 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


of  the  husband's  brother  ;  these  things  are  signified  by  his  not 
finding  her. 

4889.  Ver.  21.  "  And  he  asked  the  men  of  that  place."— 
That  hereby  is  signified  that  truths  were  consulted,  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  asking,  as  denoting  to  consult ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  men  (viri),  as  denoting  truths,  see  n. 
265,  749,  1007,  3134,  3309 ;  the  men  of  the  place  are  truths 
as  to  the  state  of  that  thing,  for  place  is  state,  n.  2625,  2837, 
3356,  3387. 

4890.  "Where  is  that  harlot."— That  hereby  is  signified 
whether  it  was  the  false,  appears  from  the  signification  of  a 
harlot,  as  denoting  the  false,  see  n.  4865. 

4891.  "In  the  fountains  upon  the  way?" — That  hereby  is 
signified  that  it  appeared  as  truth,  appears  from  the  signification 
of  fountains,  as  denoting  the  truths  of  the  church,  see  n.  2702, 
3096,  3424,  4861 ;  it  is  said  upon  the  way,  because  way  is  pre- 
dicated of  truth,  and  in  the  opposite  sense  of  the  false,  n.  627, 
2333,  3123,  3142 ;  and  whereas  it  is  asked,  "  Where  is  that  harlot 
in  the  fountains  upon  the  wa}r?"  thereby  is  signified  whether  it 
was  the  false  which  appeared  as  truth. 

4892.  "  And  they  said." — That  hereby  is  signified  perception 
from  truths,  appears  from  the  signification  of  saying,  in  the 
historicals  of  the  Word,  as  denoting  to  perceive,  see  n.  1791, 
1815, 1819, 1822, 1S98, 1919,  20S0,  2619,  2862,  3509;  the  reason 
why  it  is  perception  from  truths,  is,  because  they  were  the  men 
of  the  place  who  said  ;  the  men  of  the  place  are  truths,  see  just 
above,  n.  4889. 

4893.  "  There  was  no  harlot  here." — That  hereby  is  signified 
that  it  was  not  the  false,  appears  from  the  signification  of  harlot, 
as  denoting  the  false,  as  above,  n.  4890.  What  these  things, 
which  have  been  hitherto  explained  as  to  the  signification  of  the 
expressions,  involve  in  the  series,  may  in  some  sort  appear 
from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4S65,  4S68,  4874 ;  and  moreover 
they  are  such  as  cannot  be  apprehended,  unless  the  nature  and 
quality  of  the  conjunction  between  the  internal  and  the  external 
truth  of  the  Jewish  church  be  known,  both  on  the  part  of  the 
internal  truth,  represented  by  Tamar,  and  on  the  part  of  the 
external  represented  by  Judah.  As  these  are  amongst  things 
unknown,  in  case  they  were  further  explained,  they  would  fall 
into  shade,  thus  into  no  idea  of  the  understanding;  for  the  un- 
derstanding, which  is  the  sight  of  the  internal  man,  lias  its 
light  and  its  shade  :  those  things  fall  into  its  shade,  which  do 
not  coincide  with  the  things  of  which  it  before  had  some  no- 
tion ;  nevertheless  each  of  these  things,  with  innumerable  others 
which  cannot  even  be  comprehended  by  man,  enter  clearly  into 
the  light  of  the  understanding  of  the  angels;  hence  it  is  mani- 
fest what  is  the  quality  and  quantity  of  angelic  intelligence  in 
respect  to  that  of  men. 


4889— 4899.] 


GENESIS. 


431 


4894.  Ver.  22.  "  And  he  returned  to  Judah."— That  hereby 
is  signified  reflection,  may  appear  from  this  consideration,  that 
by  the  Adullamite  the  companion  of  Judah,  is  signified  the 
false,  see  n.  4817,  4854,  4886;  and  when  the  false  is  said  to 
return  and  relate  what  had  happened,  as  is  here  said  of  the 
companion  of  Judah,  nothing  else  is  signified  than  a  recalling 
to  mind,  and  reflection  how  the  case  is. 

4895.  "And  said,  I  have  not  found  her." — That  hereby  is 
signified,  that  this  cannot  be  discovered  by  the  false,  appears 
from  the  signification  of  not  having  found,  as  denoting  not 
having  discovered,  and  as  the  Adullamite  says  this,  by  whom 
is  signified  the  false,  as  above,  n.  4894,  it  follows,  that  by  his 
saying,  "  1  have  not  found  her,"  is  signified,  that  the  false  could 
not  discover  it,  or  that  this  cannot  be  discovered  by  the  false. 

4896.  "  And  also  the  men  of  the  place  said,  There  was  no 
harlot  here." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  perception  from  truths 
that  it  was  not  the  false,  appears  from  what  was  said  just  above, 
i).  4892.  4893,  where  similar  words  occur. 

4897.  Ver.  23.  "  And  Judah  said,  Let  her  take  to  herself." 
— That  hereby  is  signified  that  it  was  indifferent  to  him,  may 
appear  from  the  affection  in  these  words,  as  denoting  indigna- 
tion and  hence  indifference. 

4898.  "  Peradventure  we  shall  become  a  contempt." — That 
hereby  is  signified  although  it  was  a  disgrace,  appears  from  the 
signification  of  becoming  a  contempt,  as  denoting  disgrace. 

4899.  "  Behold,  I  have  sent  this  kid." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified that  it  was  sufficient  that  there  is  a  pledge,  appears  from 
the  signification  of  a  kid  of  the  goats,  as  denoting  a  pledge  of 
conjugial  love,  or  of  conjunction,  see  n.  4871 ;  in  the  present 
case  only  a  pledge,  because  the  kid  was  not  accepted,  because, 
as  was  said  above,  there  was  not  a  conjugial  principle  ;  and  as 
this  was  the  reason,  therefore  by  the  expression,  "  thou  hast 
not  found  her,"  is  signified  if  there  be  not  a  conjugial  principle  ; 
this  also  flows  from  indifference,  concerning  which  see  n.  4897. 
It  is  needless  to  explain  these  things  further,  for  the  reason 
spoken  of  above,  in  n.  4893,  viz.,  that  they  would  fall  into  the 
shade  of  the  understanding,  and  thus  also  into  disbelief;  as  that 
there  must  be  a  conjugial  principle  in  order  that  there  may  be  a 
church,  viz.,  the  conjugial  principle  between  truth  and  good; 
there  must  also  be  an  internal  principle  in  the  external,  and 
without  those  two  there  is  nothing  of  a  church ;  the  subjects 
here  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense  are  these  principles,  and 
their  quality  in  the  Jewish  church,  viz.,  that  respectively  to 
that  nation  there  was  nothing  internal  in  the  external,  but  re- 
spectively to  the  statutes  themselves  and  the  laws  abstracted  from 
the  nation,  there  was.  Who  at  this  day  believes  any  other,  than 
that  the  church  was  with  the  Jewish  nation,  yea,  that  this  nation 
was  chosen  and  loved  above  all  others,  and  this  principally  be- 


432 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii 


cause  so  many  and  so  great  miracles  were  wrought  amongst 
them,  and  because  so  many  prophets  were  sent  to  them,  and 
also  because  they  had  the  "Word  amongst  them?  When  yet 
that  nation  in  itself  had  nothing  of  the  church,  for  it  was  not 
principled  in  any  charity,  being  altogether  ignorant  what  gen- 
uine charity  is :  it  was  also  void  of  faith  in  the  Lord  ;  it  knew 
that  He  was  to  come,  but  supposed  that  it  was  to  raise  them 
above  all  in  the  universe ;  and  because  this  was  not  done,  it 
altogether  rejected  Him,  being  unwilling  to  know  any  thing 
concerning  His  heavenly  kingdom ;  these  things,  which  are  the 
internals  of  the  church,  that  nation  did  not  even  acknowledge 
in  doctrine,  still  less  in  life ;  from  these  considerations  alone  it 
may  be  concluded,  that  there  was  nothing  of  the  church  in  that 
nation.  It  is  one  thing  for  the  church  to  be  at  (apud)*  a  nation, 
and  another  tiling  for  the  church  to  be  in  a  nation ;  as  for  ex- 
ample :  the  Christian  church  is  at  those  who  have  the  Word, 
and  who  from  doctrine  preach  the  Lord,  but  still  there  is  nothing 
of  the  church  in  them,  unless  they  are  in  the  marriage  of  good 
and  truth,  that  is,  unless  they  are  in  charity  towards  their 
neighbour,  and  thence  in  faith;  thus  tmless  the  internals  of  the 
church  are  in  the  external.  The  church  is  not  in  those  who  are 
only  in  externals  separate  from  internals ;  neither  is  it  in  those 
who  are  in  faith  separate  from  charity;  nor  in  those  who  ac- 
knowledge the  Lord  in  doctrine,  but  not  in  life ;  hence  it  is 
evident,  that  it  is  one  thing  for  the  church  to  be  at  a  nation, 
and  another  thing  to  be  in  a  nation.  The  subject  treated  of  in 
the  internal  sense  in  this  chapter  is  concerning  the  church  at, 
and  in  the  Jewish  nation ;  the  quality  of  the  church  at  that 
nation,  is  described  by  the  conjunction  of  Tamar  with  Judah 
under  pretext  of  the  duty  of  the  husband's  brother,  and  the 
quality  of  the  church  in  that  nation,  is  described  by  the  con- 
junction of  Judah  with  Tamar  as  witli  a  harlot;  but  to  explain 
those  things  more  specifically  is  needless,  for  the  reason  spoken 
of  above,  inasmuch  as  they  would  fall,  as  was  said,  into  the 
shade  of  the  understanding.  That  the  shade  of  the  understanding 
is  in  these  things,  may  be  manifest  from  this  consideration,  that 
at  this  day  scarcely  any  one  knows  what  the  internal  of  the 
church  is ;  or  that  charity  towards  the  neighbour  consists  in 
willing,  and  from  willing  in  acting,  and  hence  that  faith  con- 
sists in  perceiving  ;  when  this  is  unknown,  especially  when  it  is 
denied,  as  is  the  case  with  those  who  make  faith  saving  without 
the  works  of  charity,  into  what  a  shade  must  those  things  tall, 
which  are  here  said  in  the  internal  sense  concerning  the  con- 

*  The  term  here  rendered  at  is  in  the  original  apnd.  nnd  perhaps  there  is  no 
other  term  in  the  English  language  which  call  bettor  express  the  sense  of  the  ori- 
ginal. The  idea  intended  to  he  conveyed  is  manifestly  that  of  the  apposition  or 
application  of  one  thing  to  another,  distinct  from  any  reception  on  toe  part  of 
Unit  tiling  to  which  t lie  apposition  or  application  is  made. 


4900,  4901.] 


GENESIS. 


433 


junction  of  the  internal  with  the  external  of  the  church  at,  and 
in  the  Jewish  nation.  They  who  do  not  know  that  charity  is 
the  internal,  and  thus  the  essential  of  the  church,  stand  at  the 
most  remote  distance  from  the  first  degree  towards  understand- 
ing such  things,  and  consequently  far  from  the  innumerable  and 
ineffable  things  which  arc  in  heaven,  where  the  things  relating 
to  love  to  the  Lord  and  to  love  towards  the  neighbour  are  the 
all  of  life,  consequently  the  all  of  wisdom  and  of  intelligence. 

4900.  Verses  24  to  26.  And  it  came  to  pass,  about  three 
months  after,  that  it  was  told  Judah,  saying,  Tamar  thy  daxigh- 
ter-in-law  hath  committed  whoredom  /  and  behold  !  also,  she  is 
with  child  to  whoredoms.  And  Judah  said,  Bring  her  forth, 
and  let  her  be  burnt.  When  she  was  brought  forth,  she  sent  to 
her  father-in-law,  saying,  By  the  man  whose  these  are,  lam 
with  child:  and  she  said,  Acknowledge,  I  pray  thee,  whose  are 
this  signet,  and pannicle,  and  staff.  And  Judah  acknowledged, 
and  said,  She  is  more  just  than  I  •  because  I  gave  her  not  to 
Shelah  my  son  :  and  he  added  no  longer  to  know  her.  And  it 
came  to  pass  about  three  months  after,  signifies  a  new  state : 
that  it  was  told  Judah,  signifies  communication  :  saying,  Tamar 
thy  daughter-in-law  hath  committed  whoredom,  signifies  per- 
ception at  that  time  that  it  is  false  that  any  conjugial  principle 
intercedes :  and  behold !  also,  she  is  with  child  to  whoredoms, 
signifies,  and  hence  that  any  thing  can  be  produced  :  and  Judah 
said,  signifies  sentence  from  the  religious  principle  in  which  the 
Jewish  nation  was :  bring  her  forth,  and  let  her  be  burnt,  sig- 
nifies that  it  ought  to  be  extirpated :  when  she  was  brought 
forth,  signifies  it  was  nearly  effected :  she  sent  to  her  father-in- 
law,  signifies  insinuation  :  saying,  By  the  man  whose  these  are, 
I  am  with  child,  signifies  that  such  a  principle  was  in  their  reli- 
gious principle :  and  she  said,  Acknowledge,  I  pray  thee,  whose 
are  this  signet,  and  pannicle,  and  staff,  signifies  that  it  might 
be  known  from  the  pledges :  and  Judah  acknowledged,  signi- 
fies that  being  his  he  affirmed  :  and  he  said,  She  is  more  just 
than  I,  signifies  that  there  was  no  conjunction  of  the  external 
with  the  internal,  but  of  the  internal  with  the  external :  be- 
cause I  gave  her  not  to  Shelah  my  son,  signifies  because  the 
external  was  of  such  a  quality  :  and  he  added  no  longer  to  know 
her,  signifies  that  there  was  no  more  any  conjunction. 

4901.  Ver.  24.  "And  it  came  to  pass,  about  three  months 
after." — That  hereby  is  signified  a  new  state,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  three,  as  denoting  what  is  complete,  and 
hence  the  last  and  first,  or  end  and  beginning,  together,  see  n. 
1825,  2788,  4895 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  month,  as  de- 
noting state,  see  n.  3814  ;  for  all  times  in  the  internal  sense  sig- 
nify states,  as  hour,  day,  week,  month,  year,  age  ;  and  times  of 
times,  as  mid-day,  evening,  night,  morning,  which  are  times  of 
the  day ;  and  summer,  autumn,  winter,  spring,  which  are  times 

vol.  v.  28 


434 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxvii. 


of  the  year;  and  also  times  of  age,  as  infancy,  childhood,  youth, 
adult  age,  old  age,  all  which  with  several  others  signify  states  ; 
what  is  meant  by  states,  may  he  seen  in  n.  4850.  The  reason 
why  times  signify  states,  is,  because  times  are  not  given  in  the 
other  life ;  the  progression  of  the  life  of  spirits  and  angels  ap- 
pears indeed  as  in  time,  but  they  have  no  thought  from  times, 
as  men  in  the  world  have,  but  from  states  of  the  life,  and  this 
without  notion  of  times :  a  further  reason  is,  because  the  pro- 
gressions of  their  life  are  not  distinguished  into  ages,  for  in 
that  world  they  do  not  grow  old,  and  because  there  are  no  days 
nor  years  there,  inasmuch  as  the  sun  there,  which  is  the  Lord, 
is  always  rising  and  never  sets  ;  hence  no  notion  of  time  enters 
their  thoughts,  but  a  notion  of  state  and  of  its  progressions  ;  no- 
tions are  taken  from  those  things  which  are  and  exist  before  the 
senses.  These  things  must  needs  appear  as  paradoxical :  but 
the  reason  of  their  so  appearing,  is,  because  man,  in  every  sin- 
gle idea  of  his  thought,  has  something  adjoined  from  time  and 
space ;  hence  his  memory  and  recollection,  and  hence  also  his 
inferior  thought,  the  ideas  of  which  are  called  material ;  but 
that  memory,  out  of  which  come  such  ideas,  is  quiescent  in  the 
other  life  ;  they  who  are  in  that  life  are  in  the  interior  memory, 
and  in  the  ideas  of  its  thought,  and  thought  from  this  latter 
memory  has  not  times  and  spaces  adjoined  to  it,  but  instead 
thereof  states  and  their  progressions  ;  hence  also  it  is  that  they 
correspond,  and  in  consequence  of  such  correspondence  that 
times  in  the  Word  signify  states.  Man  has  an  exterior  mem- 
ory, which  is  proper  to  him  in  the  body,  and  also  an  interior 
memory,  which  is  proper  to  his  spirit ;  see  n.  2469  to  2494. 
The  reason  why  "  about  three  months  after"  signifies  a  new 
state,  is,  because  by  months,  into  which  also  times  in  the  world 
are  distinguished,  is  signified  state,  and  by  three  is  signified  the 
last  and  first,  or  end  and  beginning,  together,  as  was  said  above  ; 
as  in  the  spiritual  world  there  is  a  continual  progression  of 
states  from  one  into  another,  consequently  in  the  last  or  end 
of  every  state  there  is  a  first  or  beginning,  hence  continuation, 
therefore  by  the  expression,  "  about  three  months  after,"  is  sig- 
nified a  new  state.  The  case  is  similar  in  the  church,  which  is 
the  spiritual  world,  or  the  Lord's  kingdom  in  earth,  the  last  of 
the  church  with  one  nation  is  always  the  first  of  the  church 
with  another.  As  the  last  is  thus  continued  into  the  first,  it  is 
occasionally  said  of  the  Lord,  that  lie  is  the  Last  and  the  First, 
as  in  Isaiah  xli.  4 ;  xliv.  6;  Apoc.  xxi.  (5;  xxii.  13;  whereby 
in  the  respective  sense  is  signified  what  is  perpetual,  and  in  the 
supreme  sense  what  is  eternal. 

4902.  "That  it  was  told  Judah."— That  hereby  is  signified 
communication,  appears  from  the  signification  of  being  told,  aa 
denoting  communication,  see  above,  n.  4850. 

4903.  "  Saying,  Tamar  thy  daughter-in-law  hath  committed 


4902— 4904/J 


GENESIS. 


435 


whoredom." — That  hereby  is  signified  perception  at  that  time 
that  it  is  false  that  any  conjugial  principle  intercedes,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  saying,  in  the  historicals  of  the 
Word,  as  denoting  perception,  see  above,  n.  4892  ;  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  committing  whoredom,  as  denoting  false,  see 
n.  2466,  2729,  3399,  4865 ;  (3.)  from  the  representation  of  Ta- 
mrr,  as  denoting  the  internal  of  the  representative  church,  see 
also  above,  n.  4864 ;  and  (4.)  from  the  signification  of  dough- 
tcr-in-lavx,  as  denoting  the  truth  of  the  church,  see  n.  4843, 
4869  :  hence  by  the  above  words,  "  saying,  Tamar  thy  daugter- 
in-law  hath  committed  whoredom,"  is  signified  perception  on 
the  occasion  that  it  is  false  that  any  conjugial  principle  inter- 
cedes. How  these  things  are  in  the  series,  may  be  seen  above, 
in  n.  4S64,  4865,  4S66 ;  viz.,  the  Jewish  nation  from  their  reli- 
gious principle  perceived  the  internal  of  the  church  no  other- 
wise than  as  a  harlot,  and  its  preaching,  and  life  according 
thereto,  as  whoredom  ;  for  they  who  are  in  an  external  princi- 
ple alone  without  an  internal,  consider  the  internal  of  the 
church  in  no  other  view,  since  they  call  that  false  which  is  true, 
and  that  true  which  is  false ;  the  reason  is,  because  no  one  can 
see  whether  a  thing  be  false  or  true  from  an  external  principle 
alone,  but  from  an  internal  principle ;  there  must  be  internal 
sio;ht  to  iudg-e  of  those  things  which  relate  to  external  si<rht, 
and  the  internal  sight,  in  order  to  do  so,  must  be  altogether  in 
the  light  of  heaven  ;  and  it  is  not  in  the  light  of  heaven,  unless 
it  is  in  faith  in  the  Lord,  and  from  that  faith  reads  the  Word 
That  the  Jewish  nation  was  in  an  external  principle  without 
an  internal,  and  therefore  believed  truth  to  be  false,  and  vice 
versa,  is  evident  from  their  doctrinal  tenet,  that  it  was  allow- 
able to  hate  an  adversary ;  and  also  from  their  life,  for  they 
hated  all  who  were  not  of  their  religious  principle;  yea,  they 
believed  they  were  doing  what  was  well-pleasing  to  Jehovah, 
and  were  serving  Him,  when  they  treated  the  nations  with 
barbarity  and  cruelty,  by  exposing  their  bodies,  when  they 
were  slain,  to  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts  and  birds,  by  cutting 
them  alive  with  saws,  piercing  them  with  spikes  and  axes  of 
iron,  and  making  them  pass  through  the  brick-kiln,  2  Sam.  xii 
31 ;  yea,  it  was  also  in  accordance  with  their  doctrinals,  to  treat 
a  companion  nearly  in  a  like  manner,  who  for  any  cause  was  a 
declared  enemy.  Hence  it  may  appear  plainly  enough,  that 
there  was  nothing  internal  in  their  religious  principle;  if  any 
one  in  this  case  had  said  to  them,  that  such  things  were  against 
the  internal  of  the  church,  they  would  have  replied  that  this 
was  false.  That  they  were  merely  in  externals,  and  altogether 
ignorant  of  what  an  internal  principle  is,  and  led  a  life  con- 
trary to  an  internal  principle,  is  also  evideut  from  what  the 
Lord  teaches  in  Matthew  v.  21  to  48. 

4904.  "  Behold !  also,  she  is  with  child  to  whoredoms."  — 


436 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


That  hereby  is  signified,  and  hence  that  any  thing  can  be  pro- 
duced, appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  bearing  in  the  womb, 
or  being  with  child,  as  denoting  to  produce  something ;  for  by 
seed  is  signified  the  truth  of  faith,  and  by  conception  its  recep- 
tion ;  hence  by  bearing  in  the  womb,  or  being  with  child,  is 
signified  to  produce  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  whore- 
dom, as  denoting  the  false  grounded  in  their  religious  prhiciple, 
as  above,  n.  4903 ;  hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  these  words, 
"  saying,  Tamar  thy  daughtei'-in-law  hath  committed  whore- 
dom ;  behold,  also,  she  is  with  child  to  whoredoms,"  is  signified 
perception  that  it  is  false  that  any  conjugial  principle  inter- 
cedes, and  that  hence  any  thing  can  be  produced.  To  be  pro- 
duced, when  predicated  of  the  church,  has  reference  to  the  good 
which  is  produced  by  truth,  and  it  is  produced  when  truth 
passes  through  the  understanding  into  the  will,  and  from  the 
will  into  act ;  for  the  truth  of  faith,  as  was  said  above,  is  the 
seed,  and  conception  is  reception,  and  reception  is  effected  when 
the  truth  of  the  understanding  passes  into  the  good  of  the  will, 
or  when  the  truth  of  faith  passes  into  the  good  of  charity ; 
when  it  is  in  the  will,  it  is  in  its  womb,  and  then  is  first  pro- 
duced ;  and  when  man  in  act  is  in  good,  that  is,  when  he  pro- 
duces good  from  the  will,  thus  from  delight  and  freedon,  in 
this  case  it  goes  forth  from  the  womb  or  is  born ;  which  is  also 
meant  by  being  re-born  or  regenerated.  Hence  it  is  mai  ;fest 
what  is  signified  in  the  spiritual  sense  by  being  with  child  :  but 
in  the  present  case  the  contrary  is  signified,  viz.,  that  nothin  ;  of 
good  could  be  produced,  for  the  nation  here  treated  of  was  nr  t  in 
any  truth,  because  it  was  not  in  any  internal  principle  of  the 
church,  but  in  the  false.  To  be  re-born  or  regenerated,  tha'  is, 
to  be  made  an  internal  man,  was  a  tiling  altogether  unknovm 
to  that  nation,  consequently  it  seemed  to  them  like  a  harlot ;  as 
may  appear  from  Nicodemus,  who  was  a  ruler  of  the  Jews 
(John  iii.  1  to  13),  for  he  said,  "  How  can  a  man  be  born  when 
he  is  old?  Can  he  enter  a  second  time  into  his  mother's  womb?" 
verse  4.  It  is  a  known  thing  that  the  Lord  opened  the  inter- 
nals of  His  kingdom  and  church,  but  still  those  internals  had 
been  known  to  the  ancients,  as  that  man  should  be  re-born  in 
order  to  enter  into  life  ;  and  that  in  such  case  lie  should  put  off 
the  old  man,  or  the  loves  of  self  and  of  the  world  with  their 
concupiscences,  and  should  put  on  the  new,  or  love  towards  the 
neighbour  and  to  God  ;  also  that  heaven  was  in  the  regenerate 
man,  with  several  things  besides  which  are  internal.  These 
things  had  been  known  to  those  of  the  ancient  church,  but  they 
were  led  to  them  by  externals,  which  are  representative  ;  but 
as  such  things  were  altogether  lost  amongst  the  Jewish  nation, 
therefore  the  Lord  taught  them  ;  yet  He  abolished  the  represent- 
atives, because  the  greatest  part  of  them  had  respect  to  Him- 
self, for  the  image  must  vanish  when  the  effigy  itself  appears. 


4905—4907.] 


GENESIS. 


437 


He  established  therefore  a  new  church,  which  was  not  to  be 
led,  like  the  former,  by  representatives  to  internals,  but  which 
was  to  know  them  without  representatives  ;  and  in  the  place 
thereof  He  enjoined  only  some  external  things,  viz.,  baptism 
and  the  holy  supper  ;  baptism  as  a  means  whereby  regeneration 
might  be  had  in  remembrance,  and  the  holy  supper  as  a 


of  His  love  towards  the  universal  human  race,  and  of  the  re- 
ciprocal love  of  man  to  Him.  These  observations  are  made  in 
order  that  it  may  be  known  that  the  internals  of  the  church, 
which  the  Lord  taught,  were  known  to  the  ancients  ;  but  that 
in  the  Jewish  nation  they  were  altogether  lost,  insomuch  that 
they  were  regarded  no  otherwise  than  as  falses. 

4905.  "  And  Judah  said." — That  hereby  is  signified  sentence 
from  the  religious  principle  in  which  the  Jewish  nation  was, 
appears  from  the  representation  of  Judah,  as  denoting  the  reli- 
gious principle  of  the  Jewish  nation,  see  n.  4864  ;  that  sentence 
therefrom  is  signified,  is  evident  from  what  now  follows. 

4906.  "  Bring  her  forth,  and  let  her  be  burnt." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  the  internal  of  the  church,  represented  by  Tamar, 
ought  to  be  extirpated,  appears  from  the  signification  of  bring- 
ing her  forth  and  burning,  as  denoting  to  extirpate  ;  to  bring 
forth  is  predicated  of  the  truth,  and  to  burn  of  the  good,  which 
were  to  be  extirpated.  That  burning  is  predicated  of  the  extir- 
pation of  good,  is  manifest  from  several  passages  in  the  Word  ; 
the  reason  is,  because  fire  and  flame,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  is 
good,  and  hence  heat  is  the  affection  of  good ;  but  in  the  oppo- 
site sense,  fire  and  flame  is  evil,  and  hence  heat  is  the  affection 
of  evil,  see  n.  1297,  1861,  2446  ;  good  also  is  actually  the 
spiritual  fire,  whence  comes  the  spiritual  heat  which  vivifies, 
and  evil  is  the  fire  and  hence  the  heat  which  consumes.  That 
the  good  of  love  is  spiritual  fire,  and  the  affection  of  that  good 
is  spiritual  heat,  may  be  very  manifest  to  him  who  attends  and 
reflects  ;  for  if  he  considers  whence  man  has  vital  fire  and  heat, 
he  will  find  that  it  is  from  love,  for  as  soon  as  man  ceases  to 
love,  he  also  grows  cold,  and  the  more  he  is  in  love,  so  much 
the  warmer  he  grows ;  unless  man's  vital  principle  was  from 
this  origin,  he  could  not  in  any  wise  have  had  life ;  but  the 
spiritual  fire  or  heat,  which  constitutes  life,  becomes  a  burning 
and  consuming  fire  with  the  evil,  for  with  them  it  is  turned  into 
such  a  fire.  With  animals  void  of  reason,  spiritual  heat  also 
flows-in  and  constitutes  life,  but  it  is  a  life  according  to  the 
reception  in  their  organical  forms,  hence  their  sciences  and  affec- 
tions are  connate,  as  in  the  case  of  bees  and  the  rest. 

4907.  Ver.  25.  "When  she  was  brought  forth."  —  That 
hei'eby  is  signified  that  this  extirpation  was  nearly  effected, 
may  appear  from  the  signification  of  being  brought  forth  and 
burned,  as  denoting  to  be  extirpated,  see  just  above,  n.  4906 ; 


means  whereby  remembrance 


438 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


here  therefore,  being  brought  forth  to  be  burned,  denotes  that 
extirpation  was  nearly  effected. 

4908.  "  She  sent  to  her  father-in-law." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified insinuation  that  she  was  with  child  by  him,  appears  from 
the  series,  whence  this  sense  results. 

4909.  "  Saying,  By  the  man  whose  these  are,  I  am  with 
child." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  such  a  principle  was  in 
their  religious  principle,  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of 
Judah,  who  in  this  case  is  the  man,  as  denoting  the  religious 
principle  of  the  Jewish  nation,  see  n.  4864,  4905  ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  being  with  child,  as  denoting  to  be  produced, 
see  n.  4904,  but  in  the  present  case  denoting  to  be  in,  for  what 
is  produced,  is  in,  viz.,  that  which  is  conceived.  This  product 
is  the  first  effect,  which  as  being  efficient  is  called  a  cause,  from 
which  comes  further  effect,  see  above,  n.  4904.  What  was  in 
their  religious  principle,  may  appear  from  what  was  said  above, 
n.  4899,  and  also  from  what  follows. 

4910.  "And  she  said,  Acknowledge,  I  pray  thee,  whose  are 
this  signet,  and  pannicle,  and  staff." — That  hereby  is  signified 
that  it  might  be  known  from  the  pledges,  appears  from  the  sig- 
nitication  of  signet,  pannicle,  and  staff,  as  denoting  pledges  of 
the  conjunction  of  the  external  or  natural  man,  see  n.  4874, 
4887. 

4911.  Yer.  26.  "  And  Judah  acknowledged."— That  hereby 
is  signified  that  being  his,  he  affirmed,  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  acknowledging,  as  denoting  to  affirm,  and  this  because 
from  the  pledges  he  acknowledged  that  it  was  his  own.  In  this 
passage,  the  temper  of  this  nation  is  described,  which  is  such, 
that  although  they  reject  the  internal  of  the  church  as  false,  yet 
when  it  is  insinuated  into  them  that  it  is  theirs,  they  accept  and 
affirm  it.  They  who  are  in  the  filth  of  loves,  that  is,  in  avarice, 
and  at  the  same  time  in  self-love,  as  this  nation  is,  cannot  pos- 
sibly elevate  the  mind's  view  and  see  truth  from  any  other 
source  than  from  self;  wherefore,  when  it  is  attributed  to  them, 
they  affirm  it :  as  for  example  ;  if  they  are  told,  that  the  "Word 
in  itself  is  divine,  and  contains  the  arcana  of  heaven,  and  also 
such  arcana  as  can  only  be  comprehended  by  the  angels,  this 
truth  they  affirm,  inasmuch  as  they  make  the  Word  their  own, 
because  it  was  for  them,  with  them,  and  the  letter  treats  of 
them  ;  but  if  the  arcana  themselves  or  spiritual  truths  be  dis- 
covered to  them,  they  reject  them.  If  they  are  told,  that  the 
rituals  of  their  church  were  all  holy  in  themselves,  this  truth 
they  affirm,  because  they  make  those  rituals  their  own  :  but  if 
it  be  said,  that  those  holy  things  were  in  the  rituals  apart  from 
them,  this  they  deny.  Again,  if  they  are  told,  that  the  Jewish 
church  was  celestial,  and  the  Israelitish  church  spiritual,  and  if 
it  be  explained  to  them  what  is  meant  by  celestial  and  spiritual, 
this  also  they  would  affirm ;  but  if  they  were  to  be  told,  that 


4908—4914.] 


GENESIS. 


439 


those  churches  are  called  celestial  and  spiritual  because  each 
single  thing  therein  represented  celestial  and  spiritual  things, 
and  that  representatives  regard  the  principle,  and  not  the  person, 
they  deny  it.  Again,  if  they  are  told,  that  in  the  staff  of  Moses 
there  was  power  from  Jehovah,  thus  divine  power,  this  they 
affirm  and  call  truth ;  hut  if  they  are  told,  that  the  power  was 
not  in  the  staff,  but  only  in  the  divine  command,  they  deny  it 
and  call  it  false.  Again,  if  they  are  told,  that  the  brazen  ser- 
pent set  up  by  Moses  healed  those  who  were  bitten  by  serpents, 
and  thus  that  it  was  miraculous,  they  affirm  it ;  but  if  they  are 
told,  that  it  was  not  healing  and  miraculous  in  itself,  but  from 
the  Lord  who  was  represented,  they  deny  it  and  call  it  false ; 
compare  what  is  related  of  the  serpent,  Numb.  xxi.  7,  8,  9  ; 
2  Kings  xviii.  4;  John  iii.  14,  15.  In  like  manner  in  other 
instances.  Such  are  the  things  signified  by  Judah's  acknow- 
ledging, and  which,  on  the  part  of  the  nation  signified  by  him, 
were  conjoined  with  the  internal  of  the  church,  represented  by 
Taniar ;  and  as  they  were  such,  Judah  did  not  enter-in  to  her 
as  a  husband's  brother  to  a  wife,  but  as  a  whore-monger  to  a 
harlot. 

4912.  "  And  he  said,  She  is  more  just  than  I." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  there  was  no  conjunction  of  the  external  with 
the  internal,  but  of  the  internal  with  the  external,  appears  from 
what  was  said  above,  n.  4899,  concerning  the  church  at  the 
Jewish  nation,  and  in  that  nation ;  viz.,  that  at  that  nation 
there  was  the  church,  that  is,  the  internal  was  conjoined  with 
the  external ;  but  in  that  nation  there  was  no  church,  that  is, 
the  external  was  not  conjoined  with  the  internal;  for  in  order 
that  the  church  may  be  in  a  nation,  the  principle  of  conjunc- 
tion must  be  reciprocal. 

4913.  "  Because  I  gave  her  not  to  Shelah  my  son." — That 
hereby  is  signified,  because  the  external  was  of  such  a  quality, 
may  appear  from  what  has  been  above  explained,  viz.,  that 
Tamar  could  not  be  given  to  Shelah,  Judah's  son,  because 
thereby  there  would  have  been  conjunction  as  of  a  wife  with  a 
husband  according  to  the  law  concerning  the  duty  of  a  hus- 
band's brother ;  and  yet  the  religious  principle  of  the  Jewish 
nation  which  was  to  be  represented,  was  not  of  such  a  quality, 
but  resembled  the  conjunction  of  a  father-in-law  with  a  daughter- 
in-law,  as  with  a  harlot. 

4914.  "  And  he  added  no  longer  to  know  her." — That  hereby 
is  signified  that  there  was  no  more  any  conjunction,  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  knowing,  as  denoting  to  be  con- 
joined ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  adding  no  longer,  as 
denoting  that  it  was  no  more,  consequently  that  there  was  no 
more  any  conjunction  with  the  internal  of  the  church ;  for  by 
Tamar  is  represented  the  internal  of  the  church.  On  that  ac 
count  also  Judah  had  no  more  sons. 


*40 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


4915.  Verses  27  to  30.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  time,  that  she 
brought  forth,  and  lo  !  twins  were  in  her  womb.  And  it  came 
to  pass  m  her  bringing  forth,  that  one  put  forth  his  hand  ;  and 
the  midwife  took  and  bound  double-dyed  scarlet  upon  his  hand, 
saying,  This  came  forth  first.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  drew 
back  his  hand,  that,  behold,  his  brother  came  forth'  and  she 
said,  Why  hast  thou  broken  a  breach  over  thee  ?  and  she  called 
his  name  Pharez.  And  afterwards  came  forth  his  brother, 
upon  whose  hand  was  the  double-dyed  scarlet ;  and  she  called 
his  name  Zarah.  It  came  to  pass  in  time,  signifies  a  following 
state :  that  she  brought  forth,  signifies  acknowledgment  on  the 
part  of  internal  truth  :  and  lo !  twins  were  in  her  womb,  signi- 
fies each  principle  of  the  church :  and  it  came  to  pass  in  her 
bringing  forth,  signifies  production :  that  one  put  forth  his  hand, 
signifies  power :  and  the  midwife  took,  signifies  the  natural 
principle  :  and  bound  double-dyed  scarlet  upon  his  hand,  signi- 
fies that  she  marked  it ;  double-dyed  scarlet  is  good :  saying, 
This  came  forth  first,  signifies  that  it  had  priority :  and  it  came 
to  pass,  as  he  drew  back  his  hand,  signifies  that  he  hid  hi9 
power :  that  behold,  his  brother  came  forth,  signifies  the  truth 
of  good :  and  she  said,  Why  hast  thou  broken  a  breach  over 
thee?  signifies  the  separation  thereof  from  good  apparently  :  and 
she  called  his  name  Pharez,  signifies  quality :  and  afterwards 
came  forth  his  brother,  signifies  good  actually  prior :  upon 
whose  hand  was  the  double-dyed  scarlet,  signifies  acknowledg- 
ment that  it  is  good :  and  she  called  his  name  Zarah,  signifies 
quality. 

4916.  Yer.  27.  "  And  it  came  to  pass  in  time." — That 
hereby  is  signified  a  following  state,  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  time,  as  denoting  state,  see  n.  1274,  1382,  2625,  2788, 
2837,  3254,  3356,  3827,  4882,  4901 ;  that  by  its  coming  to  pass 
in  time  is  signified  a  following  state,  is  evident,  because  what 
came  to  pass  now  follows,  see  also  n.  4814. 

4917.  "That  she  brought  forth."— That  hereby  is  signified 
acknowledgment  on  the  part  of  internal  truth,  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  bringing  forth,  as  denoting  to  acknowledge 
in  faith  and  act,  see  n.  3905,  3915,  3919;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  Tamar,  who  in  this  case  is  she,  as  denoting 
the  internal  of  the  representative  church,  consequently  internal 
truth. 

4918.  "  And  lo,  twins  were  in  her  womb." — That  hereby  is 
signified  each  principle  of  the  church,  appears  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  twins,  as  denoting  each,  viz.,  good  and  truth,  see 
n.  3299 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  womb,  as  denoting 
where  good  and  truth  lies  conceived,  consequently  where  that 
is  which  is  of  the  church.  In  the  genuine  sense,  the  womb 
signifies  the  inmost  principle  of  conjugial  love  in  which  is  inno- 
cence, because  it  corresponds  to  that  love  in  the  Grand  Man ; 


4915—4918.] 


GENESIS. 


441 


and  as  conjugial  love  derives  its  origin  from  the  love  of  good 
and  of  truth,  which  is  of  the  heavenly  marriage,  and  this  mar- 
riage is  heaven  itself,  or  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  as  the  Lord's 
kingdom  in  the  earths  is  the  church,  therefore  by  womb  is  also 
signified  the  church  ;  for  the  church  is  where  the  marriage  of 
good  and  truth  is.  Hence,  to  open  the  womb,  denotes  doctrines 
of  churches  thence  derived,  n.  3856,  and  also  the  faculty  of 
receiving  the  truths  and  good  of  the  church,  n.  3967  ;  and  to 
come  forth  from  the  womb,  denotes  to  be  re-born  or  regener- 
ated, n.  4904,  that  is,  to  be  made  a  church,  for  he  who  is  re- 
born or  regenerated  is  made  a  church.  Inasmuch  as  by  com- 
ing forth  from  the  womb  is  signified  re-birth,  and  hence  the 
church,  therefore  the  Lord  in  the  Word  is  called  he  who  formeth 
from  the  womb,  he  who  bringeth  forth  from  the  womb ;  and 
they  wiio  are  regenerated  and  made  a  church,  are  said  to  be 
carried  from  the  womb,  as  in  Isaiah,  "  Thus  saith  Jehovah  thy 
Maker,  he  who  formeth  thee  from  the  womb,  he  helpeth  thee," 
xliv.  2.  Again,  "Thus  saith  Jehovah,  thy  Redeemer,  and  he 
who  formed  thee  from  the  icomb,"  xliv.  24.  Again,  "  Jehovah 
saith,  who  formed  me  from  the  womb  to  be  his  servant,  to  bring 
back  Jacob  unto  him,  and  Israel  may  be  gathered  to  him," 
xlix.  5.  And  in  David,  "  Jehovah,  who  brought  me  forth  from 
the  womb,"  Psalm  xxii.  9.  Again  in  Isaiah,  "  Hearken  unto 
me,  O  house  of  Jacob,  and  all  the  remains  of  the  house  of 
Israel,  . .  .  carried  from  the  womb"  xlvi.  3.  And  in  David, 
"  The  wicked  are  estranged  from  the  womb,  and  they  go  astray 
from  the  belly  by  the  words  of  a  lie,"  Psalm  lviii.  3  ;  where  to 
be  estranged  from  the  womb  is  to  be  alienated  from  the  good 
of  the  church,  and  to  go  astray  from  the  belly,  from  truth.  So 
in  Hosea,  "The  pangs  of  a  woman  in  travail  shall  come  npon 
him  :  he  is  an  unwise  son,  because  in  the  time  he  doth  not  stand 
in  the  womb  of  sons,"  xiii.  13 ;  not  to  stand  in  the  womb  of 
sons,  denotes  not  to  be  in  the  good  of  the  truth  of  the  church. 
Again,  "Their  glory  shall  fly  away  like  a  bird,  from  the  birth, 
from  the  belly,  and  from  conception"  ix.  11,  denoting  that  the 
truth  of  the  church  will  altogether  perish  ;  from  the  birth,  what 
is  born  ;  from  the  belly,  what  is  in  gestation ;  from  conception, 
wdiat  is  come  forth.  Again,  in  Isaiah,  "  I  knew  that  dealing 
treacherously  thou  wouldst  deal  treacherously  ;  and  thou  wast 
called  &  transgressor  from  the  womb,"  xlviii.  8,  denoting  that 
he  wras  such  from  the  first  of  the  church.  So  in  the  Apocalypse, 
"A  great  sign  was  seen  in  heaven  ;  a  woman  encompassed  with 
the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her  head  a 
crown  of  twelve  stars  ;  but  bearing  in  the  belly,  she  cried,  being 
in  travail,  and  was  pained  to  bring  forth,"  xii.  1,  2 ;  the  woman 
denotes  the  church,  n.  252,  253,  255 ;  the  sun  with  which  she 
was  encompassed,  is  the  good  of  love,  n.  30  to  38,  1529,  1530, 
2441,  2495,  4060,  4696  ;  the  moon  which  was  under  her  feet  ia 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


the  truth  of  faith,  n.  30  to  38,  1529,  1530,  2120,  2195,  4696  ; 
stars  are  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  n.  2495,  2849,  4697  ; 
the  reason  whv  there  were  twelve  stars,  is,  because  twelve  are 
all,  thus  all  the  things  of  faith,  n.  577,  2089,  2129,  2130,  3272, 
3858,  3913  ;  bearing  in  the  belly,  denotes  the  truth  of  the 
church  conceived  ;  being  in  travail  and  being  pained  to  bring 
forth,  denotes  that  it  was  received  with  difficulty. 

4919.  Ver.  28.  "  And  it  came  to  pass  in  her  bringing  forth." 
— -That  hereby  is  signified  production,  appears  from  the  sig- 
nification of  bringing  forth,  as  denoting  to  acknowledge  in 
faith  and  act,  see  n.  3905,  3915,  3919;  and  as  that  which  is 
acknowledged  in  faith  and  act  is  produced,  therefore  by  bring- 
ing forth  is  signified  production,  viz.,  of  good  and  truth  of  the 
church. 

4920.  "  That  one  put  forth  his  hand." — That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified power,  appears  from  the  signification  of  hand,  as  denot- 
ing power,  see  n.  878,  3387. 

4921.  "And  the  midwife  took." — That  hereby  is  signified 
the  natural  principle,  appears  from  the  signification  of  midwife, 
as  denoting  the  natural  principle,  see  n.  4588  ;  how  this  case  is, 
will  appear  from  what  follows.  That  in  the  spiritual  world  a 
midwife  has  another  signification  than  that  which  it  has  in  the 
natural  world,  may  be  manifest  from  this  consideration,  that 
none  of  the  things  relating  to  births,  consequently  relating  to 
the  office  of  a  midwife,  are  in  the  former  world ;  whence  it  is 
evident  that  when  man  is  reading  these  words,  the  angels  who 
are  attendant  upon  him,  perceive  something  else  instead  of 
midwife,  and  indeed  something  spiritual ;  consequently  as  the 
angels  keep  their  ideas  in  those  things  which  relate  to  spiritual 
birth,  therefore  by  midwife  they  have  a  perception  of  what  as- 
sists and  receives  that  birth  ;  that  this  is  the  natural  principle 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  4588. 

4922.  "And  bound  upon  his  hand  double-dyed  scarlet." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  that  she  marked  the  power,  and  that 
double-dyed  scarlet  denotes  good,  appears  (1.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  binding  upon  the  hand,  as  denoting  to  mark  power, 
for  hand  is  power,  see  n.  4920  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  double-dyed  idibaphum),  as  denoting  good,  and  indeed  spirit- 
ual good  :  double-dyed  (dibaphum)  denotes  spiritual  good,  be- 
cause it  is  of  a  scarlet  colour,  which,  in  the  other  life,  when  it 
appears,  signifies  spiritual  good,  that  is,  the  good  of  charity 
towards  the  neighbour.  For  all  the  colours  that  are  conspicu- 
ous in  the  other  life  signify  something  of  good  and  truth,  inas- 
much as  they  exist  from  the  light  of  heaven,  which  in  itself 
is  wisdom  and  intelligence  from  the  Lord's  Divine  principle  : 
hence  the  variegations  and  modifications  of  that  light  are  the 
variegations  and  modifications  of  wisdom  and  intelligence,  con- 
sequently of  good  and  truth  :  that  the  light  iu  heaven  is  iron: 


4919—4922.] 


GENESIS. 


443 


the  divine  wisdom  and  intelligence  of  the  Lord,  Who  there  ap- 
pears as  the  sun,  may  be  seen  in  n.  1053,  1521  to  1533,  1619 
to  1632.  2776,  3138,  3167,  3190,  3195,  3222,  3223,  3223,  3337, 
3339,  3340,  34S5,  3636,  3643,  3862,  3993,  4180,  4214,  4302,4405, 
4408,  4413,  4415,  4523  to  4533.  That  colours  are  hence  de- 
rived, and  that  they  are  the  variegations  and  modifications  of 
that  light,  consequently  of  intelligence  and  wisdom,  see  n.  1042, 
1043,  1053, 1624,  3993,  4530,  4677,  4742.  That  scarlet  double- 
dyed  denotes  spiritual  good,  is  evident  from  the  passages  in  the 
Word  where  it  is  mentioned;  as  in  Jeremiah,  "  If  then  thou 
art  spoiled,  what  wilt  thou  do  ?  If  thou  clothest  thyself  with 
double-dyed  scarlet,  and  adornest  thyself  with  an  ornament  of 
gold,  ...  in  vain  shalt  thou  render  thyself  beautiful;  the  lovers 
will  abhor  thee,"  iv.  30 ;  speaking  of  Judah,  where  to  clothe 
thyself  with  double-dyed  scarlet,  denotes  spiritual  good ;  to 
adorn  with  an  ornament  of  gold,  denotes  celestial  good.  And 
in  the  second  book  of  Samuel,  "David  lamented  over  Said, 
and  over  Jonathan ;  and  inscribed  to  teach  the  sons  of  Israel 
the  bow.  .  .  .  Ye  daughters  of  Israel,  weep  over  Said,  who 
clothed  you  with  double-dyed  scarlet,  with  delights,  who  set  an 
ornament  of  gold  upon  your  apparel,"  i.  17,  24  ;  where  to  teach 
the  bow,  is  to  teach  the  doctrine  of  love  and  charity,  for  this  is 
signified  by  bow ;  to  clothe  with  double-dyed  scarlet,  denotes 
spiritual  good,  as  before  ;  and  to  set  an  ornament  of  gold  upon 
the  apparel,  denotes  celestial  good.  As  this  was  the  significa- 
tion of  double-dyed  scarlet,  it  was  commanded  to  be  laid  on  the 
curtains  of  the  tabernacle,  the  vail,  the  hanging  of  the  door  of 
the  tent,  the  hanging  for  the  gate  of  the  court,  the  table  of  faces, 
when  they  journeyed,  on  Aaron's  garments  of  holiness,  as  the 
ephod,  the  breast-plate  of  judgment,  and  on  the  skirts  of  the 
robe  of  the  ephod ;  as  directed  in  the  folowling  passages : 
"  Thou  shalt  make  for  the  tabernacle  ten  curtains,  fine  twined 
linen,  and  blue,  and  purple,  and  double-dyed  scarlet"  Exod. 
xxvi.  1.  "  Thou  shalt  make  a  vail  of  blue,  and  purple,  and 
double-dyed  scarlet"  xxvi.  31.  "Thou  shalt  make  a  hanging 
for  the  door  of  the  tent,  of  blue,  and  purple,  and  double-dyed 
scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen,"  xxvi.  36.  "  For  the  gate  of  the 
court  thou  shalt  make  a  hanging  of  blue,  and  purple,  and 
double-dyed  scarlet,  and  fine  twined  linen,  wrought  with  needle- 
work," xxvii.  16.  "When  the  camp  journeys,  .  .  .  they  shall 
spread  over  the  table  of  faces  a  cloth  of  double-dyed  scarlet,  and 
shall  cover  with  a  covering  of  badger's  skin,"  Numb.  iv.  8. 
"  Thou  shalt  make  an  ephod  of  gold,  of  blue,  and  of  purple, 
and  of  double-dyed  scarlet,  fine  twined  linen,  the  work  of  the 
artificer,"  Exod.  xxviii.  5,  6,  8.  "  Thou  shalt  make  a  breast- 
plate of  judgment,  of  the  work  of  the  artificer,  as  the  work  of 
the  ephod,  of  gold,  blue,  and  purple,  and  double-dyed  scarlet, 
and  fine  twined  linen,"  xxviii.  15.    "  Upon  the  skirts  of  the 


444 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


robe  of  the  ephod,  pomegranates  of  blue,  and  of  purple,  and 
of  double-dyed  scarlet"  xxviii.  33.  Inasmuch  as  the  tent  of 
assembly  with  the  ark  represented  heaven,  therefore  the  above 
colours  were  commanded,  which  signified  in  their  order  celes- 
tial and  spiritual  things  in  heaven,  viz.,  blue  and  purple  sig- 
nified celestial  goods  and  truths ;  double-dyed  scarlet  and  fine 
twined  linen,  spiritual  goods  and  truths :  every  one  who  reads 
the  holy  Word,  may  know  that  every  thing  therein  has  some 
signification ;  and  he  who  believes  the  Word  to  be  holy,  be- 
cause it  was  sent  down  from  the  Lord  through  heaven,  may 
know  that  the  celestial  and  spiritual  things  of  His  kingdom  are 
signified.  In  like  manner  it  was  commanded,  that  in  the 
cleansings  of  the  leprosy,  cedar  wood,  scarlet,  and  hyssop  should 
be  applied,  Levit.  xiv.  4,  6,  52 ;  and  that  upon  the  burning  of 
the  red  heifer,  from  which  was  to  come  the  water  of  separation, 
should  be  put  cedar  wood,  and  hyssop,  and  double-dyed,  purple^ 
Numb.  xix.  6.  The  profanation  of  good  and  truth  is  also  de- 
scribed by  similar  expressions  in  the  Apocalypse,  "  I  saw  a 
woman  sitting  upon  a  scarlet  beast,  full  of  names  of  blasphe- 
my ;  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  And  the  woman  was 
arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  and  gilded  with  gold,  and  pre- 
cious stones,  and  pearls,  having  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand  full 
of  the  abominations  and  uncleanness  of  whoredoms,"  xvii.  3,  4. 
And  afterwards,  "  Alas,  alas,  that  great  city,  which  was  clothed 
in  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  gilded  with  gold  and  pre- 
cious stones,  and  pearls,"  xviii.  16  ;  speaking  of  Babylon,  by 
which  is  signified  the  profanation  of  good,  n.  1182,  1283,  1295, 
1304  to  1308,  1321,  1322,  1326  ;  in  the  above  passages,  the 
profanation  of  good  and  truth,  which  is  Babylonic  ;  in  the  pro- 
phets of  the  Old  Testament,  Babylon  denotes  the  profanation 
of  good,  and  Chaldea  the  profanation  of  truth.  In  the  opposite 
sense,  scarlet  signifies  the  evil  which  is  opposed  to  spiritual 
good ;  as  in  Isaiah,  "  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall 
be  as  white  as  snow  :  though  they  be  red  like  purple,  they  shall 
be  as  wool,"  i.  18;  the  reason  why  scarlet  signifies  that  evil,  is, 
because  blood,  from  its  redness  also,  signifies  in  the  genuine 
sense  spiritual  good,  or  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  but  in 
the  opposite  sense  violence  offered  to  charity. 

4023.  "  Saying,  This  came  forth  first."— That  hereby  is  sig- 
nified that  it  had  priority,  appears  from  the  signification  of 
coming  forth  first,  or  being  the  first-born,  as  denoting  priority  and 
superiority,  see  n.  3325.  The  subject  treated  of  hero  and  in  the 
remainder  of  this  chapter,  is  concerning  primogeniture.  He 
who  is  not  acquainted  with  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  may 
conjecture  that  primogeniture  only  is  treated  of,  consequently 
the  prerogatives  which  the  first-born  would  obtain  according 
to  the  laws ;  but  he  who  knows  any  thing  concerning  the  in- 
tornal  sense,  may  see  evidently  enough  that  something  more 


4923—4925.] 


GENESIS. 


445 


sublime  here  also  lies  concealed  and  treasured  up,  as  well  from 
the  fact  itself,  that  one  of  the  children  stretched  out  the  hand 
and  drew  it  back  again,  and  that  then  the  other  came  forth,  as 
from  the  consideration  that  hence  they  were  named,  and  that 
the  midwife  bound  the  double-dyed  scarlet  upon  the  hand  of 
the  former  ;  and  further,  from  circumstances  nearly  similar 
respecting  Esau  and  Jacob,  in  that  they  struggled  together  in 
the  womb,  and  when  Esau  came  forth  first,  that  Jacob  held  his 
heel,  Gen.  xxv.  23,  24,  20 ;  moreover  also  from  the  two  sons  of 
Joseph,  that  when  Jacob  blessed  them,  he  placed  the  right 
hand  on  the  younger,  and  the  left  on  the  elder,  Gen.  xlviii.  17, 
18,  19.  The  Jews  and  some  of  the  Christians  indeed  believe 
that  in  these,  and  also  in  the  rest  of  the  passages  of  the  Word, 
there  is  some  sense  or  meaning  stored  up  which  they  call  mys- 
tical, and  this  because  from  infancy  they  have  been  impressed 
with  holy  ideas  of  the  "Word;  but  when  it  is  inquired  what  that 
mystical  meaning  is,  they  do  not  know ;  if  they  are  told  that 
as  it  is  in  the  Word,  and  as  the  Word  is  divine,  it  must  neces- 
sarily be  such  as  it  is  with  the  angels  in  heaven,  and  that  there 
can  be  no  other  mystical  sense ;  for  if  there  were  any  other,  it 
would  be  either  fabulous,  or  magical,  or  idolatrous  ;  and  further, 
that  this  mystical  sense,  which  is  with  the  angels  in  heaven,  is 
nothing  else  than  the  spiritual  and  celestial  sense,  and  treats 
solely  of  the  Lord,  His  kingdon,  and  the  church,  consequently 
of  good  and  truth ;  and  that  if  they  knew  what  good  and.  truth 
is,  or  what  love  and  faith  is,  they  might  also  know  that  mystical 
sense  ; — when  this  is  told  them,  scarcely  any  one  believes  it ; 
yea,  such  is  the  ignorance  prevailing  at  this  day  amongst  those 
who  are  of  the  church,  that  what  is  related  concerning  a  celes- 
tial and  spiritual  [principle]  is  scarcely  comprehensible.  But 
be  it  so ;  nevertheless,  since  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord  it 
has  been  granted  me  to  be  at  the  same  time  in  heaven  as  a 
spirit,  and  on  earth  as  a  man,  and  hence  to  discourse  with  the 
angels,  and  this  now  continually  for  several  years,  I  cannot  do 
otherwise  than  open  those  things  of  the  Word  which  are  called 
mystical,  that  is,  its  interiors,  which  are  the  spiritual  and  celes- 
tial things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom.  But  what  is  involved  in  the 
internal  sense  in  the  things  here  related  concerning  the  two 
sons  of  Tamar,  will  be  shown  in  what  now  follows. 

4924.  V er.  29.  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  drew  back  his 
hand." — That  hereby  is  signified  that  he  concealed  his  power, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  hand,  as  denoting  power,  see  n. 
878,  3387, 4920,  to  conceal  which  is  signified  by  drawing  back. 

4925.  "  That,  behold,  his  brother  came  forth."— That  hereby 
is  signified  the  truth  of  good,  appears  from  the  signification  of* 
brother,  as  denoting  what  is  consanguineous  from  good,  see  n. 
3815,  4267,  thus  the  truth  of  good ;  the  truth  of  good  is  truth 
derived  from  good,  or  faith  derived  from  charity.    The  subject 


446 


GENESIS. 


[Chat. 


xxxviii. 


here  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense  is  the  primogeniture  with 
those  who  are  re-horn  or  regenerated  by  the  Lord,  consequently 
the  primogeniture  in  the  church  ;  it  was  a  matter  of  dispute  from 
the  most  ancient  times  which  is  the  first-born,  whether  the  good 
of  charity,  or  the  truth  of  faith ;  and  as  during  the  process  of 
man's  being  re-born  and  becoming  a  church,  good  does  not  ap- 
pear, but  conceals  itself  in  the  interior  man,  and  only  manifests 
itself  in  a  certain  affection,  which  does  not  fall  manifestly  into 
the  sense  of  the  external  or  natural  man,  until  he  is  re-born, 
whereas  truth  manifests  itself,  for  this  enters  by  the  senses,  and 
deposits  itself  in  the  memory  of  the  external  or  natural  man, 
therefore  several  have  fallen  into  the  error  of  supposing  that 
truth  is  the  first-born,  and  at  length  also  into  the  error  that  truth 
is  the  essential  of  the  church,  and  so  essential,  that  truth,  which 
is  called  faith,  is  able  to  save  without  the  good  which  is  of  charity. 
From  this  one  error  several  others  have  been  derived,  which 
have  infected  not  only  doctrine  but  life  ;  as  that  man  may  be 
saved,  without  any  respect  to  his  life,  if  he  have  but  faith  ;  that 
even  the  most  wicked  are  received  into  heaven,  if  at  the  hour  of 
death  they  make  a  confession  only  of  certain  tenets  of  faith  ;  that 
every  one  is  in  a  capacity  of  being  received  into  heaven  through 
grace,  whatsoever  his  life  has  been  ;  and  as  they  are  principled 
in  this  doctrine,  at  length  they  do  not  know  what  charity  is,  nor 
are  they  concerned  about  it ;  and  finally,  they  do  not  believe  that 
there  is  such  a  principle  as  charity,  consequently  that  there  is 
either  a  heaven  or  a  hell.  The  reason  is,  because  faith  with- 
out charity,  or  truth  without  good,  teaches  nothing,  and  the 
more  it  recedes  from  good,  the  more  it  infatuates  a  man  ;  for  it 
is  good,  into  and  through  which  the  Lords  flows-in,  and  gives 
intelligence  and  wisdom,  consequently  superior  intuition  and 
also  perception  whether  it  be  so  or  not.  From  these  consid- 
erations it  may  be  evident  how  the  case  is  with  primogeniture, 
viz.,  that  it  belongs  to  good  actually,  and  to  truth  apparently ; 
this  now  is  what  is  here  described  in  the  internal  sense  by 
the  birth  of  the  two  sons  of  Tamar ;  for  by  the  double-dyed 
scarlet,  which  the  midwife  bound  upon  the  hand,  is  signified 
good,  as  was  shown,  n.  4922  ;  by  coming  forth  first,  is  signitied 
priority,  n.  4923 ;  by  drawing  back  the  hand,  is  signified  that 
good  concealed  its  power,  as  has  been  shown  just  above  ;  by  his 
brother  coming  forth,  is  signitied  truth  ;  by  breaking  a  breach 
over  thee,  is  signified  the  separation  of  truth  from  good  appa- 
rently ;  by  his  brother  afterwards  coming  forth,  is  signitied  that 
good  was  actually  prior ;  and  by  upon  whose  hand  was  the 
double-dyed  scarlet,  is  signified  acknowledgment  that  it  is  good ; 
for  good  is  not  acknowledged  to  be  prior  until  man  is  re-born, 
for  then  man  acts  from  good,  and  from  it  regards  truth  and  its 
quality.  These  are  the  things  contained  in  the  internal  sense, 
which  teaches  how  the  case  is  with  good  and  truth  in  the  man 


4926.] 


GENESIS. 


447 


who  is  bom  anew,  viz,,  good  is  in  the  first  place  actually,  but 
truth  apparently;  and  good  does  not  appear  to  be  in  the  first 
place  whilst  man  is  regenerating,  but  manifestly  when  he  ia 
regenerated  ;  but  to  explain  these  things  further  is  unnecessary, 
since  they  have  been  explained  above,  see  n.  3324,  3325,  3494, 
3539,  3548,  3556,  3563,  3570,  3576,  3603,  3701,  4243,  4244, 
4247,  4337.  And  that  from  ancient  times  the  point  has  been 
controverted,  whether  primogeniture  belongs  to  good  or  truth, 
to  charity  or  faith,  see  n.  2435.  As  in  the  supreme  sense,  the 
Lord  is  the  first-born,  and  hence  love  to  Him  and  charity  to- 
wards the  neighbour,  therefore  in  the  representative  church  a 
law  was  enacted  that  the  first-born  should  be  Jehovah's;  con- 
cerning which  it  is  thus  written  in  Moses,  "  Sanctify  unto  me 
every  first-born,  whatsoever  openeth  the  womb  amongst  the  sons 
of  Israel,  in  man  and  in  beast :  let  them  be  mine,"  Exod.  xiii. 
2.  "Thou  shalt  cause  to  pass  over  to  Jehovah  all  that  openeth 
the  womb,  and  every  opening  of  the  foetus  of  a  beast  which  thou 
hast ;  the  males  shall  be  Jehovah's,"  xiii.  12.  "All  that  open- 
eth the  womb  shall  be  mine ;  therefore  as  to  all  thy  cattle,  thou 
shalt  give  the  male,  the  firstling  of  the  ox  and  of  the  sheep" 
xxxiv.  19.  "Every  thing  that  openeth  the  womb  in  all  flesh, 
which  they  bring  unto  Jehovah,  of  men  and  of  beasts,  it  shall 
be  thine  :  nevertheless,  redeeming  thou  shalt  redeem  every  first- 
born of  man"  Numb,  xviii.  15.  "  Behold,  I  have  taken  the 
Levites  out  of  the  midst  of  the  children  of  Israel,  in  the  place 
of  every  first-born  that  openeth  the  womb  among  the  children 
of  Israel,  that  they  may  be  Levites  to  myself,"  iii.  12.  As  the 
first-born  is  that  which  openeth  the  womb,  therefore  where  the 
first-born  is  mentioned,  it  is  always  called  the  opening  of  the 
womb,  denoting  that  it  is  good  which  is  signified  :  that  it  is  good, 
'is  evident  from  each  of  the  things  in  the  internal  sense,  espe- 
cially from  what  is  related  concerning  the  sons  of  Tamar,  that 
Zarah  by  his  hand  opened  the  womb,  by  whom  is  represented 
good,  as  is  manifest  also  from  the  double-dyed  scarlet  upon  his 
hand,  see  n.  4922 ;  the  womb  also,  of  which  opening  is  predi- 
cated, is  where  good  and  truth  are,  consequently  the  church, 
see  n.  4918  ;  to  open  which,  is  to  give  power  that  truth  may  be 
born.  As  the  Lord  alone  is  the  First-born,  being  Essential 
Good,  and  from  His  good  is  all  truth,  therefore  also  that  Jacob, 
who  was  not  the  first-born,  might  represent  Him,  he  was  per- 
mitted to  buy  the  primogeniture  from  Esau  his  brother ;  and 
because  this  was  not  sufficient,  he  was  surnamed  Israel,  that  by 
that  name  he  might  represent  the  good  of  truth ;  for  in  the 
representative  sense,  Israel  is  the  good  which  is  procured  bv 
truth,  n.  3654,  4286,  4598. 

4926.  "  And  she  said,  Why  hast  thou  broken  a  breach  over 
thee  ?" — That  hereby  is  signified  the  separation  thereof  from 
good  apparently,  appears  from  the  signification  of  a  breach,  as 


us 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


denoting  the  infraction  and  perversion  of  truth  by  separation 
from  good,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently  ;  to  break  a  breach 
is  evidently  in  this  passage  to  pluck  away  the  double-dyed  scai'- 
let  from  the  hand,  thus  to  separate  good,  for  by  the  double-dyed 
scarlet  is  signified  good,  n.  4922  ;  that  it  was  apparently,  fol- 
lows from  this  consideration,  that  it  so  appeared  to  the  mid» 
wife,  for  it  was  not  he  who  had  the  scarlet,  but  his  brother,  who 
represented  truth;  on  this  subject  see  what  was  shown  just 
above,  n.  4925,  viz.,  that  good  is  actually  the  first-born,  but 
truth  apparently.  This  may  be  further  illustrated  from  the 
uses  and  members  in  the  human  body ;  it  appears  as  if  the 
members  and  organs  are  before,  and  that  their  uses  are  after, 
for  they  are  first  presented  to  the  eye,  and  are  also  known  be- 
fore the  uses  ;  nevertheless,  the  use  is  prior  to  the  members  and 
organs,  since  these  latter  are  from  uses,  and  thus  formed  accord- 
ing to  uses;  yea,  use  itself  forms  and  adapts  them  to  itself: 
unless  this  was  the  case,  all  and  each  of  the  things  in  man 
would  never  conspire  so  unanimously  to  one.  The  case  is  simi- 
lar with  good  and  truth ;  it  appeal's  as  if  truth  was  prior,  whereas 
good  is  prior,  being  that  which  forms  truths,  and  adapts  them 
to  itself;  wherefore,  truths  considered  in  themselves  are  only 
goods  formed,  or  forms  of  good ;  truths  also  in  respect  to  good 
are  as  the  viscera  and  fibres  in  the  body  in  respect  to  uses,  good 
also  viewed  in  itself  is  nothing  but  use.  That  a  breach  signi- 
fies infraction  into  and  perversion  of  truth,  by  separation  from 
°;ood,  is  evident  also  from  other  passages  in  the  Word ;  as  in 
David,  "  Our  garners  are  full,  yielding  supply  from  food  to 
food  ;  our  flocks  are  thousands  and  ten  thousands  in  our  streets ; 
our  oxen  are  laden  ;  there  is  not  a  breach,''''  Psalm  cxliv.  13,  14, 
speaking  of  the  ancient  church,  such  as  it  was  in  its  youth; 
food,  with  which  the  garner  was  full,  denotes  spiritual  food, 
that  is,  truth  and  good ;  flocks  and  oxen  denote  internal  and 
external  goods  ;  there  is  not  a  breach,  denotes  that  truth  is  not 
infracted  or  broken  through  by  separation  from  good.  So  in 
Amos,  "I  will  raise  up  the  tent  of  David  which  is  fallen  to 
pieces,  and  I  will  hedge  up  their  breaches,  and  will  restore  the 
ruins  thereof;  I  will  build  according  to  the  days  of  eternity," 
ix.  11,  speaking  of  the  church  which  is  principled  in  good ; 
the  tent  of  David  fallen  to  pieces,  is  the  good  of  love  and  cha- 
rity from  the  Lord;  that  tent  is  that  good,  see  n.  414,  1102, 
2145,  2152,  3312,  4128,  4391,  4599,  and  that  David  is  the  Lord, 
n.  1888 ;  to  hedge  up  breaches,  denotes  to  amend  falses,  which 
have  entered  by  the  separation  of  truth  from  good  ;  to  build 
according  to  the  days  of  eternity,  denotes  according  to  the 
state  of  the  church  in  ancient  times ;  this  state  and  time  is 
called  in  the  Word  the  day  of  eternity,  the  day  of  an  age,  and 
also  of  generation  and  generation.  And  in  Isaiah,  "  He  builds 
of  thee  the  wastes  of  an  age,  the  foundations  of  generation  and 


4927.] 


GENESIS. 


449 


generation  ;  and  he  shall  be  called,  The  repairer  of  the  breach 
for  thee,  The  restorer  of  paths  to  dwell  in,  lviii.  12,  speaking 
of  the  church  where  charity  and  life  is  the  essential ;  to  repair 
the  breach,  denotes  also  to  amend  the  falses  which  have  crept 
in  by  the  separation  of  truth  from  good,  every  false  being  from 
this  source  ;  to  restore  paths  to  dwell  in,  denotes  the  truths  of 
good,  for  paths  or  ways  are  truths,  n.  627,  2333,  and  to  dwell  is 
predicated  of  good,  h.  2268,  2451,  2712,  3613.  Again,  "Ye 
have  seen  the  breaches  of  the  city  of  David,  that  they  are  very 
many y  and  ye  have  gathered  together  the  wTaters  of  the  lower 
fish-pond,"  xxii.  9  ;  the  breaches  of  the  city  of  David  denote 
falses  of  doctrine ;  the  waters  of  the  lower  fish-pond  denote 
the  traditions  whereby  they  made  infractions  into  the  truths 
which  are  in  the  Word,  see  Matt.  xv.  1  to  6- ;  Mark  vii.  1  to  14. 
And  in  Ezekiel,  "  Ye  have  not  gone  up  into  the  breaches,  neither 
have  ye  hedged  the  hedge  for  the  house  of  Israel,  that  ye 
might  stand  in  the  war  in  the  day  of  Jehovah,"  xiii.  5.  Again, 
"  I  sought  from  them  a  man  (vir)  to  hedge  up  the  hedge,  and 
to  stand  in  the  breach  before  me  for  the  land,  that  I  might  not 
destroy  it ;  but  I  found  none,"  xxii.  30  ;  to  stand  in  the  breach 
denotes  to  defend  and  take  heed  lest  falses  break  in.  So  in 
David,  "  Jehovah  said,  that  he  would  have  destroyed  the 
people,  had  not  Moses  his  chosen  stood  before  him  in  the 
breach"  Psalm  cvi.  23 ;  where  to  stand  in  the  breach  denotes 
also  to  take  heed  lest  falses  break  in ;  Moses  is  the  Word,  see 
preface  to  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  Genesis,  and  n.  4859. 
And  in  Amos,  "  They  shall  draw  out  your  posterity  with  fish- 
hooks. Ye  shall  go  forth  through  the  breaches,  every  one  from 
his  country ;  and  ye  shall  cast  down  the  palace,"  iv.  2,3;  to 
go  forth  through  the  breaches,  denotes  by  falses  grounded  in 
reasonings ;  the  palace  is  the  Word,  consequently  the  truth  of 
doctrine  which  is  from  good.  And  as  by  breaches  is  signified 
the  false  existing  through  the  separation  of  truth  from  good, 
the  same  thing  also  in  the  representative  sense  is  signified  by 
strengthening  and  repairing  the  breaches  of  the  house  of  Je- 
hovah, 2  Kings  xii.  6,  7,  8,  12  ;  xxii.  5.  So  in  the  second  book 
of  Samuel,  "  It  grieved  David  that  Jehovah  had  broken  a 
breach  in  Uzzah ;  whence  he  called  that  place  P^res-Uzzah," 
vi.  8,  speaking  of  Uzzah,  who  died  because  he  touched  the 
ark ;  by  the  ark  was  represented  heaven,  in  the  supreme  sense 
the  Lord,  consequently  the  divine  good  ;  but  by  Uzzah  was 
represented  that  which  ministers,  thus  truth,  for  this  ministers 
to  good  ;  the  above  separation  is  signified  by  the  breach  in 
Uzzah. 

4927.  "And  she  called  his  name  Pharez." — That  hereby  is 
signified  the  quality  of  the  separation  of  truth  from  good  appa- 
rently, appears  from  the  signification  of  calling  a  name,  as  de- 
noting quality,  see  n.  144,  145,  1754,  1896,  2009,  2724,  3006, 
vol.  v.  29 


450 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


3421 ;  the  quality  itself  is  Pharez,  which  in  the  original  tongue 
signifies  a  breach. 

4928.  Yer.  30.  "And  afterwards  came  forth  his  brother." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  good  actually  prior,  appears  from  the 
representation  of  Zarah,  who  in  this  case  is  the  brother,  as  de- 
noting good ;  for  he  it  was  who  opened  the  womb,  thus  who 
was  the  first-born,  and  upon  whose  hand  was  the  double-dyed 
scarlet;  that  it  is  good,  may  be  seen  in  n.  4925.  By  his  bro- 
ther afterwards  coming  forth,  is  signified  that  good  is  actually 
prior ;  because  during  man's  regeneration,  good  does  not  ap- 
pear, for  it  conceals  itself  in  his  interior  man,  and  only  flows-in 
to  truth  through  affection  according  to  the  degrees  of  the  con- 
junction of  truth  with  itself:  when  therefore  truth  is  conjoined 
to  good,  as  is  the  case  when  man  is  regenerated,  good  manifests 
itself,  for  man  then  acts  from  good,  and  regards  truth  as  de- 
rived from  good,  for  he  is  then  more  studious  of  life  than  of 
doctrine. 

4929.  "  Upon  whose  hand  was  the  double-dyed  scarlet." — 
That  hereby  is  signified  acknowledgment  that  it  is  good,  ap- 
pears from  this  consideration,  that  he  was  now  acknowledged 
from  the  double-dyed  scarlet  upon  the  hand,  thus  that  it  was 
good  which  opened  the  womb,  or  was  the  first-born.  By  the 
midwife's  binding  the  double-dyed  scarlet  upon  the  hand  is  sig- 
nified that  she  marked  who  was  the  first-born,  hence  acknow- 
ledgment is  here  signified. 

4930.  "And  she  called  his  name  Zarah." — That  hereby  is 
signified  quality,  appears  from  the  signification  of  calling  a 
name,  as  denoting  quality,  see  above,  n.  4927.  The  quality 
signified  by  Zarah,  is  the  quality  of  what  has  been  hitherto 
treated  of  in  the  internal  sense,  viz.,  that  good  is  the  first-bora 
actually,  and  truth  apparently.  The  quality  itself  contains 
innumerable  things,  which  cannot  be  seen  in  the  light  of  the 
world,  but  in  the  light  of  heaven,  thus  before  the  angels  ;  if  a 
man  were  to  see  the  quality  of  one  thing  as  it  appears  before 
the  angels,  lie  would  be  amazed,  and  would  confess  that  he 
could  never  have  believed  it,  and  that  respectively  his  know- 
ledge was  next  to  nothing:.  In  the  original  tongue  Zarah  sig- 
nines  rise,  and  is  attributed  to  the  sun  and  to  the  first  appear- 
ance of  its  light;  hence  Zarah  was  so  named,  because  the  case 
is  similar  with  good  in  the  man  who  is  regenerating;  for  it  first 
arises  and  gives  light,  by  which  the  things  in  the  natural  man 
are  illustrated,  so  that  they  may  be  seen  and  acknowledged, 
and  finally  believed ;  unless  there  was  light  from  good  within 
in  man,  he  could  not  in  any  wise  see  truths  to  acknowledgment 
and  faith,  but  only  either  as  things  to  be  called  true  for  the  sake 
of  the  vulgar,  or  as  falses. 


4928—4933.] 


GENESIS. 


451 


A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  SUBJECT  CONCERNING  CORRESPOND- 
ENCE WITH  THE  GRAND  MAN ;  ESPECIALLY  ON  THE  CORRE- 
SPONDENCE OF  THE  HANDS,  ARMS,  FEET,  AND  LOLNS,  WITH 
THAT  MAN. 

4931.  IT  has  been  shown  above,  that  the  universal  heaven 
resembles  one  man,  with  each  of  his  organs,  members,  and  vis- 
cera; and  this  because  heaven  has  reference  to  the  Lord,  for  the 
Lord  is  the  all  in  all  of  heaven,  insomuch  that  heaven,  in  the 
proper  sense,  is  the  divine  good  and  divine  truth,  which  are 
from  the  Lord.  Hence  it  is,  that  heaven  is  distinguished  as  it 
were  into  so  many  provinces,  according  to  the  number  of  viscera, 
organs,  and  members  of  man,  with  which  also  there  is  corre- 
spondence J  unless  there  was  such  a  correspondence  of  man  with 
heaven,  and  through  heaven  with  the  Lord,  man  would  not  sub- 
sist even  a  single  moment.  All  those  things  are  kept  in  con- 
nexion by  influx.  But  all  the  above  provinces  have  reference  to 
two  kingdoms,  viz.,  to  the  celestial  kingdom,  and  to  the  spiritual 
kingdom  ;  the  former  is  the  kingdom  of  the  heart  in  the  Grand 
Man,  and  the  latter  is  the  kingdom  of  the  lungs  in  that  Man; 
m  like  manner  as  in  man,  the  heart  reigns  and  the  lungs  reign 
in  all  and  each  of  the  parts  of  his  body.  Those  two  kingdoms 
ore  wonderfidly  joined  together /  this  conjunction  is  also  repre- 
sented in  the  conj  unction  of  the  heart  and  lungs  in  man,  and,  in 
the  conjunction  of  their  operations  in  each  of  the  members  and 
viscera.  When  man  is  an  embryo,  or  yet  in  the  womb,  he  is  in 
the  kingdom  of  the  heart ;  but  when  he  has  issued  forth  from 
the  womb,  he  at  the  same  time  comes  into  the  kingdom  of  the 
lungs  J  and  if  he  suffers  himself  to  be  brought  by  the  truths  of 
faith  into  the  good  of  love,  he  returns  from  the  kingdom  of  the 
lungs  into  the  kingdom  of  the  heart,  in  the  Grand  Man,  for 
thereby  he  again  comes  into  the  womb  and  is  re-bom.  Then  also 
those  two  kingdoms  are  conjoined  in  him,  but  in  an  inverted 
order:  for  heretofore  the  kingdom  of  the  heart  was  under  the 
government  of  the  lungs  in  him,  that  is,  the  truth  of  faith  here- 
tofore had  dominion  with  him  /  but  afterwards  the  good  of 
charity  bears  rule.  The  heart  correspo?ids  to  the  good  of  love, 
and  the  lungs  to  the  truth  of  faith  ;  see  n.  3635,  3S83  to  3S96. 

4932.  Those  in  the  Grand  Man  who  correspond  to  the  hands 
and  arms,  and  also  to  the  shoulders,  are  they  who  are  in  power 
by  the  truth  of  faith  grounded  in  good  ;  for  they  who  are  in  this 
truth,  are  in  the  Lord's  power,  as  they  attribide  all  power  to 
Him,  and  none  to  themselves /  and  the  more  they  attribute  none 
to  themselves  (not  with  the  moidh,  but  with  the  heart),  so  much 
the  greater  power  are  they  in;  hence  the  angels  are  called  abil- 
ities and  powers. 

4933.  The  reason  why  the  hands,  arms,  and  shoulders  ccr- 


452 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxviii. 


respond  to  power  in  the  Grand  Man,  is,  because  the  strength 
and  powers  of  the  whole  body  and  of  all  its  viscera  have  refer- 
ence to  them  ;  for  the  body  exercises  its  strength  and  powers  by 
the  arms  and  hands.  Hence  also  it  is,  that  in  the  Word,  by 
hands,  arms,  and  shoulders,  are  signified  poioers  ;  that  this  is 
signified  by  the  hands,  may  be  seen  in  n.  878,  3387 ;  that  it  is 
signified  by  the  arms,  is  evident  from  several  passages,  as  from 
the  following :  "  Be  thou  an  arm  every  morning"  Isaiah  xxxiii. 
2.  "  The  Lord  Jehovah  cometh  in  might,  and  his  arm  shall 
rule  for  him,"  xl.  10.  "He  worketh  it  by  the  arm  of  his 
strength,"  xliv.  12.  "  Mine  arms  shall  judge  the  people,"  li.  5. 
11  Put  on  strength,  O  arm  of  Jehovah,"  li.  9.  "I  looked,  and 
there  was  none  to  help  /  .  .  .  therefore  my  own  arm  brought  sal- 
vation unto  me"  lxiii.  5.  "  Cursed  be  he  who  trusteth  in  man, 
and  maketh  flesh  his  arm,"  Jeremiah  xvii.  5.  "  I  have  made  the 
earth,  man,  and  beast,  by  my  great  power,  and  by  my  stretched- 
out  arm,"  xxvii.  5  ;  xxxii.  17.  "  The  horn  of  Moab  is  cut  off, 
and  his  arm  is  broken,"  xlviii.  25.  "  J  break  the  arms  of  the 
king  of  Egypt  :  but  I  will  strengthen  the  arms  of  the  king  of 
Babylon,"  Ezekiel  xxx.  22,  21,  25.  "Jehovah,  bre'ak  thou  the 
arm  of  the  wicked,"  Psalm  x.  15.  "According  to  the  great- 
ness of  thine  arm,  reserve  the  children  of  death"  lxxix.  11. 
"  Brought  out  of  Egypt  by  a  mighty  hand  and  stretched-out 
arm,"  Deut.  vh.  19 ;  xi.  2,  3 ;  xxvi.  8  ;  Jeremiah  xxxii.  21 ; 
Psalm  cxxxvi.  12.  From  these  passages  also  it  may  be  mani- 
fest, that  by  the  right  hand  in  the  Word  is  signified  superior 
power,  and  by  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  Jehovah  is  signified 
omnipotence,  Matt.  xxvi.  63,  61 ;  Luke  xxii.  69  ;  Mark  xiv.  61, 
62 ;  xvi.  19. 

4931.  There  has  been  seen  by  me  a  naked  arm,  bent  forward, 
which  had  with  it  so  great  force,  and  at  the  same  time  so  great 
terror,  that  I  not  only  was  struck  with  horror,  but  seemed  as  if 
I  might  be  bruised  into  an  atom,  even  as  to  inmost  principles. 
This  arm  was  irresistible,  and  has  been  twice  seen  by  me  ;  hence 
it  was  given  me  to  know,  that  arms  signify  strength,  and  hands 
power.  A  warmth  was  also  sensibly  felt  exhaling  from  that 
arm. 

4935.  This  naked  arm  is  presented  to  the  sight  in  various 
positions,  and  according  to  the  positions  it  strikes  terror  ;  and 
in  the  position  above  described,  terror  incredible,  for  it  appears 
as  if  it  was  able  in  an  instant  to  break  to  pieces  the  bones  and 
marrows.  They  who  have  not  been  timid  in  the  life  of  the  body, 
are  nevertheless  in  the  other  life  smitten  with  the  greatest  terror 
by  that  arm. 

4936.  Occasionally,  spirits  have  appeared,  who  had  staves, 
and  it  was  said  that  they  were  magicians  /  they  are  in  front  to 
the  right  a  long  way  immersed  deep  i?i  caverns  ;  they  who  have 
been  more  mischievous  magicia?is,  are  there  immersed  at  a 


4934—4939.] 


GENESIS. 


453 


greater  depth.  They  seem,  to  themselves  to  have  staves,  also  by 
phantasies  they  form  several  kinds  of  staves,  and  believe  that  by 
them,  they  can  do  miracles  y  for  they  suppose  energy  to  be  in  the 
staff,  and  this,  because  staves  are  for  the  support  of  the  right 
hand  and  arm,,  which  by  correspondence  are  strength  and  power. 
Hence  it  was  eviden  t  to  me,  why  of  old  they  attributed  staves 
to  magicians  y  for  the  old  Gentiles  had  it  from  the  ancient 
representative  church,  in  which  staves,  as  well  as  hands,  signified 
poioer,  see  n.  4876.  And  in  consequence  of  this  signification, 
Moses  was  commanded,  when  miracles  were  wrought,  to  stretch 
out  the  staff  or  hand,  Exod.  \\.  17,  20;  viii.- 1  to  11,  12  to  18; 
ix.  23  ;  x.  3  to  21 ;  xiv.  21,  26,  27 ;  xvii.  5,  6, 11, 12 ;  Numbers 
xx.  7  to  11. 

4937.  Infernal  spirits  also  sometimes  present  a  shoulder 
from  phantasy,  the  effect  of  which  is  a  repercussion  of  forces,  yet 
they  cannot  pass  over  y  but  this  is  only  for  those  xoho  are  in 
such  phantasy,  for  they  know  that  the  shoulder  corresponds  to 
all  power  in  the  spiritual  world.  By  shoulder,  also  in  the 
Wordy  is  signified  all  power  y  as  is  evident  from  these  passages  : 
"Thou  hast  broken  the  yoke  of  his  burden,  and  the  staff  of  his 
shoulder,"  Isaiah  ix.  4.  "  Ye  thrust  with  side  and  with  shoul- 
der, and  smite  with  yotir  horns,'1''  Ezekiel  xxxiv.  21.  "  Thou 
shalt  rend  for  him  every  shoulder,"  xxix.  7.  "  That  they  may 
serve  Jehovah  with  one  shoulder,"  Zephaniah  iii.  9.  "  Unto  us 
a  child  is  bom,  .  .  .  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoul- 
der," Isaiah  ix.  6.  "  I  will  give  the  key  of  the  house  of  David 
upon  his  shoulder,"  xxii.  22. 

4938.  They  in  the  Grand  Man,  who  correspond  to  the  feet, 
the  soles  of  the  feet,  and  the  heels,  are  such  as  are  natural  y 
wherefore  by  feet  in  the  Word  are  signified  natural  things,  n. 
2162,  3147,  3761,  39S6,  4280;  by  the  soles  of  the  feet,  inferior 
natural  things;  and  by  the  heels,  the  lowest  natural  things. 
For  in  the  Grand  Man  celestial  things  constitute  the  head,  spir- 
itual things  the  body,  and  natural  things  the  feet  y  they  also 
follow  in  this  order  y  celestial  things  likewise,  which  are  the 
supreme,  terminate  in  spiritual  things,  which  are  the  middle, 
and  spiritual  things  in  natural,  which  are  the  last. 

4939.  Once,  when  I  was  elevated  into  heaven,  it  appeared  to 
me  as  if  toith  the  head  I  was  there,  and  with  the  body  beneath, 
but  with,  the  feet  still  lower  y  and  hence  it  was  perceived  how 
the  superior  and  interior  things  appertaining  to  man  correspond 
to  those  in  the  Grand  Man,  and  how  the  one  flows-in  to  the 
other,  viz.,  how  the  celestial  principle,  which  is  the  good  of  love 
and  the  first  principle  of  order,  flows-in  to  the  spiritual  which 
is  truth  thence  derived,  and  is  the  second  of  order,  and  finally 
into  the  naturcd,  which  is  the  third  of  order  y  hence  it  is  mani- 
fest, that  natural  things  are  like  the  feet,  upon  which  superior 


454:  GENESIS.  [Chap,  xxxviii. 


things  stand  and  are  supported.  In  nature  also,  the  things  of 
the  spiritual  world  and  of  heaven  terminate  y  hence  it  is  that 
universal  nature  is  a  theatre  representative  of  the  lord's  king- 
dom, and  that  each  single  thing  of  nature  represents,  see  n.  2758, 
3483 ;  and  that  nature  subsists  from  influx  according  to  the 
above  order,  and  that  without  such  influx  it  could  not  subsist 
even  a  single  moment. 

4940.  On  another  occasion,  when  being  encompassed  with 
an  angelic  column  I  was  let  dow?i  into  the  places  of  lower  things, 
it  was  given  me  to  perceive  sensibly  that  they  who  were  in  the 
earth  of  lower  things,  corresponded  to  the  feet,  and  to  the  soles 
of  the  feet  y  those  places  also  are  beneath  the  feet  and  the  soles 
of  the  feet.  I  likewise  discoursed  with  the  spirits  there  y  they 
are  such  as  have  been  in  natural  delight,  and  not  in  spiritual. 
Concerning  the  inferior  earth,  see  n.  4728. 

4941.  In  those  places  also  are  they  who  have  ascribed  all 
things  to  nature,  and  but  little  to  the  Divine.  I  discoursed  there 
with  them,  and  when  the  discourse  was  concerning  the  Divine 
Providence,  they  attributed  all  things  to  nature;  nevertheless 
when  they  who  have  led  a  good  moral  life,  have  been  detained 
there  for  some  time,  they  successively  put  off  those  principles, 
and  put  on  the  principles  of  truth. 

4942.  Whilst  I  was  there,  I  heard  [a  noise']  also  in  one 
chamber,  as  if  there  were  some  on  the  other  side  of  the  wall,  who 
were  desirous  to  break  in,  at  which  they  within  were  affrighted, 
believing  that  they  vjcre  thieves y  and,  it  was  said,  that  the 
spirits  there  are  kept  in  such  fear,  to  the  intent  that  they  may  be 
deterred  from  evils,  because  in  some  cases  fear  is  a  means  of 
amendment. 

4943.  In  the  lower  earth  beneath  the  feet  and  soles  of  the 
feet,  are  also  they  who  have  placed  merit  in  good  deeds  and 
works  ;  several  of  them  appear  to  themselves  to  cut  wood  /  the 
place  where  they  are  is  rather  cold,  and  they  seem  to  themselves 
to  acquire  heat  by  their  labour ;  tvith  these  also  I  discoursed, 
and  it  was  given  me  to  ask  them,  whether  they  were  willing  to 
come  forth  from  that  place?  They  said,  that  as  yet  they  had 
not  merited  it  by  their  labour  j  but  when  that  state  has  been 
passed  through,  they  are  conveyed  away  from  thence.  These 
also  are  naturcds,  because  to  be  willing  to  merit  salvation  is  not 
spiritual  y  and  moreover  they  prefer  themselves  to  others,  some 
of  them  even  despising  others.  In  the  other  life,  if  these  do  not 
receive  a  joy  superior  to  that  of  others,  they  are  indignant 
against  the  Lord  y  wherefore  when  they  cut  wood,  it  sometimes 
ajypears  as  if  somewhat  of  the  Lord  was  under  the  wood,  and 
this  from  indignation.  But  as  they  have  led  a  pious  life,  and 
have  acted  thus  from  ignorance,  in  which  there  was  somewhat 
of  innocence,  angels  are  occasionally  sent  to  them,  and  console 
them;  there  likewise  appears  to  them  at  times  from  the  left 


4940—4946.] 


GENESIS. 


455 


above  as  it  were  a  sheep,  at  the  sight  of  which  they  also  receive 
consolation. 

4944.  They  who  come  f  rom  the  Christian  world,  and  have 
led  a  moral  life,  and  had  somewhat  of  charity  towards  the  neigh- 
hour,  but  have  had  little  concern  about  spiritual  things,  are  for 
the  most  part  sent  into  the  places  beneath  the  feet  and  the  soles 
of  the  feet,  where  they  are  kept  until  they  put  off  the  natural 
things  in  which  they  have  been  principled,  and  are  tinctured 
with  spiritual  and  celestial  things  as  far  as  they  are  able  /  tohen 
this  ts  effected,  they  are  elevated  thence  to  heavenly  societies  ;  1 
have  seen  them  at  times  emerging,  and  was  witness  to  their  joy 
at  coming  into  heavenly  light. 

4945.  In  what  situation  the  places  beneath  the  feet  are,  it 
has  not  as  yet  been  given  me  to  know  :  they  are  very  many,  and 
most  distinct  one  amongst  another;  in  general  they  are  called 
the  earth  of  lower  things. 

4946.  There  are  some  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  have  been 
tinctured  with  the  persuasion  that  man  ought  not  to  concern 
himself  about  the  things  of  the  internal  man,  consequently  about 
spiritual  things,  but  solely  about  those  of  the  external  man,  or 
natural  things,  because  interior  things  disturb  the  delights  of 
their  life,  and  make  it  undelightful.  They  acted  upon  the  left 
knee,  and  a  little  above  the  knee  on  the  fore-part,  and  also  upon 
the  sole  of  the  right  foot.  I  discoursed  with  them  in  their  place 
of  abode  y  they  said,  that  in  the  life  of  the  body  they  had  been 
of  opin  ion  that  only  external  things  were  alive,  and  that  they 
did  not  understand  what  an  internal  principle  was,  consequently 
that  they  knew  natural  things,  but  not  spiritual /  but  it  was 
given  me  to  tell  them,  that  thereby  they  shut  out  from  themselves 
innumerable  things  which  might  have  flowed-in  from  the 
spiritual  'world,  if  they  had  acknowledged  interior  things,  and 
thus  had  admitted  them  into  the  ideas  of  their  thought.  And 
it  was  further  given  me  to  tell  them,  that  in  every  idea  of  their 
thought  there  are  things  innumerable,  which  do  not  appear  be- 
fore man,  especially  a  natural  man,  except  as  one  simple  thing  ; 
when  yet  there  are  indefinite  things  flowing -in  from  the  spiritual 
world,  which  cause  superior  intuition  in  the  spiritual  man, 
whereby  he  can  see  and  also  perceive  whether  a  thing  be  true  or 
not.  And  as  they  doubted  concerning  this,  it  was  shown  them 
by  living  experience  ;  one  idea  was  represented  to  them,  which 
they  saw  as  one  simple  idea,  consequently  as  an  obscure  point 
(such  a  thing  is  easily  represented  in  the  light  of  heaven)  y  when 
that  idea  was  unclosed,  and  at  the  same  time  their  interior 
sight  opened,  there  was  then  manifested  as  it  were  a  universe 
leading  to  the  Lord,  and  they  were  told  that  so  it  is  in  every 
idea  of  good  and  truth,  viz.,  that  it  is  an  image  of  the  whole 
heaven,  because  it  is  from  the  Lord,  who  is  the  all  of  heaven,  or 
the  very  essential  which  is  called  heaven. 


456 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxvm. 


4947.  Beneath  the  soles  of  the  feet  also  are  they,  who  in  the 
life  of  the  body  have  lived  to  the  world  and  to  their  own  partic- 
ular taste  and  temper,  delighted  with  such  things  as  are  of  the 
world,  and  icho  have  loved  to  live  in  splendour,  but  only  from 
external  cupidity  or  that  of  the  body,  not  f  rom  internal  or  that 
of  the  mind  (mens)  ;  for  they  have  not  been  proud  in  mind 
(animus),  in  preferring  themselves  to  others,  although  advanced 
to  dignities  f  thus  in  so  living  they  have  acted  from  the  bodily 
principles  :  wherefore  such  have  not  rejected  the  doctrinals  of 
the  church,  still  less  have  they  confirmed  themselves  against 
them  '  in  their  heart  they  have  said  concerning  them,  that  it  is 
so,  because  they  who  study  the  Word  know  it  to  be  so.  With 
some  of  this  character,  the  interiors  are  open  towards  heaven, 
into  which  interiors  are  successively  inseminated  heavenly  things, 
viz.,  justice,  probity ,  piety,  charity,  mercy  y  and  they  are  after- 
wards elevated  into  heaven. 

494S.  But  they  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  have  thought  and 
studied  nothing  from  their  interior  principle,  except  what  re- 
lates to  self  and  the  world,  have  closed  every  way  or  every  influx 
out  of  heaven  to  themselves,  for  self-love  and  the  love  of  the 
world  is  the  opposite  to  heavenly  love.  Of  these,  they  ivho  have 
lived  at  the  same  time  in  pleasures,  or  in  a  delicate  life  con- 
joined with  interior  cunning,  are  under  the  sole  of  the  right 
foot,  but  at  a  considerable  depth  there,  thus  beneath  the  earth 
of  lower  things,  where  the  hell  of  such  is  :  in  their  houses  there 
is  nothing  but  filth,  they  seem  also  to  themselves  to  carry  filth,* 
for  filth  corresponds  to  such  life  ;  the  stench  of  different  kinds 
of  filth  is  sensibly  smelt  there  according  to  the  genera  and  spe- 
cies of  their  life.  Several,  who  in  the  world  have  been  of  dis- 
tinguished celebrity,  have  their  abodes  there. 

4949.  There  are  several  who  have  abodes  under  the  soles  of 
the  feet,  with  whom  I  have  occasionally  discoursed  ;  I  saw  some- 
of  them  attempting  to  ascend,  and  it  was  also  given  me  sensibly 
to  feel  their  attempt,  and  this  even  to  the  k?iees  /  but  they  fell 
back  again  :  in  this  manner  it  is  represented  to  the  sense,  when 
any  are  desirous  of  rising  from  their  own  abodes  to  those  which 
are  higher  ;  as  in  the  case  of  those  who  were  desirous  of  rising 
to  the  abodes  of  those  who  are  in  the  province  of  the  knees  and 
thighs.  I  was  told,  that  such  are  they  who  have  despised  others 
in  comparison  with  themselves  :  wherefore  also  they  are  willing 
to  emerge,  and  not  only  through  the  foot  into  the  thigh,  but  also, 
if  they  were  able,  above  the  head  ;  yet  still  they  fall  back  again. 
They  are  in  a  certain  kind  of  stupidity,  for  such  arrogance  ex- 
tinguishes and  suffocates  the  light  of  heaven,  and  consequently 
intelligence  ;  wherefore  the  sphere  which  encompasses  them  ap- 
pears as  gross  dregs. 

4950.  Beneath  the  left  foot,  a  little  to  the  left,  are  such  as 
have  attributed  all  things  to  nature,  yet  still  have  confessed  an 


4947— 4952.] 


GENESIS. 


457 


Ens  of  the  universe  from  which  come  all  the  things  of  nature  ; 
but  exploration  was  made  whether  they  belieoed  in  any  Ens  of 
the  universe,  or  highest  Deity,  as  having  created  all  things,  but 
it  was  perceived  from  their  thought  communicated  with  me,  that 
what  they  believed  in  was  a  something  inanimate,  in  which 
there  was  nothing  of  life  y  whereby  it  might  be  evident,  that 
they  did  not  acknowledge  the  Creator  of  the  universe,  but  na- 
ture ;  they  said  also  that  they  could  not  have  an  idea  of  a  living 
deity. 

4951.  Beneath  the  heel,  somewhat  more  backwards,  is  a  hell 
at  a  great  depth  ;  the  intermediate  space  appears  as  empty  ;  in 
this  hell  are  the  most  malicious,  they  clandestinely  explore  minds 
(animos)  with  a  view  to  hurt,  and  lay  snares  loith  a  view  to 
destroy  ;  this  had  been  the  delight  of  their  life.  I  frequently 
observed  them  /  they  pour  out  the  poison  of  their  malice  to  those 
who  are  in  the  world  of  spirits,  and  stir  them  up  by  various 
stratagems ;  they  are  interiorly  malicious  /  they  appear  as  it 
were  in  cloaks,  and  sometimes  otherwise  j  they  are  often  pun- 
ished, and  are  then  let  down  to  a  greater  depth,  and  are  veiled 
as  it  were  with  a  cloud,  which  is  the  sphere  of  malice  exhaling 
from  them  y  out  of  that  depth  at  times  a- tumult  is  heard  as  of 
a  general  carnage.  They  can  induce  others  to  weep,  and  can 
also  strike  terror  :  they  have  become  tinctured  with  this  habit  in 
the  life  of  the  body,  in  consequence  of  being  with  the  sick  and 
simple  {for  the  sake  of  obtaining  wealth),  whom  they  have  con- 
strained to  weep,  and  thereby  have  moved  to  pity  ;  and  if  they 
have  not  obtained  their  ends  in  this  way,  they  have  proceeded  to 
strike  terror.  There  are  several  of  this  description,  who  in  this 
manner  for  monasteries  have  plundered  several  houses.  Some 
were  also  observed  in  a  middle  distance,  but  these  appear  to  them- 
selves to  sit  as  in  a  chamber,  and  to  consult  /  they  are  also  mali- 
cious, but  not  in  the  above  degree. 

4952.  Some  of  those  who  are  naturals,  have  said  that  they 
know  not  what  they  shoidd  believe,  because  a  lot  awaits  every  one 
according  to  his  life,  and  also  according  to  his  thoughts  from 
confirmed  principles ;  but  reply  was  made  them,  that  it  was 
sufficient  for  them  if  they  believed  that  it  is  God  who  governs 
all  things,  and  that  there  is  a  life  after  death  /  and  especially 
if  they  lived  not  as  a  wild  beast,  but  as  a  man,  viz.,  in  love  to 
God,  and  in  charity  towards  their  neighbour,  thus  in  truth  and 
in  good,  but  not  contrary  thereto.  But  they  said  that  they  did 
so  live  j  but  reply  was  again  made,  that  in  externals  they  ap- 
peared to  do  so,  xohen  nevertheless,  had  not  the  laws  opposed 
them,  they  would  have  invaded  every  one's  life  and  property  with 
more  fury  than  wild  beasts.  They  again  said  that  they  did  not 
know  what  charity  towards  their  neighbour  was,  nor  what  an 
internal  prima pie  ;  but  reply  was  made  them,  that  they  could 
not  know  those  things,  because  self-love,  the  love  of  the  world, 


458  GENESIS.  [Chap,  xxxix. 

and  external  things  had  occupied  the  whole  of  their  thought  and 
will. 

4953.  The  subject  will  be  continued  at  the  close  of  the  follow- 
ing chapter. 


GENESIS. 

CHAPTER  THE  THIRTY-NINTH. 


4954.  IX  the  introduction  to  the  foregoing  chapter,  we  ex- 
plained what  the  Lord  said  concerning  the  judgment  upon  the 
good  and  the  evil,  described  in  Matthew,  chapter  xxv.,  verses  31 
to  33  ;  see  n.  4807  to  4810.  We  now  proceed  to  explain  the 
words  which  there  follow  in  order :  Then  shall  the  king  say 
unto  those  on  his  right  hand,  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  in- 
herit the  kingdom  2>rej)ared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world :  for  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  to  me  to  eat ;  I  was 
thirsty,  and  ye  gave  to  me  to  drink  ;  I  was  a  sojourner,  and  ye 
gathered  me  ;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  ;  I  was  sick,  and  ye 
visited  me  /  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me,  verses 
34  to  36. 

4955.  "What  these  words  involve  in  the  internal  sense,  will 
be  manifest  from  what  follows.  It  is  first  to  be  noted,  that 
these  works  which  are  here  enumerated  are  the  very  essential 
works  of  charity  in  their  order.  This  cannot  be  seen  by  any 
one,  unless  he  is  acquainted  with  the  internal  sense,  that  is, 
unless  he  knows  what  is  meant  by  giving  to  the  hungry  to  eat, 
by  giving  to  the  thirsty  to  drink,  by  gathering  the  sojourner, 
ciothing  the  naked,  visiting  the  sick,  and  coming  to  those  who 
are  in  prison.  He  who  thinks  of  these  acts  only  from  the  sense 
of  the  letter,  thence  infers,  that  they  mean  good  works  in  the 
external  form,  and  that  there  is  no  arcanum  besides  in  them ; 
whereas  in  each  of  them  there  is  an  arcanum,  which  is  divine, 
because  from  the  Lord.  But  the  arcanum  is  not  now  under- 
stood, because  at  this  day  there  are  no  doctrinals  of  charity ; 
for  after  men  had  separated  charity  from  faith,  those  doctrinals 
perished,  and  instead  thereof  the  doctrinals  of  faith  were  in- 
vented and  received,  which  do  not  at  all  teach  what  is  meant 
by  charity,  and  what  by  the  neighbour.  The  doctrinals,  which 
prevailed  among  the  ancients,  taught  all  the  genera  and  species 
of  charity,  and  also  who  the  neighbour  is  towards  whom  charity 


4953—4956.] 


GENESIS. 


459 


is  to  be  exercised,  and  how  one  differs  from  another  in  the 
degree  and  respect  in  which  he  is  a  neighbour,  and  consequently 
how  the  exercise  of  charity  varies  in  its  application  towards 
various  persons.  They  also  distinguished  the  neighbour  into 
classes,  and  assigned  names  to  each,  calling  some  poor,  needy, 
miserable,  afflicted,  some  blind,  lame,  halt,  and  also  fatherless 
and  widows,  some  hungry,  thirsty,  sojourners,  naked,  sick, 
bound,  and  so  forth  :  hence  they  knew  how  they  were  indebted 
towards  one  and  towards  another  ;  but,  as  we  said,  these  doc- 
trinala  perished,  and  with  them  also  the  understanding  of  the 
Word,  insomuch  that  no  one  at  this  day'  knows  any  other,  than 
that  by  the  poor,  the  widows,  and  the  fatherless,  in  the  Word, 
none  else  are  meant  but  those  who  are  so  called  ;  in  like  manner 
in  the  present  case,  by  the  hungry,  the  thirsty,  the  sojourners, 
the  naked,  the  sick,  and  those  who  are  in  prison  ;  when  yet 
hereby  is  described  charity  such  as  it  is  in  its  essence,  and  the 
exercise  thereof  such  as  it  ought  to  be  in  the  life. 

4956.  The  essence  of  charity  towards  the  neighbour  is  the 
affection  of  good  and  truth,  and  the  acknowledgment  of  self 
that  it  is  evil  and  the  false ;  yea,  the  neighbour  is  good  and 
truth  itself,  and  to  be  affected  with  these  is  to  have  charity. 
The  opposite  to  the  neighbour  are  evil  and  the  false,  which  are 
held  in  aversion  by  the  man  of  charity.  He,  therefore,  that 
has  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  is  affected  with  good  and 
truth,  because  they  are  from  the  Lord  ;  and  he  holds  in  aver- 
sion what  is  evil  and  false,  because  it  is  from  self;  and  when  he 
does  this,  he  is  in  humiliation  from  self-acknowledgment ;  and 
when  he  is  in  humiliation,  he  is  in  a  state  of  reception  of  good 
and  truth  from  the  Lord.  These  are  the  properties  of  charity, 
which  in  the  internal  sense  are  involved  in  these  words  of  the 
Lord:  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  to  me  to  eat  /  I  was  thirsty, 
and  ye  gave  to  me  to  drink :  I  was  a  sojourner,  and  ye  gathered 
me  I  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  ;  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me  :  1 
was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me.  That  these  words  involve 
the  above  properties  of  charity,  no  one  can  know  but  from  the 
internal  sense.  The  ancients,  who  were  in  possession  of  the 
doctrinals  of  charity,  knew  these  things  ;  but  at  this  day  they 
appear  so  remote,  that  every  one  wonders  to  hear  it  asserted 
that  such  things  are  contained  in  the  Lord's  words  ;  and  yet  the 
angels  attendant  on  man  have  no  other  perception  of  the  words. 
By  one  who  is  hungry  they  have  a  perception  of  those  who  from 
affection  desire  good ;  by  one  who  is  thirsty,  of  those  who  from 
affection  desire  truth  ;  by  a  sojourner,  of  those  who  are  willing 
to  be  instructed  ;  by  one  who  is  naked,  of  those  who  acknow- 
ledge that  there  is  nothing  of  good  and  of  truth  in  themselves; 
by  one  who  is  sick,  of  those  who  acknowledge  that  in  themselves 
there  is  nothing  but  evil ;  and  by  the  bound  or  those  who  are  in 
prison,  of  those  who  acknowledge  that  in  themselves  there  is 


460 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


nothing  but  what  is  false.  If  these  are  reduced  into  one  sense, 
they  signify  the  things  which  we  said  just  above. 

4957.  From  these  considerations  it  may  appear  manifest, 
that  there  were  divine  things  in  all  that  the  Lord  spoke,  al- 
though they  appear  to  those  who  are  merely  in  worldly  things, 
and  especially  to  those  who  are  in  corporeal  things,  to  be  such 
as  any  man  might  say  ;  yea,  those  who  are  in  corporeal  things, 
will  say  of  the  above  words  and  of  the  rest  which  the  Lord 
spoke,  that  there  is  not  so  much  elegance  in  them,  consequently 
not  so  much  weight,  as  in  the  discourse  and  preaching  of  those 
of  the  present  age,  who  speak  with  eloquence  grounded  in 
erudition  ;  whereas  their  discourse  and  preaching  is  compa- 
ratively but  as  the  husk  and  chaff  in  respect  to  the  kernel  or 
grain. 

4958.  To  hunger  denotes  to  desire  good  from  affection,  be- 
cause oread  in  the  internal  sense  is  the  good  of  love  and  of 
charity,  and  food  in  general  is  good;  n.  2165,  2177,  3478,  4211, 
4217,  4735.  To  thirst  denotes  to  desire  truth  from  affection, 
because  wine  and  also  water  are  the  truth  of  faith  ;  that  wine 
is,  see  n.  1071,  1798  ;  that  water  is,  see  n.  2702.  A  sojourner 
denotes  one  who  is  willing  to  be  instructed,  as  may  be  seen, 
n.  1463,  4444.  Naked  denotes  one  who  acknowledges  that  there 
is  nothing  of  good  and  truth  in  himself;  sick  denotes  one  who 
is  in  evil ;  and  bound  or  in  prison  denotes  one  who  is  in  the 
false,  as  is  evident  from  the  several  passages  in  the  Word  where 
they  are  mentioned. 

4959.  The  Lord  says  those  things  of  himself,  because  He  is 
in  those  who  answer  to  such  description  ;  therefore  He  also  says, 
Yerily  I  say  unto  you,  so  much  as  ye  have  done  to  one  of  the 
least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  to  me,  verses  40,  45. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

1.  AND  Joseph  was  made  to  go  down  to  Egypt;  and  Poti- 
phar,  Pharaoh's  chamberlain,  the  prince  of  the  guards,  an 
Egyptian  man,  bought  him  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Ishmaelites, 
who  made  him  go  down  there. 

2.  And  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph  ;  and  he  was  a  man  that 
prospered  ;  and  he  was  in  the  house  of  his  lord  the  Egyptian. 

3.  And  his  lord  saw  that  Jehovah  was  with  him  ;  and  all 
that  he  did  Jehovah  prospered  in  his  hand. 

4.  And  Joseph  found  grace  in  his  eyes,  and  ministered  unto 
him  ;  and  he  gave  him  command  over  his  house,  and  whatever 
he  had  he  gave  into  his  hand. 

5.  And  it  came  to  pass,  from  the  time  that  he  gave  him 


4957— 4959.] 


GENESIS. 


461 


command  in  his  house,  and  over  all  that  he  had,  that  Jehovah 
blessed  the  house  of  the  Egyptian  for  Joseph's  sake  ;  and  the 
blessing  of  Jehovah  was  upon  all  that  he  had  in  the  house  and 
in  the  held. 

6.  And  he  left  all  that  he  had  into  Joseph's  hand  ;  and  he 
knew  not  any  thing  with  him  except  the  bread  Avhich  he  did  eat. 
And  Joseph  was  beautiful  in  form  and  beautiful  in  aspect. 

7.  And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  words,  that  his  lord's  wife 
lifted  up  her  eyes  to  Joseph,  and  said,  Lie  with  me. 

8.  And  he  refused,  and  said  to  his  lord's  wife,  Behold,  my 
lord  knoweth  not  what  is  with  me  in  the  house  ;  and  all  that  he 
hath  he  hath  given  into  my  hand. 

9.  He  himself  is  not  greater  in  this  house  than  I ;  and  ho 
hath  not  kept  back  any  thing  from  me  except  thee,  because 
thou  art  his  wife  ;  and  how  shall  I  do  this  great  evil,  and  sin 
against  God  ? 

10.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  she  spake  to  Joseph  day  by 
day,  and  he  did  not  give  ear  to  her,  to  lie  with  her,  to  be  with 
her. 

11.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  a  certain  day,  he  came  to  the 
house  to  do  his  work,  and  there  was  none  of  the  men  of  the 
house  there  in  the  house. 

12.  And  she  caught  him  in  his  garment,  saying,  Lie  with 
me ;  and  he  left  his  garment  in  her  hand,  and  fled,  and  went 
forth  abroad. 

13.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  she  saw  he  left  his  garment, 
in  her  hand,  and  fled  abroad. 

14.  And  she  cried  to  the  men  of  her  house,  and  said  to 
them,  saying,  See  ye,  he  hath  brought  to  us  a  Hebrew  man  to 
mock  us  ;  he  came  to  me  to  lie  with  me,  and  I  cried  with  a 
great  voice. 

15.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  he  heard  that  I  lifted  up  my 
voice  and  cried ;  and  he  left  his  garment  with  me,  and  fied, 
and  went  forth  abroad. 

16.  And  she  laid  up  his  garment  with  her,  until  her  lord 
came  to  his  house. 

17.  And  she  spake  to  him  according  to  these  words,  saying, 
The  Hebrew  servant,  whom  thou  hast  brought  to  us,  came  to 
me  to  mock  me. 

18.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  I  lifted  up  my  voice  and  cried, 
that  he  left  his  garment  with  me,  and  fled  forth  abroad. 

19.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  her  lord  heard  the  words  of  his 
wife,  which  she  spake  to  him,  saying,  According  to  these  words 
thy  servant  did  to  me,  that  his  anger  was  kindled. 

20.  And  Joseph's  lord  took  him,  and  gave  him  into  the 
prison  house,  the  place  where  the  bound  of  the  king  were 
bound  ;  and  he  was  there  in  the  prison  house. 

21.  And  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph,  and  inclined  mercy  to 


482 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


him,  and  gave  his  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  prince  of  the  prison 
house. 

22.  And  the  prince  of  the  prison  house  gave  into  Joseph'3 
hand  all  that  were  bound,  who  Avere  in  the  prison  house  ;  and 
all  that  they  did  there,  he  was  the  doer. 

23.  The  prince  of  the  prison  house  saw  not  any  thing  in  his 
hand,  because  Jehovah  was  with  him ;  and  whatever  he  did, 
Jehovah  prospered. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

4960.  THE  subject  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense  of  this 
chapter  is  the  manner  in  which  the  Lord  made  his  internal  man 
divine.  Jacob  was  the  external  man,  treated  of  in  what  goes 
before  ;  Joseph  is  the  internal,  treated  of  in  this  and  the  follow- 
ing chapters. 

4961.  And  as  this  was  done  according  to  divine  order,  that 
order  is  here  described ;  and  also  the  temptation,  which  is  the 
means  of  conjunction. 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

4962.  Terse  1.  AND  Joseph  was  made  to  go  doion  to 
Egypt;  and  Potiphar,  PharaoKs  chamberlain,  the  prince  of 
the  guards,  an  Egyptain  man,  bought  him  out  of  the  hand  of 
the  Ishmaelites,  who  made  him  go  down  there.  And  Joseph, 
signifies  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  from  the  rational :  was 
made  to  go  down  to  Egypt,  signifies  to  the  scientifics  of  the 
church  :  and  Potiphar,  Pharaoh's  chamberlain,  bought  him, 
signifies  that  he  was  among  the  interior  of  the  scientifics :  the 
prince  of  the  guards,  signifies  the  primaries  for  interpretation  : 
an  Egyptian  man,  signifies  natural  truth :  out  of  the  hand  of 
the  Ishmaelites,  signifies  from  simple  good :  who  made  him  go 
down  there,  signifies  that  [they  made  him  go  down]  from  that 
good  to  those  scientifics. 

4963.  "And  Joseph." — This  signifies  the  celestial  of  the 
spiritual  from  the  rational,  as  appears  from  the  representation 
of  Joseph,  as  denoting  the  celestial  spiritual  man  which  is  from 
the  rational,  concerning  which,  see  n.  42S6 ;  here  therefore,  as 
the  Lord  is  treated  of,  Joseph  represents  the  Lord's  internal 
man.  Every  one  who  is  born  a  man  is  both  external  and 
internal :  his  external  is  what  is  visible  to  the  eyes,  and  by 


4900 — 4964.] 


GENESIS. 


463 


which  he  is  in  consort  with  men,  and  by  which  the  functions 
proper  to  the  natural  world  are  performed  ;  but  his  internal  is 
what  is  not  visible  to  the  eyes,  and  by  which  he  is  in  consort 
with  angels  and  spirits,  and  by  which  he  performs  the  functions 
which  are  proper  to  the  spiritual  world.  Every  man  has  an 
internal  and  an  external,  or  is  an  internal  and  external  man, 
in  order  that  by  man  there  may  be  a  conjunction  of  heaven 
with  the  world ;  for  heaven  flows-in  through  the  internal  man 
into  the  external,  and  thence  perceives  what  is  in  the  world ; 
and  the  external  man,  which  is  in  the  world,  hence  perceives 
what  is  in  heaven  :  with  this  view  man  was  so  created.  The 
Lord  also,  as  to  his  human,  had  an  external  and  an  internal, 
because  it  pleased  him  to  be  born  like  another  man.  The 
external,  or  his  external  man,  was  represented  by  Jacob,  and 
afterwards  by  Israel ;  but  the  internal  man  is  represented  by 
Joseph.  This  internal  man  is  what  is  called  the  celestial 
spiritual  from  the  rational,  or,  what  is  the  same,  the  Lord's 
internal,  which  was  human,  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  from 
the  rational.  This  and  its  glorification  are  treated  of  in  this 
and  the  following  chapters  concerning  Joseph.  But  what  the 
celestial  of  the  spiritual  from  the  rational  is,  has  been  before 
explained,  n.  4286,  4585,  4592,  4594,  viz.,  that  it  is  above  the 
celestial  of  the  spiritual  from  the  natural,  which  is  represented 
by  Israel.  The  Lord  indeed  was  born  like  another  man ;  but 
it  is  well  known  that  he  who  is  born  a  man,  derives  his  [con- 
stituent principles]  from  both  his  father  and  his  mother,  and 
that  his  inmost  is  from  the  father,  whereas  the  exteriors,  or 
those  which  clothe  that  inmost,  are  from  the  mother ;  and 
what  he  derives  from  both  the  father  and  the  mother,  is  tainted 
with  hereditary  evil.  It  was  otherwise  with  the  Lord :  what 
he  derived  from  the  mother  had  in  itself  an  hereditary  principle 
such  as  any  other  man  has ;  but  that  which  was  from  the  father, 
who  was  Jehovah,  was  divine.  Hence  the  Lord's  internal  man 
was  not  like  the  internal  of  another  man  ;  for  his  inmost  was 
Jehovah  :  this  therefore  is  the  intermediate,  which  is  called  the 
celestial  of  the  spiritual  from  the  rational.  Concerning  this, 
by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  more  will  be  said  in  what 
follows. 

4964.  "Was  made  to  go  down  to  Egypt," — This  signifies  to 
the  scientifics  of  the  church,  as  appears  from  the  signification 
of  Egypt,  as  denoting  science,  or  the  scientific  principle  in 
general,  see  n.  1164, 1165, 1186, 1462 ;  but  what  the  quality  of 
that  scientific  principle  was,  has  not  heretofore  been  explained. 
In  the  ancient  church  there  were  doctrinals  and  scientifics  :  the 
doctrinals  treated  of  love  to  God  and  of  charity  towards  the 
neighbour ;  but  the  scientifics  treated  of  the  correspondences 
of  the  natural  world  with  the  spiritual  world,  and  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  spiritual  and  celestial  things  in  things  natural  and 


464 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


terrestrial :  such  were  the  scientifics  of  those  who  were  in  the 
ancient  church.  Egypt  was  among  those  countries  and  king- 
doms, where  also  the  ancient  church  was,  see  n.  1238,  2385; 
but  as  scientifics  principally  were  there  taught  and  treated  of, 
therefore  Egypt  signifies  the  scientific  principle  in  general;  and 
on  this  account  also  in  the  prophetic  Word  Egypt  is  so  often 
treated  of,  and  there  specifically  means  such  scientific  principle. 
The  very  magic  of  the  Egyptians  also  had  its  origin  hence ;  for 
they  were  acquainted  with  the  correspondences  of  the  natural 
world  with  the  spiritual ;  which  afterwards,  when  the  church 
was  at  an  end  among  them,  they  abused  to  ma^ic.  Now,  since 
they  were  acquainted  with  such  scientifics,  which  taught  cor- 
respondences, and  also  representatives  and  significatives,  and 
since  these  things  were  serviceable  to  the  doctrinals  of  the 
church,  especially  for  the  understanding  of  those  tilings  which 
were  said  in  their  Word  (that  the  Word  of  the  ancient  church 
was  both  prophetical  and  historical,  similar  to  the  present 
Word,  but  still  another,  see  n.  2686),  hence  it  is,  that  "  was 
made  to  go  down  to  Egypt,"  signifies  to  the  scientifics  of  the 
church.  As  the  Lord  is  represented  by  Joseph,  and  it  is  here 
said  that  Joseph  was  made  to  go  down  to  Eg}Tpt, — this  signifies 
that  the  Lord,  when  he  glorified  his  internal  man,  that  is,  made 
it  divine,  first  imbibed  the  scientifics  of  the  church,  and  from 
and  by  them  advanced  to  things  more  and  more  interior,  and 
at  length  even  to  divine  things :  for  it  pleased  him  to  glorify 
himself,  or  to  make  himself  divine,  by  means  similar  to  those 
by  which  he  regenerates  a  man  or  makes  him  spiritual,  see  n. 
3138,  3212,  3296,  3490,  4402  ;  viz.,  from  things  external,  which 
are  scientifics  and  the  truths  of  faith,  successively  to  things 
internal,  which  are  the  things  of  charity  towards  the  neigh- 
bour, and  of  love  to  him.  Hence  it  is  evident,  what  is  signi- 
fied by  these  words  in  Hosea,  "  When  Israel  was  a  chud,  then 
I  loved  him,  and  called  my  Son  out  of  Egypt"  xi.  1 :  that  these 
words  were  spoken  of  the  Lord,  see  Matt.  ii.  15. 

4965.  "  And  Potiphar,  Pharaoh's  chamberlain,  bought  him." 
— This  signifies,  among  the  interior  of  the  scientifics,  as  appears 
from  the  signification  of  Pharaoh's  chamberlain,  as  denoting 
the  interior  of  the  scientifics,  see  n.  4789 :  his  buying  signifies 
that  he  ascrihed  those  things  to  himself,  see  n.  4397,  4487. 
The  interior  of  the  scientifics  are  those  which  come  nearer  to 
spiritual  things,  and  are  the  applications  of  scientitics  to  things 
celestial ;  for  these  are  what  the  internal  man  sees,  when  the 
external  sees  only  the  scientifics  in  the  external  form. 

4966.  "The  prince  of  the  guards." — This  signifies  the  pri- 
maries for  interpretation,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
the  prince  of  the  guards,  as  denoting  the  primaries  for  interpret- 
ation, see  n.  4790  :  the  primaries  for  interpretation  are  those 
things  which  primarily  conduce  to  the  interpretation  of  the 


4965,  4066.] 


GENESIS. 


465 


"Word,  and  thus  to  the  understanding  of  the  doctrinals  of  love 
to  God  and  of  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  which  are  from 
the  Word.  It  is  to  be  noted,  that  the  scientifics  of  the  ancients 
were  altogether  different  from  those  of  the  present  day.  The 
scientifics  of  the  ancients,  as  was  said  above,  treated  concern- 
ing the  correspondences  of  things  in  the  natural  world  with 
things  in  tbe  spiritual  world  :  the  scientifics,  which  are  now 
called  philosophy,  such  as  are  those  of  Aristotle  and  the  like, 
were  unknown  to  them .  This  is  also  evident  from  the  books  of  the 
earlier  writers,  several  of  which  are  written  in  such  terms  as  sig- 
nified, represented,  and  corresponded  to  interior  tilings.  That 
this  was  the  case,  may  be  manifest  from  the  following  consid- 
erations, among  others  which  might  be  mentioned  : — they  as- 
signed to  Helicon  a  place  on  a  mountain,  thereby  denoting 
heaven ;  they  assigned  to  Parnassus  a  place  beneath  on  a  hill, 
thereby  denoting  scientifics;  they  asserted  that  a  flying  horse, 
which  they  called  Pegasus,  broke  open  a  fountain  there  with 
his  hoof;  they  called  the  sciences,  virgins,  and  so  forth  :  for 
they  knew  from  correspondences  and  representatives,  that  a 
mountain  denoted  heaven  ;  a  hill,  that  heaven  which  is  beneath, 
or  which  is  with  man ;  a  horse,  the  intellectual  principle ;  the 
wings  with  which  he  flew,  spiritual  things  ;  a  hoof,  the  natural 
principle;  a  fountain,  intelligence  ;  the  three  virgins,  who  were 
called  Charites,  the  affections  of  good ;  and  the  virgins,  who 
were  named  the  virgins  of  Helicon  and  Parnassus,  the  affec- 
tions of  truth.  In  like  manner  they  assigned  to  the  sun  horses, 
whose  meat  they  called  ambrosia,  and  their  drink  nectar ;  for 
they  knew  that  the  sun  signified  celestial  love,  horses,  the  in- 
tellectual things  thence  derived,  meats,  celestial  things,  and 
drinks,  spiritual.  By  derivation  from  the  ancients  also  it  is  still 
a  custom  for  kings,  at  their  coronation,  to  sit  upon  a  silver 
throne,  to  wear  a  purple  robe,  to  be  anointed  with  oil,  to  bear 
on  their  heads  a  crown,  and  in  their  hands  a  sceptre,  a  sword, 
and  keys,  to  ride  in  royal  pomp  on  a  white  horse,  under  whose 
feet  should  be  hoofs  of  silver,  and  to  be  waited  on  at  table  by 
the  most  respectable  personages  of  the  kingdom,  besides  other 
ceremonies ;  for  they  knew  that  a  king  represented  the  divine 
truth  which  is  from  the  divine  good,  and  hence  they  knew 
what  is  signified  by  a  silver  throne,  a  purple  robe,  anointing 
oil,  a  crown,  a  sceptre,  a  sword,  keys,  a  white  horse,  hoofs  of 
silver,  and  being  waited  upon  by  the  most  respectable  person- 
ages. Who  at  this  day  is  in  possession  of  this  knowledge,  and 
where  are  the  scientifics  which  teach  it  ?  The  above  ceremo- 
nies are  called  emblematical,  from  an  entire  ignorance  of  every 
thing  relating  to  correspondence  and  representation.  From  these 
considerations  we  learn  the  quality  of  the  scientifics  of  the  an- 
cients, and  that  they  led  them  into  a  knowledge  of  things  spir- 
itual and  celestial,  the  very  existence  of  which  also  at  this  day 
vol.  v.  30 


466 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


is  scarcely  known.  The  scientifics  which  succeeded  the  ahove, 
and  which  are  properly  called  philosophy,  rather  withdraw  the 
mind  from  the  knowledge  of  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  be- 
cause they  may  also  be  applied  to  confirm  falses ;  and  they 
likewise  tend  to  obscure  the  mind  when  truths  are  confirmed 
by  them,  inasmuch  as  several  of  them  are  bare  expressions, 
whereby  confirmations  are  effected,  which  are  apprehended  by 
few,  and  concerning  which  even  those  few  are  not  agreed. 
Hence  it  may  appear  evident,  how  far  mankind  have  receded 
from  the  erudition  of  the  ancients,  which  led  to  wisdom.  The 
Gentiles  derived  the  above  scientifics  from  the  ancient  church, 
the  external  worship  of  which  consisted  in  representatives  and 
significatives,  and  the  internal  in  those  things  which  were  rep- 
resented and  signified.  These  were  the  scientifics,  which,  in 
the  genuine  sense,  are  signified  by  Egypt. 

4967.  "  An  Egyptian  man." — This  signifies  natural  truth, 
as  appeal's  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  a  man  (vir),  as  denoting 
truth,  see  n.  3134 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  Egypt,  as 
denoting  the  scientific  principle  in  general,  concerning  which 
see  just  above,  n.  4964,  4966 ;  and  as  Egypt  is  the  scientific 
principle,  it  is  also  the  natural ;  for  every  scientific  with  a  man 
is  natural,  because  it  is  in  his  natural  man,  even  the  scientific 
relating  to  things  spiritual  and  celestial :  the  reason  of  this  is, 
because  a  man  sees  those  things  in  the  natural  principle  and 
from  it,  and  what  he  does  not  see  from  the  natural  principle, 
he  does  not  apprehend.  But  the  regenerate  man,  who  is  called 
spiritual,  and  the  unregenerate  man,  who  is  merely  natural,  see 
those  things  in  different  ways :  with  the  former,  scientifics  re- 
ceive illustration  from  the  light  of  heaven,  but  with  the  latter, 
from  the  light  which  fiows-in  through  spirits  who  are  in  falses 
and  evils  ;  which  light  indeed  is  from  the  light  of  heaven,  but 
with  them  it  becomes  opaque,  like  the  light  of  evening  or  night ; 
for  such  spirits,  and  hence  such  men,  see  as  owls  do,  clearly 
by  night,  and  obscurely  by  day  ;  that  is,  they  see  falses  clearly 
and  truths  obscurely,  and  hence  they  see  clearly  the  things  of 
the  world,  and  obscurely,  if  at  all,  the  things  of  heaven.  From 
these  considerations  it  may  be  manifest,  that  the  genuine  scien- 
tific is  natural  truth ;  for  every  genuine  scientific,  such  as  is 
signified  by  Egypt  in  the  good  sense,  is  natural  truth. 

4968.  "  Out  of  the  hand  of  the  Ishmaelites." — This  signifies 
from  simple  good,  as  appears  from  the  representation  of  the 
Ishmaelites,  as  denoting  those  who  are  in  simple  good,  see 
n.  3263,  4747  ;  in  the  present  case  therefore  natural  truth  which 
is  from  simple  good.  In  chapter  xxxvii.,  verse  36,  it  is  said, 
The  Midianites  sold  Joseph  to  Egypt,  to  Potiphar,  Pharaoh's 
chamberlain,  the  prince  of  the  guards  ;  but  here  it  is  said,  Poti- 

i)har,  Pharaoh's  chamberlain,  the  prince  of  the  guards,  bought 
inn  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Ishmaelites,  who  made  him  go  down 


4967—4970.] 


GENESIS. 


467 


there:  the  reason  of  its  being  so  said  is  for  the  sake  of  the  in- 
ternal sense  ;  for  the  subject  there  treated  of  is  concerning  the 
alienation  of  truth  divine,  which  is  not  done  by  those  who  are 
in  simple  good,  but  by  those  who  are  in  simple  truth,  who  are 
represented  by  the  Midianites,  see  n.  4788  :  bat  the  subject 
here  treated  of  is  concerning  the  procuration  or  transfer  of scien- 
tiflcs,  and  concerning  natural  truth  which  is  from  simple  good  ; 
it  is  therefore  said  from  the  Ishmaelites,  for  these  represent 
those  who  are  in  simple  good :  hence  it  is  evident,  that  it  is  so 
said  for  the  sake  of  the  internal  sense. '  Neither  is  there  any 
contradiction  in  the  historical  relation  ;  for  it  is  said  of  the 
Midianites  that  they  drew  Joseph  out  of  the  pit,  consequently 
that  they  delivered  him  to  the  Ishmaelites,  by  whom  he  was 
brought  down  into  Egypt ;  thus  that  the  Midianites,  as  they 
delivered  him  up  to  the  Ishmaelites  who  were  going  to  Egypt, 
sold  him  to  Egypt. 

4969.  "  Who  made  him  go  down  there." — This  signifies  that 
[they  made  him  go  down]  from  that  good  to  those  scientifics, 
as  appears  (1.)  from  the  Ishmaelites,  who  made  him  go  down, 
representing  those  who  are  in  simple  good,  see  n.  4968  ;  and 
(2.)  from  Egypt,  which  is  here  meant  by  there,  signifying  the 
scientific  principle  in  general,  see  just  above,  n.  4964,  4966. 
Mention  is  made  of  going  down,  because  the  subject  treated  of 
is  concerning  scientifics  which  are  exterior  things ;  for  in  the 
Word,  to  go  from  things  interior  to  things  exterior  is  called 
descending,  but  from  things  exterior  to  interior  is  called  ascend- 
ing, see  n.  3084,  4539. 

4970.  Verses  2  to  6.  And  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph  ;  and  he 
wets  a  man  that  p>rospered,  and  he  was  in  the  house  of  his  lord 
the  Egyptian.  And  his  lord  saw  that  Jehovah  was  with  him  / 
and  all  that  he  did  Jehovah  j)rospered  in  his  hand.  And  Jo- 
seph found  grace  in  his  eyes,  and  ministered  unto  him  /  and  he 
gave  him  command  over  his  house,  and  whatever  he  had  he  gave 
into  his  hand.  And  it  came  to  jmss,  from  the  time  that  he  gave 
him  command  in  his  house,  and  over  all  that  he  had,  that  Jeho- 
vah Messed  the  house  of  the  Egyptian  for  Joseph's  sake  /  and 
the  blessing  of  Jehovah  was  upon  all  that  he  had  in  the  house 
and  in  the  field.  And  he  left  all  that  he  had  into  Joseph's 
hand ;  and  he  knew  not  any  thing  with  him  except  the  bread 
which  he  did  eat.  And  Joseph  was  beautiftd  inform,  and 
beautiful  in  aspect.  And  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph,  signifies 
that  the  Divine  was  in  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual :  and  he 
was  a  man  that  prospered,  signifies  that  all  things  were  pro- 
vided :  and  he  was  in  the  house  of  his  lord  the  Egyptian,  sig- 
nifies that  it  might  be  initiated  in  natural  good :  and  his  lord 
saw  that  Jehovah  was  with  him,  signifies  that  it  was  perceived 
in  natural  good  that  the  Divine  was  within :  and  all  that  he 
did  Jehovah  prospered  in  his  hand,  signifies  that  all  things 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


were  from  the  Divine  Providence :  and  Joseph  found  grace  in 
his  eyes,  signifies  that  it  was  accepted :  and  ministered  imto 
him,  signifies  that  the  scientific  principle  was  appropriated  to 
its  good :  and  he  gave  him  command  over  his  house,  signifies 
that  good  applied  itself  thereto :  and  whatever  he  had  he  gave 
into  his  hand,  signifies  that  all  his  property  was  as  it  were  in 
his  power:  and  it  came  to  pass,  from  the  time  that  he  gave  him 
command  in  his  house,  and  over  all  that  he  had,  signifies  an- 
other state  after  that  good  applied  itself  thereto  :  that  Jehovah 
blessed  the  house  of  the  Egyptian  for  Joseph's  sake,  signifies 
that  from  the  Divine  at  that  time  was  derived  thereto  the  celes- 
tial natural :  and  the  blessing  of  Jehovah  was,  signifies  increase : 
upon  all  that  he  had  in  the  house  and  in  the  field,  signifies  in 
life  and  doctrine  :  and  he  left  all  that  he  had  into  Joseph's 
hand,  signifies  that  it  appeared  as  if  all  things  were  in  his 
power  :  and  he  knew  not  any  thing  with  him  except  the  bread 
which  he  did  eat,  signifies  that  good  was  hence  appropriated  : 
and  Joseph  was  beautiful  in  form,  signifies  the  consequent  good 
of  life :  and  beautiful  in  aspect,  signifies  the  consequent  truth 
df  faith. 

4971.  "  And  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph."-  -This  signifies  that 
the  Divine  was  in  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual,  as  appears  from 
the  representation  of  Joseph,  as  denoting  the  celestial  of  the 
spiritual  from  the  rational,  see  above,  n.  4963  ;  and  as  the  Lord 
is  treated  of,  and  in  the  present  case  the  internal  man  in  his 
human,  therefore  Jehovah  was  with  him  signifies  that  the  Di- 
vine was  therein  ;  for  the  Divine  was  in  his  human,  since  he 
was  conceived  of  Jehovah.  In  the  case  of  the  angels,  the  Di- 
vine is  not  within  them,  but  is  present  with  them,  because  they 
are  only  forms  recipient  of  the  Divine  from  the  Lord. 

4972.  "  And  he  was  a  man  that  prospered." — This  signifies 
that  all  things  were  provided,  as  appears  from  the  signification 
of  prospering,  when  it  is  said  of  the  Lord,  as  denoting  that  it 
was  provided,  that  he  should  be  enriched  with  all  good. 

4973.  "And  he  was  in  the  house  of  his  lord  the  Egyptian." 
— This  signifies  that  it  might  be  initiated  in  natural  good,  as 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  a  lord,  as  denoting  good, 
of  which  we  shall  speak  presently  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  the  Egyptian,  as  denoting  the  scientific  principle  in 
general,  and  hence  the  natural  principle,  see  n.  4967.  The 
reason  why  to  be  in  the  house  denotes  to  be  initiated,  is,  because 
the  house  is  the  mind  in  which  good  resides,  n.  3538  ;  in  the 
presenl  case  the  natural  mind  ;  and  moreover  a  house  is  predi- 
cated  of  good,  see  n.  3652,  3720.  Every  man  has  a  natural 
mind  and  a  rational  mind  ;  the  natural  mind  is  in  his  external 
man,  the  rational  mind  in  his  internal.  Scientifics  are  the 
truths  of  the  natural  mind,  which  are  said  to  be  in  their  house, 
when  they  are  conjoined  to  good  ;  for  good  and  truth  constitute 


4971— 4973.] 


GENESIS. 


469 


together  one  house,  like  husband  and  wife.  The  goods  and 
truths  here  treated  of,  are  interior,  for  they  correspond  to  the 
celestial  of  the  spiritual  from  the  rational,  which  is  represented 
by  Joseph :  the  corresponding  interior  truths  in  the  natural 
principle  are  applications  to  uses,  and  the  interior  goods  therein 
are  uses.  The  Lord  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Word  ;  and 
every  one  that  is  not  acquainted  with  the  internal  sense,  sup- 
poses that  nothing  more  is  meant  by  the  Lord  than  what  is 
meant  in  common  discourse,  when  the  expression  is  used  ;  but 
the  Lord  is  never  expressed  in  the  Word,  unless  the  subject 
treated  of  is  concerning  good,  and  the  same  observation  is  true 
respecting  the  name  Jehovah  ;  but  when  the  subject  treated  of 
is  concerning  truth,  the  terms  God  and  also  king  are  used : 
hence  it  is  that  by  the  Lord  is  signified  good,  as  may  be  mani- 
fest from  the  following  passages,  "  Jehovah  your  God,  he  is 
God  of  gods,  and  Lord  of  lords"  Deut.  x.  17  :  and  in  David, 
"  Confess  ye  to  Jehovah  ;  confess  ye  to  the  God  of  gods  ;  con- 
fess ye  to  the  Lord  of  lords"  Psalm  cxxxvi.  1 — 3  ;  where  Jeho- 
vah or  the  Lord  is  called  God  of  gods  from  the  divine  truth 
which  proceeds  from  him,  and  Lord  of  lords  from  the  divine 
good  which  is  in  him  :  in  like  manner  in  John,  "  The  lamb 
shall  overcome  them ;  for  he  is  Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of 
kings,"  Rev.  xvii.  14 :  and  again,  He  that  sitteth  on  the  white 
horse  "  hath  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written, 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords"  Rev.  xix.  16.  The  Lord  is 
called  King  of  kings  from  the  divine  truth,  and  Lord  of  lords 
from  the  divine  good,  as  is  manifest  from  the  particulars  there 
mentioned :  the  name  written  is  his  quality,  see  n.  144,  145, 
1754,  1896,  2009,  2724,  3006  ;  the  vesture  on  which  it  was 
written,  is  the  truth  of  faith,  n.  1073,  2576,  4545,  4763  ;  the 
thigh  on  which  also  that  quality  was  written,  is  the  good  of 
love,  n.  3021,  4277,  4280,  4575  :  hence  also  it  is  manifest  that 
the  Lord  from  divine  truth  is  called  King  of  kings,  and  from 
divine  good  Lord  of  lords  :  the  Lord  from  divine  truth  is  called 
a  king,  as  may  be  seen,  n.  2015,  2069,  3009,  3670,  4581.  Hence 
also  it  is  plain  what  is  meant  by  the  Lord's  Christ,  in  Luke, 
"  Answer  was  made  to  Simeon  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  he 
should  not  see  death  before  he  saw  the  Lord's  Christ  "  ii.  26. 
The  Lord's  Christ  is  the  divine  truth  of  the  divine  good ;  for 
Christ  is  the  same  as  Messias,  and  Messias  is  the  anointed  or 
king,  n.  3008,  3009.  The  Lord  here  is  Jehovah.  In  the  Word 
of  the  New  Testament  the  name  Jehovah  no  where  occurs; 
but  instead  of  Jehovah,  the  Lord  and  God,  see  n.  2921  ;  as 
also  in  Luke,  "  Jesus  said,  How  say  they  ^hat  Christ  is  the  Son 
of  David  ?  when  David  himself  saith  in  the  book  of  Psalms, 
The  Lord  said  to  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,"  xx. 
41,  42  ;  the  same  as  in  David,  "  Jehovah  said  to  my  Lord,  Sit 
thou  on  my  right  hand,"  Psalm  ex.  1  :  that  Jehovah,  as  men' 


470 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


tioned  by  David,  is  called  Lord  in  the  Evangelist,  is  evident. 
In  that  passage  Lord  denotes  the  divine  good  of  the  divine 
human  ;  to  sit  on  the  right  hand  signifies  omnipotence,  n.  3387, 
4592,  4933.  The  Lord,  when  he  was  in  the  world,  was  divine 
truth ;  but  when  he  was  glorified,  that  is,  when  he  made  the 
human  in  himself  Divine,  he  was  then  made  divine  good,  from 
which  afterwards  divine  truth  proceeds.  Hence  it  is,  that  the 
disciples  after  the  resurrection  did  not  call  him  Master,  as  be- 
fore, but  Lord,  as  is  manifest  in  John,  chap.  xxi.  7,  12,  15 — 17, 
20,  and  also  in  the  rest  of  the  Evangelists.  The  divine  truth, 
which  the  Lord  was  when  in  the  world,  and  which  afterwards 
proceeds  from  him,  that  is,  from  the  divine  good,  is  also  called 
the  angel  of  the  covenant  in  JVIalachi,  "  The  Lord  whom  ye 
seek  will  suddenly  come  to  his  temple,  and  the  angel  of  the 
covenant  whom  ye  desire,"  iii.  1.  As  the  Lord  means  divine 
good,  and  a  king  divine  truth,  therefore  where  it  is  said  of  the 
Lord,  that  he  has  dominion  and  a  kingdom,  dominion  is  predi- 
cated of  divine  good,  and  a  kingdom  of  divine  truth  :  on  this 
account  the  Lord  is  called  the  Lord  of  nations  and  the  King  of 
people  ;  for  nations  signify  those  who  are  in  good,  and  people 
those  who  are  in  truth,  n.  1259,  1260,  1849,  3581.  Good  is 
called  a  lord  in  respect  to  a  servant,  and  good  is  called  a  father 
in  respect  to  a  son,  as  in  Malachi,  "A  son  will  honour  a  father, 
and  a  servant  his  lord  ;  but  if  I  am  a  father,  where  is  my 
honour  ?  and  if  I  am  a  lord,  where  is  the  fear  of  me?"  i.  6  ;  and 
in  David,  "  Joseph  was  sold  for  a  servant :  the  Word  of  Jehovah 
tried  him  ;  the  king  sent  and  loosed  him  ;  the  rulev  of  the  na- 
tions set  him  free  ;  he  made  him  lord  of  his  house,  and  to  have 
dominion  over  all  his  possession,"  Psalm  cv.  17,  19 — 21.  That 
Joseph  there  means  the  Lord,  is  evident  from  the  several  ex- 
pressions ;  Lord  in  the  above  passage  is  the  divine  good  of  the 
divine  human. 

4974.  "And  his  lord  saw  that  Jehovah  was  with  him." — 
This  signifies  that  it  was  perceived  in  natural  good  that  the  Di- 
vine was  within,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  to 
see,"  as  denoting  to  understand  and  apperceive,  see  n.  2150, 
3764,  4339,  4567,  4723  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a 
lord,"  as  denoting  good,  see  just  above,  n.  4973  ;  in  the  present 
case,  natural  good,  because  it  is  an  Egyptian  who  is  here  lord ; 
that  the  Divine  was  within,  is  signified  by  Jehovah's  being  with 
him,  as  above,  n.  4971. 

4975.  "  And  all  that  he  did  Jehovah  prospered  in  his  hand." 
— This  signifies  that  all  things  were  from  the  Divine  Providence, 
as  appears  from  the  signification  of  prospering,  as  denoting  to 
be  provided,  see  n.  4972  ;  hence  Jehovah  prospered  in  his  hand 
is  the  Divine  Providence. 

4975£.  "  And  Joseph  found  grace  in  his  eyes." — This  signi- 
fies that  it  was  accepted  by  natural  good,  which  is  signified  by 


4971—4777.] 


GENESIS. 


471 


his  lord,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  to  find  grace  in 
the  eyes  of  any  one,"  as  denoting  to  he  accepted  :  it  is  said  in 
the  eyes,  because  grace  is  predicated  of  the  intellectual  prin- 
ciple, and  that  is  signified  by  the  eyes,  see  n.  2701,  3820,  4526. 

4976.  "  And  ministered  unto  him." — This  signifies  that  the 
scientific  principle  was  appropriated  to  its  own  good,  as  appears 
from  the  signification  of  "  to  minister,"  as  denoting  to  be  sub- 
servient in  supplying  what  another  is  in  want  of ;  in  the  present 
case,  to  be  appropriated,  because  the  subject  treated  of  is  con- 
cerning natural  good  to  which  the  scientific  principle  was  to  be 
appropriated :  to  minister  also  is  predicated  of  scientifics ;  for 
a  minister  and  a  servant  in  the  Word  signify  scientific  or  natu- 
ral truth,  since  this  is  subordinate  to  good,  as  to  its  lord.  The 
scientific  principle  in  respect  to  the  delight  of  the  natural  man, 
or  what  is  the  same,  natural  truth  in  respect  to  its  good,  is  alto- 
gether like  water  in  respect  to  bread,  or  like  drink  in  respect 
to  meat.  "Water  and  drink  cause  bread  and  meat  to  be  diluted, 
so  that  they  may  be  conveyed  into  the  blood,  and  thence  into 
every  part  of  the  body  in  the  way  of  nourishment ;  for  without 
water  or  drink,  bread  or  meat  is  not  resolved  into  its  minute 
parts,  and  conveyed  to  the  different  organs  of  the  body  for  use. 
This  is  the  case  with  the  scientific  principle  in  respect  to  de- 
light, or  with  truth  in  respect  to  good  ;  therefore  good  seeks 
and  desires  truth,  for  the  sake  of  use,  that  it  may  minister  to 
and  serve  itself:  in  like  manner  they  also  correspond;  for  in 
the  other  life  a  man  is  not  nourished  by  natural,  but  by  spirit- 
ual meat  and  drink.  Spiritual  meat  is  good,  and  spiritual  drink 
is  truth ;  therefore  where  bread  or  meat  is  mentioned  in  the 
Word,  the  angels  understand  spiritual  bread  and  meat,  viz.,  the 
good  of  love  and  charity ;  and  where  water  or  drink  is  men- 
tioned, they  understand  spiritual  water  or  drink,  viz.,  the  truth 
of  faith.  Hence  it  may  be  seen  what  the  truth  of  faith  is  with- 
out the  good  of  charity,  also  how  the  former  without  the  latter 
can  nourish  the  internal  man,  viz.,  as  water  alone  or  drink  alone 
without  bread  and  meat ;  that  by  such  nourishment  a  man 
would  become  emaciated  and  die,  is  well  known. 

4977.  "And  gave  him  command  over  his  house." — This 
signifies  that  good  applied  itself  thereto,  as  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  the  lord,  who  gave  command,  as  denoting- 
good,  see  n.  4973  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  to  give 
him  command  over  his  house,"  as  denoting  to  apply  itself 
thereto,  viz.,  to  scientific  or  natural  truth.  That  this  is  the 
meaning  is  evident  from  what  follows,  where  it  is  said,  that 
whatever  he  had,  he  gave  into  his  hand ;  which  signifies  that 
all  his  property  was  as  it  were  in  his  power:  for  good  is  a  lord, 
and  truth  is  a  minister ;  and  when  it  is  said  of  a  lord  that  he 
gave  authority  to  a  minister,  or  of  good  that  it  gave  authority 
to  truth,  in  the  internal  sense,  it  is  not  signified  that  it  cedeU 


472 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


the  dominion  thereto,  hnt  that  it  applied  itself ;  for  in  the  inter- 
nal sense  a  thing  is  perceived  as  it  is  in  itself,  hut  in  the  sense 
of  the  letter  it  is  expounded  according  to  the  appearance ;  for 
good  always  has  the  dominion,  but  applies  itself  that  truth  may 
be  conjoined  to  it.  "When  a  man  is  in  truth,  as  is  the  case  be- 
fore he  is  regenerated,  he  then  knows  scarcely  any  thing  con- 
cerning good  ;  for  truth  flows-in  by  an  external  or  sensual  way, 
but  good  by  an  internal  way ;  what  flows-in  by  an  external 
way,  the  man  is  sensible  of,  but  not  of  what  flows-in  by  an  in- 
ternal way,  until  he  is  regenerated  :  therefore  unless  in  the 
prior  state  there  Avas  given  as  it  were  dominion  to  truth,  or  un- 
less good  so  applied  itself,  it  would  be  impossible  for  truth  to  be 
appropriated  to  good.  This  is  the  same  as  has  been  so  fre- 
quently shown  above,  viz.,  that  truth  is  apparently  in  the  first 
place,  or  as  it  were  the  lord,  while  a  man  is  regenerating  ;  but 
good  is  manifestly  in  the  first  place  and  the  lord,  when  he  is 
regenerated,  see  n.  3539,  3548,  3556,  3563,  3570,  3576,  3603, 
3701,  4925,  4926,  4928,  4930. 

4978.  "  And  whatever  he  had,  he  gave  into  his  hand." — 
This  signifies  that  all  his  property  was  as  it  were  in  his  power, 
as  appears  from  the  signification  of  a  hand,  as  denoting  ability, 
see  n.  878,  3091,  3387,  3563,  4931  to  4937 ;  thus  to  give  into 
his  hand  is  to  give  into  his  power ;  but  as  this  is  done  appa- 
rently, it  is  said  as  it  were  in  his  power  :  that  it  is  apparently 
or  as  it  were  may  be  seen  just  above,  n.  4977. 

4979.  "And  it  came  to  pass,  from  the  time  that  he  gave 
him  command  in  his  house,  and  over  all  that  he  had." — This 
signifies  another  state,  after  that  good  applied  itself  thereto, 
and  all  its  property  was  as  it  were  in  its  power,  as  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  "  it  came  to  pass,  or  it  was  done," 
which  frequently  occurs  in  the  Word,  as  involving  somewhat 
new,  consequentlv  another  state,  in  like  manner  in  the  follow- 
ing verses,  7,  10,  11,  13,  15,  18,  19 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  the  expression,  "from  the  time  that  he  gave  him  com- 
mand in  his  house,"  as  denoting  after  that  good  applied  itself 
thereto,  see  above,  n.  4977 ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of 
"  over  all  that  he  had,"  as  denoting  that  all  his  property  was 
as  it  were  in  his  power,  see  also  above,  n.  4978. 

4980.  "  That  Jehovah  blessed  the  house  of  the  Egyptian 
for  Joseph's  sake." — This  signifies,  that  from  the  Divine  at 
that  time  was  derived  thereto  the  celestial  natural,  as  appeal's 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  "to  be  blessed,"  as  denoting  to  be 
enriched  with  celestial  and  spiritual  good  :  that  itr  was  from 
the  Divine,  is  signified  by  its  being  said  "Jehovah  blessed;" 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  the  house  of  the  Egyptian,  as 
denoting  the  good  of  the  natural  mind,  as  above,  n.  4973  ;  hence 
it  follows,  that  "  Jehovah  blessed  the  house  of  the  Egyptian*1 
signifies,  that  from  the  Divine  at  that  time  was  derived  thereto 


4978-4981.] 


GENESIS. 


473 


the  celestial  natural.  The  celestial  natural  is  the  good  in  the 
natural  which  corresponds  to  the  good  of  the  rational,  that  is, 
which  corresponds  to  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  from  the  ra- 
tional, which  is  Joseph,  see  n.  4963.  Celestial,  as  well  as  spir- 
itual, is  predicated  of  both  the  rational  and  the  natural,  that  is, 
of  the  internal  man,  which  is  the  rational  man,  and  of  the  exter- 
nal, which  is  the  natural  man  ;  for  the  spiritual  in  its  essence  is 
the  divine  truth  which  proceeds  from  the  Lord,  and  the  celestial 
is  the  divine  good  which  is  in  that  divine  truth.  Divine  truth 
in  which  is  divine  good,  when  it  is  received  by  the  rational  or 
by  the  internal  man,  is  called  the  spiritual  in  the  rational ;  and 
when  it  is  received  by  the  natural  or  by  the  external  man,  it  is 
called  the  spiritual  in  the  natural :  in  like  manner  the  divine 
good  which  is  in  the  divine  truth,  when  it  is  received  by  the 
rational  or  by  the  internal  man,  is  called  the  celestial  in  the 
rational ;  and  when  it  is  received  by  the  natural  or  by  the 
external  man,  it  is  called  the  celestial  in  the  natural.  Each 
principle  flows-in  with  man  from  the  Lord  both  immediately 
and  mediately  through  angels  and  spirits ;  but  with  the  Lord, 
when  he  was  in  the  world,  the  influx  was  from  himself,  because 
the  Divine  was  in  himself. 

4981.  "  And  the  blessing  of  Jehovah  was." — This  signifies 
increase,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  the  blessing  of 
Jehovah."  The  blessing  of  Jehovah,  in  the  general  sense,  sig- 
nifies love  to  the  Lord  and  charity  towards  the  neighbour;  for 
those  who  are  gifted  with  these,  are  called  the  blessed  of  Je- 
hovah, being  in  such  cases  gifted  with  heaven  and  eternal  sal- 
vation ;  hence  the  blessing  of  Jehovah  in  the  external  sense,  or 
in  the  sense  which  respects  a  man's  state  in  the  world,  is  to  be 
content  in  God,  and  hence  to  be  content  with  the  state  of 
honour  and  wealth  in  which  he  is,  whether  it  be  among  the 
honoured  and  rich,  or  among  the  less  honoured  and  poor ;  for 
he  that  is  content  in  God,  regards  honours  and  riches  as  the 
means  of  uses ;  and  when  he  thinks  concerning  them,  and  at 
the  same  time  concerning  eternal  life,  he  makes  the  former  of 
no  account,  and  the  latter  essential.  Since,  in  the  genuine 
sense,  the  blessing  of  Jehovah  or  the  Lord  involves  these  things, 
it  also  contains  innumerable  things,  and  hence  signifies  various 
things  which  are  connected ;  as  to  be  enriched  with  spiritual 
and  celestial  good,  n.  981,  1731  ;  to  be  made  fruitful  from  the 
affection  of  truth,  n.  2846  ;  to  be  arranged  into  heavenly  order, 
n.  3017  ;  to  be  gifted  with  the  good  of  love,  and  thereby  to  be 
conjoined  to  the  Lord,  n.  3406,  3504,  3514,  3530,  3584;  joy,  n. 
4216  :  what  therefore  it  specifically  signifies,  may  appear  from 
the  series  of  what  goes  before  and  follows.  In  the  present  case, 
the  blessing  of  Jehovah  signifies  increase  in  good  and  truth,  or 
in  life  and  doctrine,  as  is  evident  from  what  follows ;  for  it  is 
&aid,  the  blessing  of  Jehovah  was  in  the  house  and  in  the  field ; 


474 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix 


and  a  house  signifies  the  good  of  life,  and  a  field  the  truth  of 
doctrine :  hence  it  is  manifest,  that  increase  in  those  things  is 
here  signified  by  the  blessing  of  Jehovah. 

4982.  "  In  all  that  he  had  in  the  house  and  in  the  field." — ■ 
This  signifies  in  life  and  doctrine,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  a  house,  as  denoting  good,  see  n.  2048,  2233,  2559, 
3128,  3652,  3720 ;  and  as  a  house  denotes  good,  it  also  denotes 
life,  for  all  good  is  of  life  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  a 
field,  as  denoting  the  truth  of  the  church,  see  n.  368,  3508, 
3766,  4440,  4443  ;  and  as  it  denotes  the  truth  of  the  church,  it 
also  denotes  doctrine,  for  all  truth  is  of  doctrine.  A  house  and 
a  field  are  occasionally  mentioned  in  other  parts  of  the  Word  ; 
and  when  the  subject  is  the  celestial  man,  a  house  signifies  ce- 
lestial good,  and  a  field  spiritual  good :  celestial  good  is  the 
good  of  love  to  the  Lord,  and  spiritual  good  is  the  good  of  char- 
ity towards  the  neighbour ;  but  when  the  subject  is  the  spiritual 
man,  a  house  signifies  the  celestial  appertaining  to  him,  which 
is  the  good  of  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  and  a  field  the 
spiritual  appertaining  to  him,  which  is  the  truth  of  faith.  Both 
are  signified  in  Matthew,  xxiv.  17,  18,  "Let  him  that  is  on  the 
housetop  not  go  down  to  take  away  any  thing  out  of  his  house  : 
and  let  him  that  is  in  the  field  not  return  back  to  take  his  clothes, 
see  n.  3652. 

4983.  "  And  he  left  all  that  he  had  into  the  hand  of  Joseph." 
— This  signifies  that  it  appeared  as  if  all  things  were  in  his 
power,  as  is  evident  from  what  was  explained  above,  n.  4978, 
where  are  nearly  the  same  words,  also  from  what  was  said,  n. 
4977. 

4984.  "  And  he  knew  not  any  thing  with  him  except  the 
bread  which  he  did  eat." — This  signifies  that  good  was  hence 
appropriated,  as  appeal's  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "bread," 
as  denoting  good,  seen.  276,  6S0,  347S,  3735,  4211,  4217,  4735; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  to  eat,"  as  denoting  to  be 
appropriated,  see  n.  3168,  3513,  3596,  3S32,  4745  :  that  he 
knew  not  any  thing  with  him  except  the  bread,  signifies  that 
he  received  nothing  but  good.  It  may  be  believed  that  good, 
when  it  appropriates  truth  to  itself,  is  truth,  such  as  is  the  truth 
of  faith  which  it  appropriates  to  itself;  but  it  is  the  good  of 
truth  ;  the  truths  which  are  not  of  use,  approach  indeed,  but  do 
not  enter.  All  uses  derived  from  truths  are  the  goods  of  truth  ; 
the  truths  which  are  not  for  use,  are  separated,  and  some  are 
retained  and  some  are  rejected :  those  which  are  retained,  are 
such  as  introduce  to  good  more  or  less  remote,  and  are  essential 
uses  ;  those  which  are  rejected,  are  such  as  do  not  introduce 
and  do  not  apply  themselves.  All  uses  in  their  beginning  are 
truths  of  doctrine,  but  in  their  progress  they  become  goods ; 
and  this  takes  place  when  a  man  acts  according  to  those  truths  : 
action  itself  thus  qualifies  truths;  for  all  action  descends  from 


49S2— 49S6.] 


GENESIS. 


475 


the  will,  and  the  will  itself  causes  that  to  become  good  which 
before  was  truth.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  truth  in  the  will  is 
no  longer  the  truth  "of  faith,  but  the  good  of  faith  ;  and  that  the 
truth  of  faith  makes  no  one  happy,  but  the  good  of  faith ;  for 
the  latter  affects  the  very  essence  of  a  man's  life,  which  is  his 
will,  and  communicates  thereto  interior  delight  or  blessedness, 
and  in  the  other  life  happiness,  which  is  called  heavenly  joy. 

4985.  "And  Joseph  was  beautiful  in  form." — This  signifies 
the  consequent  good  of  life,  and  "  beautiful  in  aspect"  signifies 
the  consequent  truth  of  faith,  as  appears  from  the  signification 
of  "  beautiful  in  form  and  beautiful  in  aspect ;"  for  form  is  the 
essence  of  a  thing,  but  aspect  is  the  existence  thence  derived ; 
and  since  good  is  the  very  essence,  and  truth  is  the  existence 
thence,  beautiful  in  form  signifies  the  good  of  life,  and  beautiful 
in  aspect  signifies  the  truth  of  faith  :  for  the  good  of  life  is  the 
very  esse  of  man,  because  it  is  of  his  will,  and  the  truth  of  faith 
is  the  existere  thence,  because  it  is  of  the  understanding ;  for 
whatever  is  of  the  understanding,  exists  from  the  will.  The 
esse  of  a  man's  life  is  in  his  faculty  of  willing,  and  the  existere 
of  his  life  is  in  his  faculty  of  understanding.  A  man's  under- 
standing is  nothing  else  than  the  will  unfolded,  and  formed  so 
that  its  quality  may  appear  in  aspect.  Hence  it  is  evident  that 
the  beauty  of  the  interior  man  is  from  the  good  of  the  will  by 
the  truth  of  faith :  the  truth  of  faith  itself  presents  beauty  in 
the  external  form,  but  the  good  of  the  will  sets  it  in  and  forms 
it.  Hence  it  is  that  the  angels  of  heaven  are  of  ineffable  beauty, 
being  as  it  were  loves  and  charities  in  form ;  when  therefore 
they  appear  in  their  beauty,  they  affect  the  inmost  principles. 
With  them  the  good  of  love  from  the  Lord  shines  forth  through 
the  truth  of  faith,  and  as  it  penetrates  it  affects.  Hence  may 
be  manifest  what  is  signified  in  the  internal  sense,  by  "  beauti- 
ful in  form  and  beautiful  in  aspect,"  as  also  n.  3821. 

4986.  Verses  7  to  9.  And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  words, 
that  his  lord's  wife  lifted  up  her  eyes  to  Joseph,  and  said,  Lie 
with  me.  And  he  refused,  and  said  to  his  lord's  wife,  Behold, 
my  lord  knoweth  not  what  is  with  me  in  the  house  :  and  all  that 
he  hath  he  hath  given  into  my  hand.  lie  himself  is  not  greater 
in  this  house  than  I,'  and  he  hath  not  kept  bach  any  thing  from 
me  except  thee,  because  thou  art  his  wife  /  and  how  shall  I  do 
this  great  evil,  and  sin  against  God?  And  it  came  to  pass 
after  these  words,  signifies  a  third  state :  his  lord's  wife  lifted 
up  her  eyes  to  Joseph,  signifies  truth  natural  not  spiritual  ad- 
joined to  natural  good,  and  its  perception :  and  said,  Lie  with 
me,  signifies  that  there  was  a  desire  of  conjunction :  and  he  re- 
fused, signifies  aversion :  and  said  to  his  lord's  wife,  signifies 
perception  concerning  that  truth  :  Behold,  my  lord  knoweth  not 
what  is  with  me  in  the  house,  signifies  that  natural  good  did  not 
even  desire  appropriation  :  and  all  that  he  h  ath  he  hath  given 


476 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


into  my  hand,  signifies  that  all  was  in  his  power  :  he  himself 
is  not  greater  in  this  house  than  I,  signifies  that  that  good  was 
prior  in  time,  not  in  state :  and  he  hath  not  kept  back  any 
thing  from  me  except  thee,  signifies  that  it  was  forbidden  to  be 
conjoined  to  the  truth  of  that  good  :  because  thou  art  his  wife, 
signifies  that  it  was  not  to  be  conjoined  to  another  good :  and 
how  shall  I  do  this  great  evil,  and  sin  against  God  ?  signifies 
that  thus  there  would  be  disjunction  and  not  conjunction. 

4987.  "And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  words." — This  sig- 
nifies a  third  state,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  it 
came  to  pass,  or  it  was,  as  denoting  somewhat  new,  as  above, 
n.  4979,  consequently,  in  the  present  case,  a  third  state ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  after  these  words,  as  denoting  after 
those  things  were  transacted.  In  the  original  one  series  is  not 
distinguished  from  another  by  interstitial  signs,  as  in  other 
languages ;  but  there  appears  a  continuity  from  beginning  to 
end.  The  things  in  the  internal  sense  are  in  like  manner  con- 
tinuous, and  flowing  from  one  state  of  a  thing  into  another ; 
but  when  one  state  terminates,  and  another  succeeds  which  is 
deserving  of  note,  it  is  indicated  by  the  expression  it  was  or  it 
came  to  pass  /  and  a  change  of  state  less  deserving  of  note  by 
and;  therefore  those  expressions  so  frequently  occur.  This 
state,  which  is  the  third,  and  which  is  now  treated  of,  is  more 
interior  than  the  former. 

4988.  "And  his  lord's  wife  lifted  up  her  eyes  to  Joseph." — 
This  signifies  truth  natural  not  spiritual  adjoined  to  natural  good, 
and  its  perception,  as  appeal's  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  a 
"  wife,"  as  denoting  truth  adjoined  to  good,  see  n.  1468,  2517, 
3236,  4510,  4823  ;  in  the  present  case  truth  natural  not  spiritual 
adjoined  to  natural  good,  because  the  subject  treated  of  is  that 
truth  and  this  good :  that  good,  to  which  that  truth  is  con- 
joined, is  here  the  lord,  n.  4973  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  "  lifting  up  the  eyes,"  as  denoting  thought,  intention,  and 
also  perception,  see  n.  2789,  2829,  3198,  3202,  43J>9.  A  wife 
here  signifies  truth  natural,  but  not  truth  natural  spiritual,  and 
a  husband,  who  is  here  the  lord,  signifies  good  natural,  but  not 
good  natural  spiritual :  it  may  be  expedient  therefore  to  explain 
what  is  meant  by  good  and  truth  natural  not  spiritual,  and 
what  by  good  and  truth  natural  spiritual.  Good  with  a  man 
is  from  a  two-fold  origin,  viz.,  from  what  is  hereditary  and 
thence  adscititious,  and  also  from  the  doctrine  of  faith  and 
charity  ;  in  the  case  of  the  Gentiles  from  their  religious  prin- 
ciple. The  good  and  truth  from  the  former  origin,  is  good 
natural  not  spiritual ;  but  tho  good  from  the  latter  origin,  is 
good  natural  spiritual ;  from  a  similar  origin  is  truth,  since  all 
good  has  its  own  truth  adjoined  to  it.  Good  natural  from  the 
former  origin,  that  is,  from  what  is  hereditary  and  thence 
adscititious,  has  many  things  in  affinity  with  good  natural  from 


4987—4989.]  GENESIS.  477 


the  other  origin,  that  is,  from  the  doctrine  of  faith  and  charity, 
or  from  a  religions  principle,  but  only  in  the  external  form, 
being  altogether  different  in  the  internal :  good  natural  from 
the  former  origin  may  be  compared  to  the  good  which  prevails 
even  among  tame  and  gentle  animals  ;  but  good  natural  from 
the  other  origin  is  proper  to  the  man  who  acts  from  reason,  and 
thence  knows  how  to  dispense  good  in  various  ways  according 
to  uses.  This  dispensing  of  good  is  taught  by  the  doctrine  of 
what  is  just  and  equitable,  and  still  more  by  that  of  faith  and 
charity,  and  in  many  cases  is  also  confirmed  by  reason  with  the 
truly  rational.  Those  who  do  good  from  the  former  origin,  are 
carried  as  it  were  by  instinct  blindly  into  acts  of  charity  ;  but 
those  who  do  good  from  the  other  origin,  are  carried  thereto 
from  an  internal  obligation,  and  have  as  it  were  their  eyes  open. 
In  a  word,  those  who  do  good  from  the  former  origin,  do  it  not 
from  any  conscience  of  what  is  just  and  equitable,  still  less  from 
a  conscience  of  spiritual  truth  and  good :  but  those  who  do 
good  from  the  other  origin,  do  it  from  conscience  ;  see  what  has 
been  said  above  on  this  subject,  n.  3040,  3470,  3471,  3518,  and 
what  follows,  n.  4992.  But  how  the  case  herein  is,  cannot  be 
explained  to  the  apprehension ;  for  every  one  who  is  not  spirit- 
ual, or  who  is  not  regenerated,  sees  good  from  its  external 
form,  because  he  does  not  know  what  either  charity  or  the 
neighbour  is  ;  and  the  reason  why  he  does  not  know  these  things 
is,  because  he  has  no  doctrinals  of  charity.  In  the  light  of  hea- 
ven those  things  appear  most  distinctly,  and  therefore  also  they 
appear  distinctly  with  the  spiritual  or  regenerate,  because  these 
are  in  the  light  of  heaven. 

4989.  "And  said,  Lie  with  me."- — -This  signifies  that  there 
was  a  desire  of  conjunction,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"lying  with  me,"  as  denoting  conjunction,  viz.,  of  good  natural 
spiritual,  which  now  is  Joseph,  with  truth  natural  not  spiritual, 
which  is  his  lord's  wife  ;  but  this  is  illegitimate  conjunction. 
The  conjunctions  of  good  with  truth,  and  of  truth  with  good, 
are  described  in  the  Word  by  marriages,  see  n.  2727  to  2759, 
3132,  3665,  4434,  4837 :  hence  it  is,  that  illegitimate  conjunc- 
tions are  described  by  harlotries ;  in  the  present  case  therefore 
the  conjunction  of  truth  natural  not  spiritual  with  good  natural 
spiritual,  is  described  by  his  lord's  wife  being  desirous  to  lie 
with  him.  There  is  no  conjunction  of  those  principles  in  in- 
ternals, but  only  in  externals,  in  which  there  appears  as  it  were 
conjunction,  but  it  is  only  affinity  :  hence  also  it  is,  that  she 
caught  him  in  his  garment,  and  he  left  the  garment  in  her  hand  ; 
for  a  garment  in  the  internal  sense  signifies  what  is  external,  by 
which  there  is  as  it  were  conjunction  or  affinity,  as  will  be  seen 
below  at  verses  12,  13.  That  these  things  are  signified,  cannot 
be  seen  so  long  as  the  mind  or  thoiight  is  kept  in  the  mere  his- 
toricals ;  for  in  such  case  nothing  is  thought  of  but  Joseph, 


478  GENESIS.  [Chap,  xxxix. 


Potiphar's  wife,  and  the  flight  of  Joseph  leaving  his  garment ; 
hut  if  the  mind  or  thought  were  kept  in  those  tilings  which  are 
signified  hy  Joseph,  by  Potiphar's  wife,  and  by  a  garment,  it 
would  then  be  apperceived  that  some  spiritual  illegitimate  con- 
junction is  also  here  treated  of;  and  the  mind  or  thought  may 
be  kept  in  the  things  which  are  signified,  if  it  only  be  believed 
that  the  historical  Word  is  divine  not  from  what  is  merely  his- 
torical, but  because  in  what  is  historical  there  is  what  is  spirit- 
ual and  divine ;  and  if  this  were  believed,  it  would  be  known 
that  the  spiritual  and  divine  therein  is  concerning  the  good  and 
truth  of  the  Lord's  church  and  kingdom,  and  in  the  supreme 
sense  concerning  the  Lord  himself.  When  a  man  comes  into 
the  other  life,  which  he  does  immediately  after  death,  if  he  be 
among  those  who  are  elevated  into  heaven,  he  will  then  know 
that  he  retains  nothing  of  the  historicals  of  the  Word,  and  does 
not  even  know  any  thing  concerning  Joseph,  or  concerning 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  but  only  concerning  the  spiritual 
and  divine  things  which  he  had  learnt  from  the  Word,  and  had 
applied  to  his  life ;  such  things  therefore  are  what  are  within 
in  the  Word,  and  are  called  its  internal  sense. 

4990.  "And  he  refused." — This  signifies  aversion,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  "  to  refuse,"  as  signifying  to  be 
averse  from,  viz.,  from  that  conjunction ;  for  he  who  refuses  so 
as  to  fly  abroad,  shows  his  aversion. 

4991.  "And  said  to  his  lord's  wife." — This  signifies  per- 
ception concerning  that  truth,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  "  to  say"  in  the  historicals  of  the  Word,  as  denoting 
to  perceive,  as  has  been  frequently  observed  above ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  "  his  lord's  wife,"  as  denoting  truth 
natural  not  spiritual  adjoined  to  natural  good,  see  above,  n.  49S8. 

4992.  "  Behold,  my  lord  knoweth  not  what  is  with  me  in 
the  house." — This  signifies  that  good  natural  did  not  even  desire 
appropriation,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  his 
lord,"  as  denoting  natural  good,  see  n.  4973  ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  "  not  to  know  what  is  with  me  in  the  house," 
as  denoting  not  to  desire  appropriation.  That  this  is  the  sense 
of  the  above  words,  can  only  be  seen  from  the  series  of  things 
in  the  internal  sense :  for  the  subject  now  treated  of  is  a  third 
state,  in  which  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  was  in  the  natural : 
in  that  state,  natural  good  and  truth  which  is  spiritual  is  sepa- 
rated  from  natural  good  and  truth  which  is  not  spiritual;  con- 
sequently by  not  to  know  what  is  in  the  house,  is  signified  that 
there  is  no  desire  of  appropriation.  These  things,  however, 
are  arcana,  which  can  only  be  illustrated  by  examples ;  let  the 
following  therefore  serve  for  illustration.  To  be  conjoined  with 
one's  wife  from  mere  lust  is  natural  not  spiritual ;  but  to  be 
conjoined  with  one's  wife  from  conjugial  love  is  natural  spirit- 
ual :  when  the  husband  afterwards  is  conjoined  from  mere  lust, 


4090—4996.] 


GENESIS. 


479 


he  then  believes  that  he  prevaricates,  like  one  who  does  some- 
what lascivious,  therefore  he  does  not  desire  any  longer  that  it 
should  be  appropriated  to  him.  Take  also  this  example.  To 
do  good  to  a  friend,  without  regard  to  his  quality,  accounting 
it  enough  that  he  is  a  friend,  is  natural  not  spiritual ;  but  to  do 
good  to  a  friend  for  the  sake  of  the  good  appertaining  to  him, 
and  especially  to  account  good  itself  as  the  friend  to  be  bene- 
fited, this  is  natural  spiritual;  and  when  he  is  in  this  princi- 
ple, he  knows  that  he  prevaricates,  if  he  does  good  to  a  friend 
who  is  evil,  for  in  such  case  through  him  he  does  evil  to  others  : 
when  he  is  in  this  state,  he  holds  in  aversion  the  appropriation 
of  good  natural  not  spiritual,  in  which  good  he  was  before 
principled.    The  case  is  similar  in  all  other  instances. 

4993.  "  And  all  that  he  hath  he  hath  given  into  my  hand." 
— This  signifies  that  all  was  in  his  power,  as  appears  from  what 
was  said  above,  n.  4978,  where  similar  words  occur ;  but  there 
is  this  difference,  that  the  subject  there  treated  of  is  the  second 
state,  in  which  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  in  the  natural  was ; 
fin-  then  natural  good  applied  itself,  and  appropriated  to  itself 
truth,  see  n.  4976,  4977;  in  which  state  good  had  the  dominion 
actually,  but  truth  apparently,  therefore  those  words  then  sig- 
nified that  all  his  property  was  as  it  were  in  his  power;  but  here 
the  subject  treated  of  is  the  third  state,  in  which  the  celestial 
of  the  spiritual  was,  when  it  was  made  spiritual  in  the  natural ; 
and  as  in  this  state  there  is  no  appropriation,  therefore  the 
above  words  signify  that  all  was  in  his  power. 

4994.  "  He  himself  is  not  greater  in  this  house  than  I." — 
This  signifies  that  that  good  was  prior  in  time,  not  in  state,  as 
appears  from  the  signification  of  "not  being  greater  in  the 
house  than  I,"  as  denoting  that  the  dominions  were  grounded 
in  what  was  equitable,  consequently  that  both  are  prior.  From 
the  series  in  the  internal  sense  it  is  evident,  that  good  natural 
not  spiritual  is  prior  in  time,  and  that  good  natural  spiritual  is 
prior  in  state  ;  as  is  also  clear  from  what  was  shown  above,  n. 
4992.    To  be  prior  in  state  is  to  be  more  eminent  as  to  quality. 

4995.  "And  he  hath  not  kept  back  any  thing  from  me  ex- 
cept thee." — This  signifies  that  it  was  forbidden  to  be  conjoined 
to  the  truth  of  that  good,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification 
of  "  keeping  back  from  him,"  as  denoting  to  be  forbidden  ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a  wife,"  who  is  whom  he  kept 
back,  and  is  here  meant  by  thee,  as  denoting  truth  natural  not 
spiritual,  see  n.  4988. 

4996.  "Because  thou  art  his  wife." — This  signifies  because 
it  was  not  to  be  conjoined  to  any  other  good,  as  appears  from 
the  signification  of  "  a  wife,"  as  denoting  truth  adjoined  to  its 
own  good,  see  n.  1468,  2517,  3236,  4510,  4823  ;  in  the  present 
case  truth  natural  not  spiritual  with  gc  od  natural  not  spiritual, 
as  above,  n.  4988. 


480 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


4997.  "And  how  shall  I  do  this  great  evil,  and  sin  against 
God  V — This  signifies  that  thus  there  would  be  disjunction  and 
not  conjunction,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "evil," 
and  also  of  "sin,"  as  denoting  disjunction  and  not  conjunction, 
viz.,  when  good  natural  spiritual  is  conjoined  with  truth  natural 
not  spiritual ;  for  they  are  dissimilar  and  unstated  to  each 
other,  which  separate  from  each  other.  It  is  said  to  do  evil 
and  to  sin  against  God,  because  evil,  viewed  in  itself,  and  also 
sin,  is  nothing  but  disjunction  from  good;  essential  evil  also 
consists  in  disunion.  This  is  evident  from  good  :  good  is  con- 
junction, because  all  good  is  of  love  to  the  Lord  and  love 
towards  the  neighbour.  The  good  of  love  to  the  Lord  conjoins 
him  [who  is  principled  therein]  to  the  Lord,  and  consequently 
to  all  the  good  which  proceeds  from  the  Lord  ;  and  the  good 
of  love  to  the  neighbour  conjoins  him  to  heaven  and  the 
societies  there ;  thus  also  by  this  love  he  is  conjoined  to  the 
Lord,  for  heaven  properly  so  called  is  the  Lord,  who  is  all  in 
all  there.  But  it  is  contrariwise  with  evil :  evil  is  of  self-love 
and  the  love  of  the  world ;  the  evil  of  self-love  disjoins  him 
[who  is  principled  therein]  not  only  from  the  Lord,  but  also 
from  heaven ;  for  he  loves  no  one  but  himself,  and  others  only 
so  far  as  he  regards  them  in  himself,  or  so  far  as  they  make  a 
one  with  himself :  hence  he  derives  the  inclinations  of  all  to 
himself,  and  altogether  averts  them  from  others,  and  most 
especially  from  the  Lord ;  and  when  several  do  this  in  one  so- 
ciety, it  follows  that  all  are  disjoined,  and  each  looks  at  another 
from  an  interior  principle  as  an  enemy,  and  if  any  one  does 
any  thing  against  nim,  he  bears  hatred  towards  him,  and  takes 
delight  in  his  destruction :  the  case  is  the  same  with  the  evil 
of  the  love  of  the  world ;  for  this  evil  covets  the  wealth  and 
goods  of  others,  and  desires  to  possess  them  all :  hence  arise 
enmities  and  hatreds,  but  in  a  less  degree.  If  any  one  wishes 
to  know  what  evil  is,  consequently  what  sin  is,  let  him  only 
seek  to  know  what  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world  are ;  and 
in  order  to  know  what  good  is,  let  him  only  seek  to  know  what 
love  to  God  and  love  towards  the  neighbour  are :  hence  he  will 
know  what  evil  is,  and  consequently  what  the  false  is;  and  also 
what  good  is,  and  consequently  what  truth  is. 

4998.  Verses  10  to  15.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  she  spake 
to  Joseph  day  by  day :  and  he  did  not  give  ear  to  her  to  lie 
with  her,  to  be  with  her.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  a  certain 
day,  he  came  to  the  house  to  do  his  work,  and  there  was  none 
of  the  men  of  the  house  there  in  the  house.  And  she  caught 
him  in  his  garment,  saying,  Lie  with  me;  and  he  left  his 
garment  in  her  hand,  and  f  ed,  and  went  forth  abroad.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  that  she  saw  he  left  his  garment  in,  her  hand, 
and  fed  abroad.  And  she  cried  to  the  men  of  her  house,  and 
said  to  them,  saying,  See  ye,  he  hath  brought  to  us  a  Hebrew 


4997—5001.] 


GENESIS. 


481 


man  to  mock  us ;  he  came  to  me  to  lie  with  me,  and  I  cried 
with  a  great  voice.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  he  heard  that  I 
lifted  up  my  voice  and  cried  ;  and  he  left  his  garment  with  me, 
and  fled,  and  went  forth  abroad.  And  it  came  to  pass,  signi- 
fies a  fourth  state :  that  she  spake  to  Joseph  day  by  day,  signi- 
fies thought  concerning  that  thing:  and  he  did  not  give  ear  to 
her  to  lie  with  her,  signifies  that  lie  was  averse  from  being 
conjoined :  to  be  with  her,  signifies  lest  thereby  he  should  be 
united  to  her:  and  it  came  to  pass  that  on  a  certain  day,  signi- 
fies a  fifth  state:  he  came  to  the  house  to  do  his  work,  signifies 
when  he  was  in  the  work  of  conjunction  with  spiritual  good  in 
natural:  and  there  was  none  of  the  men  of  the  house  there  in 
the  house,  signifies  that  he  was  without  the  aid  of  any  one : 
and  she  caught  him  in  his  garment,  signifies  that  truth  not 
spiritual  applied  itself  to  the  ultimate  of  spiritual  truth:  say- 
ing, Lie  with  me,  signifies  for  the  sake  of  conjunction  :  and  he 
left  his  garment  in  her  hand,  signifies  that  he  withdrew  that 
ultimate  truth:  and  fled  and  went  forth  abroad,  signifies  that 
thereby  he  had  not  truth  whereby  to  defend  himself:  and  it 
came  to  pass  that  she  saw,  signifies  perception  concerning  that 
thing :  that  he  left  his  garment  in  her  hand  and  fled  abroad, 
signifies  the  separation  of  ultimate  truth :  and  she  cried  to  the 
men  of  the  house,  signifies  falses :  and  said  to  them,  saying, 
signifies  exhortation :  See  ye,  he  hath  brought  to  us  a  Hebrew 
man,  signifies  a  servant:  to  mock  us,  signifies  that  he  rose  up 
against :  he  came  to  me  to  lie  with  me,  signifies  *that  it  was 
willing  to  conjoin  itself:  and  I  cried  with  a  great  voice,  signi- 
fies aversion :  and  it  came  to  pass  that  he  heard,  signifies  when 
it  was  apperceived :  that  I  lifted  up  my  voice  and  cried,  signi- 
fies that  there  was  great  aversion  :  and  he  left  his  garment  with 
me,  signifies  a  witness  that  he  came  near:  and  fled  and  went 
forth  abroad,  signifies  that  still  he  separated  himself. 

4999.  "And  it  came  to  pass." — This  signifies  a  fourth  state, 
as  may  appear  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  4979,  4987. 

5000.  "That  she  spake  to  Joseph  day  by  day." — This  signi- 
fies thought  concerning  that  thing,  as  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  "  to  speak,"  as  denoting  to  think:,  see  n.  2271,  2287, 
2619 ;  viz.,  concerning  Joseph,  thus  concerning  that  which  is 
the  subject  here  treated  of  by  Joseph.  "  Day  by  day,"  or 
every  day,  denotes  intensely.  The  reason  why  to  speak  in  the 
internal  sense  denotes  to  think  is,  because  thought  is  interior 
speech  ;  and  when  a  man  thinks,  he  then  speaks  with  himself. 
Interior  things  are  expressed  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  by  cor- 
respondent exteriors. 

5001.  "  And  he  did  not  give  ear  to  her  to  lie  with  her."— 
This  signifies  that  he  was  averse  from  being  conjoined,  as  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "not  to  give  ear,"  as  denot- 
ing not  to  hearken  or  not  to  obey,  see  n.  2542,  3869;  in  the 

vol.  v.  31 


432 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


present  case  to  be  averse  from,  because  he  so  far  refused  to 
hearken,  that  he  fled  and  left  his  garment;  and  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  "  to  lie  with  her,"  as  denoting  to  be  conjoined 
illegitimately,  see  n.  4989. 

5002.  "  To  be  with  her." — This  signifies  lest  thus  he  should 
be  united  to  her,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  being 
with  any  one,  as  denoting  to  be  more  closely  conjoined,  or  to 
be  united.  To  he  denotes  to  be  united,  because  the  very  esse 
of  a  thing  is  good,  and  all  good  is  of  love,  which  is  spiritual 
conjunction  or  unition.  Hence  in  the  supreme  sense  the  Lord 
is  called  Esse  or  Jehovah,  because  from  Him  is  all  the  good  of 
love  or  of  spiritual  conjunction.  Since  heaven  makes  a  one  by 
love  from  him,  and  a  reciprocal  into  him  by  reception  and  mu- 
tual love,  it  is  on  that  account  called  a  marriage,  by  which  it  is. 
The  case  would  be  similar  in  the  church,  if  love  and  charity 
were  with  it  as  its  esse.  Where  therefore  there  is  not  conjunc- 
tion or  union,  there  is  not  esse  :  for  unless  there  be  somewhat 
to  bring  to  a  one  or  to  unite,  there  must-be  dissolution  and  ex- 
tinction. So  in  civil  society,  where  every  one  is  for  himself, 
and  no  one  for  another,  except  for  the  sake  of  himself,  unless 
there  were  laws  to  unite  them,  and  fears  of  the  loss  of  gain,  of 
honour,  of  fame,  and  of  life,  society  would  be  altogether  dissi- 
pated ;  therefore  the  esse  of  such  a  society  also  is  conjunction  or 
unition,  but  only  in  externals,  for  in  respect  to  internals  such 
a  society  has  no  esse.  Persons  of  such  a  character  therefore  in 
the  other  Mfe  are  kept  in  hell,  and  in  like  manner  are  there 
held  together  by  external  bonds,  especially  by  fears  ;  but  as 
often  as  those  bonds  are  relaxed,  one  rushes  eagerly  to  the  de- 
struction of  another,  and  desires  nothing  more  earnestly  than 
totally  to  extinguish  him.  It  is  otherwise  in  heaven,  where 
there  is  internal  conjunction  by  love  to  the  Lord,  and  conse- 
quent mutual  love;  when  external  bonds  are  there  relaxed, 
thev  are  more  closely  mutually  conjoined;  and  as  they  are 
thereby  brought  nearer  to  the  Divine  Esse,  which  is  from  the 
Lord,  they  are  more  interiorly  in  affection  and  thence  in  free- 
dom, consequently  in  blessedness,  happiness,  and  joy. 

5003.  "  And  it  game  to  pass  that  on  a  certain  day." — This 
signifies  a  fifth  state,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  it 
came  to  pass,  or  it  was,"  as  involving  somewhat  new.  as  above, 
n.  4979,  4987,  4995,  thus  a  new  state;  in  the  present  case  a 
fifth 

5004.  "  He  came  to  the  house  to  do  his  work." — This  signi- 
fies when  he  was  in  the  work  of  conjunction  with  spiritual  good 
in  natural,  as  may  appear  from  this  consideration,  that  that  con- 
junction is  the  subject  treated  of  in  this  chapter  bv  Joseph; 
therefore  when  it  is  said  "  he  came  to  the  house  to  do  his  work," 
it  signifies  the  work  of  that  conjunction. 

5005.  "  And  there  was  none  of  the  men  of  the  house  there 


5002—5006.] 


GENESIS. 


483 


in  the  house." — This  signifies  that  he  was  without  the  aid  of 
any  one,  as  may  appear  from  this  consideration,  that  it  signifies 
that  he  was  alone  ;  and  as  in  the  internal  sense  by  Joseph  the 
Lord  is  treated  of,  and  how  he  glorified  or  made  divine  his  in- 
ternal human,  those  words  signify  that  he  did  it  without  the  aid 
of  any  one.  The  Lord  made  his  human  divine  by  his  own 
proper  ability,  thus  without  the  aid  of  any  one,  as  may  appear 
from  this  consideration,  that,  as  he  was  conceived  of  Jehovah, 
the  Divine  was  in  him,  and  consequently  the  Divine  was  his ; 
therefore  when  he  was  in  the  world,  and  made  the  human  in 
himself  divine,  he  did  it  from  his  own  Divine  or  from  himself. 
This  is  thus  described  in  Isaiah,  "Who  is  this' that  cometh 
from  Edom,  with  sprinkled  garments  from  Bozrah  ;  this  that  is 
honourable  in  his  raiment,  inarching  in  the  multitude  of  his 
strength?  I  have  trodden  the  wine-press  alone,  and  of  the  peo- 
ple there  was  no  man  with  me.  I  looked  around,  but  there  was 
none  to  help ;  and  I  was  amazed,  but  there  was  none  to  sup- 
port /  therefore  mine  own  arm  brought  salvation  to  me"  lxiii. 
1,  3,  5.  And  again  in  the  same  prophet,  "He  saw  that  there 
was  no  man,  and  as  it  were  was  amazed  that  there  was  no  inter- 
cessor ;  therefore  his  arm  brought  salvation  to  him  y  and  his 
justice  stirred  him  up;  whence  he  put  on  justice  as  a  breast- 
plate, and  a  helmet  of  salvation  upon  his  head,"  lix.  16,  17. 
The  Lord  by  his  own  proper  power  made  the  human  in  himself 
divine,  as  may  be  seen,  n.  1616,  1749,  1755,  1812,  1813,  1921, 
1928,  1999,  2025,  2026,  2083,  2500,  2523,  2776,  3043,  3141, 
3381,  3382,  3637,  4286. 

5006.  "  And  she  caught  him  in  his  garment." — This  signi- 
fies  that  truth  not  spiritual  applied  itself  to  the  ultimate  of  spirit- 
ual truth,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  "  Potiphar's 
wife,"  of  whom  these  things  are  said,  as  denoting  truth  natural 
not  spirirual,  see  n.  4988 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
"  to  catch,"  as  denoting  to  apply  itself;  and  (3.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  "  a  garment,"  as  denoting  truth,  see  n.  1073,  2576, 
4545,  4763  ;  in  the  present  case  the  ultimate  of  spiritual  truth, 
which  in  this  state  is  of  Joseph,  for  Joseph  here  is  good  natural 
spiritual,  see  n.  4988,  4992  :  that  the  truth  of  this  good  is  what 
truth  natural  not  spiritual  was  willing  to  be  conjoined  with,  is 
evident  from  the  series  of  things  in  the  internal  sense.  But 
what  is  meant  by  and  involved  in  this  circumstance,  that  truth 
natural  not  spiritual  was  willing  to  be  conjoined  with  truth 
natural  spiritual,  is  at  this  day  an  arcanum,  principally  for  this 
reason,  because  few  are  solicitous  and  willing  to  know  what 
spiritual  truth  is,  and  what  truth  not  spiritual  is ;  and  they  are 
so  indifferent  about  it,  as  scarcely  to  be  willing  to  hear  mention 
made  of  what  is  spiritual;  and  at  the  bare  mention  thereof, 
something  of  darkness,  and  at  the  same  time  of  gloominess,  in- 
stantly comes  over  them,  and  excites  a  nausea,  in  consequence 


484 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


whereof  it  is  rejected.  That  this  is  the  case,  has  also  been 
experimentally  proved  to  me :  while  my  mind  was  engaged  in 
such  contemplations,  there  were  spirits  present  from  Christen- 
dom, and  on  this  occasion  they  were  let  into  the  state  in  which 
they  had  been  in  the  world ;  and  then  they  were  not  only 
affected  with  sadness  at  the  bare  thought  concerning  spiritual 
good  and  truth,  but  were  also  seized  with  such  loathing  arising 
from  aversion,  that  they  said  they  had  a  feeling  in  themselves 
of  somewhat  like  what  in  the  world  excites  vomiting  ;  but  they 
were  told,  that  this  was  in  consequence  of  their  affections  being 
only  in  terrestrial,  corporeal,  and  worldly  things ;  for  when  a 
man  is  in  those  affections  alone,  he  nauseates  heavenly  things ; 
and  that  they  had  frequented  temples  where  the  "Word  is 
preached,  not  from  any  desire  of  knowing  heavenly  things,  but 
from  another  cupidity  imbibed  from  the  time  of  infancy  :  hence 
it  was  made  manifest  what  is  the  quality  and  character  of 
Christendom  at  this  day.  The  reason  of  this  in  general  is, 
because  the  Christian  church  at  this  day  preaches  faith  alone, 
and  not  charity,  and  thus  doctrine,  but  not'  life  ;  and  when  life 
is  not  preached,  a  man  comes  into  no  affection  of  good,  and 
when  he  is  in  no  affection  of  good,  he  is  also  in  none  of  truth  : 
hence  it  is,  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  delight  of  the  life  of  the 
generality,  to  hear  any  thing  more  concerning  heavenly  things 
than  what  they  had  known  from  infancy.  The  real  case,  how- 
ever, is  this,  that  a  man  is  in  the  world  to  the  intent  that  he 
may  be  initiated  by  exercises  there  into  heavenly  things;  and 
his  life  in  the  world  is  scarce  as  a  moment  in  respect  to. his  life 
after  death,  which  is  eternal :  but  there  are  few  who  believe 
they  are  to  live  after  death,  and  on  this  account  also  heavenly 
things  are  of  no  value  to  them  ;  but  this  I  can  aver,  that  a  man 
immediately  after  death  is  in  the  other  life,  and  there  his  life 
in  the  world  is  altogether  continued,  and  is  such  as  it  had  been 
in  the  world  :  I  can  aver  this,  because  I  know  it ;  for  I  have 
conversed  with  almost  all  whom  I  was  acquainred  with  in  the 
life  of  the  body,  after  their  decease ;  and  hence  by  living  expe- 
rience it  has  been  granted  me  to  know,  that  the  lot  which 
awaits  every  one  is  according  to  his  life  ;  but  those  of  the  above 
description  do  not  even  believe  these  things.  But  what  is 
meant  by  and  involved  in  this  circumstance,  that  truth  natural 
not  spiritual  was  willing  to  be  conjoined  with  truth  natural 
spiritual,  which  is  signified  by  she  cawjht  Joseph  in  his  gar- 
ment, will  be  shown  in  what  presently  follows. 

5007.  "  Saying,  Lie  with  me." — This  signifies  for  the  sake 
of  conjunction,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  to  lie,"  as 
denoting  conjunction,  see  above,  n.  4989,  5001 ;  in  the  present 
case  for  the  sake  of  conjunction,  or  to  the  intent  that  there 
might  be  conjunction. 

5008.  "  And  he  left  his  garment  in  her  hand." — This  signi- 


5007,  5003.] 


GENESIS. 


485 


fies  that  he  withdrew  that  ultimate  truth,  as  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  "leaving  in  her  hand,"  as  denoting  in  her 
power ;  for  hand  is  ability  or  power,  see  n.  878,  3091,  3387, 
3563,  4931  to  4937  ;  and  because  she  laid  hold  of  his  garment, 
it  here  denotes  to  withdraw ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 
"  a  garment,"  as  denoting  ultimate  truth,  see  above,  n.  5006. 
That  truth  natural  not  spiritual  was  willing  to  conjoin  itself 
with  truth  natural  spiritual,  and  that  this  was  averse  from  con- 
junction, and  on  that  account  left  ultimate  truth,  or  suffered  it 
to  be  withdrawn,  cannot  be  comprehended  by  any  one,  unless 
it  be  illustrated  by  examples  :  but  first  let  it  be  seen  what  truth 
natural  not  spiritual  and  truth  natural  spiritual  are,  n.  4988, 
4992,  and  that  in  ultimates  there  is  affinity,  yet  not  any  con- 
junction. But,  as  was  said,  this  must  be  illustrated  by  exam- 
ples ;  let  us  first  take  this.  It  is  a  truth  natural  not  spiritual 
within  the  church,  that  good  ought  to  be  done  to  the  poor,  to 
widows,  and  to  the  fatherless,  and  that  to  do  good  to  them  is 
the  charity  which  is  enjoined  in  the  Word  ;  but  truth  not 
spiritual,  that  is,  those  who  are  principled  in  truth  not  spiritual, 
by  the  poor,  the  widows,  and  the  fatherless,  mean  those  who 
are  so  named ;  whereas  truth  natural  spiritual,  that  is,  those 
who  are  principled  in  that  truth,  confirm  indeed  the  above  sen- 
timents, but  maintain  that  the  poor,  the  widows,  and  the  father- 
less, so  named,  are  meant  in  the  last  place ;  for  they  say  in 
their  heart,  that  all  are  not  poor  who  call  themselves  poor,  also 
that  among  the  poor  there  are  many  who  lead  very  wicked 
lives,  and  who  fear  neither  God  nor  men,  and  who  would  rush 
headlong  into  every  iniquity  unless  they  were  withheld  by  fear  ; 
and  moreover,  that  the  poor  in  the  Word  mean  those  who  are 
spiritually  such, — those  who  know  and  confess  in  heart,  that 
they  have  nothing  of  truth  and  good  from  themselves,  but  that 
all  things  are  freely  given  them  :  the  case  is  similar  with  widows 
and  the  fatherless,  with  a  difference  in  respect  to  state.  From 
this  example,  it  is  evident,  that  to  do  good  to  the  poor,  the 
widows,  and  the  fatherless,  who  are  so  named,  is  an  ultimate 
of  truth  to  those  who  are  principled  in  truth  natural  spiritual, 
and  that  this  truth  is  like  a  garment  which  invests  interior 
things  :  it  is  also  evident,  that  this  ultimate  of  truth  concurs 
with  the  truth  appertaining  to  those  who  are  principled  in  truth 
natural  not  spiritual;  yet  that  nevertheless  there  is  no  conjunc- 
tion between  them,  but  only  affinity.  Let  us  take  another  ex- 
ample from  this  truth,  that  good  ought  to  be  done  to  the  neigh- 
bour. Those  who  are  principled  in  truth  natural  spiritual 
account  every  one  as  a  neighbour,  but  still  all  in  a  dissimilar 
respect  and  degree  ;  and  they  say  in  their  heart,  that  those  who 
are  principled  in  good  are  especially  the  neighbour  to  whom 
good  is  to  be  done ;  but  that  those  who  are  principled  in  evil, 
although  they  likewise  fall  under  the  character  of  neighbour, 


4S6 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


are  to  be  otherwise  dealt  with,  and  that  good  is  done  to  tliem 
when  they  are  punished  according  to  the  laws,  because  by  pun- 
ishments they  are  amended,  and  thereby  also  precaution  is 
taken  lest  the  good  should  sutler  evil  from  them  and  their  ex- 
ample. Those  who  within  the  church  are  in  truth  natural  not 
spiritual,  say  also  that  every  one  is  a  neighbour,  but  they  do 
not  admit  of  degrees  and  respects  [of  neighbourhood] ;  there- 
fore if  they  are  principled  in  natural  good,  they  do  good  to 
every  one  who  excites  compassion,  without  distinction,  and 
oftener  to  the  evil  than  to  the  good,  because  the  former,  in 
consequence  of  being  evil,  are  skilled  in  the  arts  of  moving 
the  tender  affections.  From  this  example  also  it  is  evident, 
that  in  this  ultimate  truth  there  is  agreement  between  those 
who  are  in  truth  natural  not  spiritual,  and  those  who  are  in 
truth  natural  spiritual ;  yet  that  there  is  no  conjunction  therein, 
but  only  affinity ;  for  the  one  has  an  idea  and  a  meaning  re- 
specting the  neighbour,  and  respecting  charity  towards  him, 
different  from  what  the  other  has.  Let  us  take  also  this  exam- 
ple :  those  who  are  in  truth  natural  spiritual,  say  in  general, 
that  the  poor  and  miserable  will  inherit  the  heavenly  kingdom  : 
but  this  is  to  them  an  ultimate  truth ;  for  the  interior  truth 
stored  up  is  that  those  are  poor  and  miserable  who  are  spiritu- 
ally such,  and  that  it  is  these  who  are  understood  in  the  Wind 
as  inheriting  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  but  those  who  within  the 
church  are  in  truth  natural  not  spiritual,  say  that  none  can 
inherit  the  heavenly  kingdom,  but  those  who  in  the  world  have 
been  reduced  to  poverty,  who  live  in  misery,  and  who  are  more 
afflicted  than  the  rest  of  mankind ;  they  also  call  riches,  digni- 
ties, and  worldly  joys,  so  many  diversions  or  means  of  removing 
a  man  from  heaven.  From  this  example  it  is  further  evident 
what  the  ultimate  truth  is,  and  what  its  quality  is,  in  which 
they  agree  ;  yet  that  there  is  not  conj  unction,  but  affinity.  Let 
us  take  also  this  example  :  those  who  are  in  truth  natural 
spiritual,  hold  it  as  an  ultimate  truth,  that  those  things  which 
are  called  holy  in  the  Word,  were  holy,  as  the  ark  with  the 
mercy-seat,  with  the  candlestick,  the  incense,  the  bread,  the 
altar,  and  the  rest ;  and  as  the  temple,  and  likewise  the  gar- 
ments of  Aaron  which  are  called  garments  of  holiness,  espe- 
cially the  ephod  with  the  breast-plate  containing  the  urim  and 
thummim :  nevertheless  concerning  this  ultimate  truth  they 
have  this  idea,  that  those  things  were  not  holy  in  themselves, 
neither  was  any  holiness  infused  into  them ;  but  they  were 
holy  representatively,  that  is,  they  represented  the  spiritual  and 
celestial  things  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  in  the  supreme 
sense  the  Lord  himself:  but  those  who  are  in  truth  natural  not 
spiritual,  in  like  manner  call  those  things  holy,  but  holy  in 
themselves  by  infusion :  hence  it  is  evident  that  they  agree 
together,  but  that  they  do  not  conjoin  themselves  ;  for  the  above 


5009,  5010.] 


GENESIS. 


487 


truth  is  of  one  form  and  idea  with  the  spiritual  man,  and  of 
another  with  the  merely  natural.  Let  us  take  also  another 
example :  it  is  an  ultimate  truth  to  the  spiritual  man,  that  all 
divine  truths  may  be  continued  from  the  literal  sense  of  the 
Word,  and  also  by  things  rational  or  intellectual  with  those 
who  are  illustrated.  This  ultimate  and  general  truth  is  also 
acknowledged  by  the  natural  man  ;  but  he  believes  simply,  that 
all  that  is  true  which  may  be  confirmed  from  the  AVord,  and 
especially  that  which  he  himself  has  thence  confirmed :  herein 
therefore  they  agree,  that  all  divine  truth  may  be  confirmed ; 
but  this  general  truth  they  regard  differently.  The  merely 
natural  man  believes  to  be  divine  truth  whatever  he  has  con- 
firmed with  himself,  or  has  heard  confirmed  by  others ;  not 
aware  that  the  false  may  be  as  easily  confirmed  as  the  truth, 
and  that  the  false  confirmed  appears  altogether  true,  and  even 
more  so  than  the  truth  itself,  because  the  fallacies  of  the  senses 
present  it  in  the  light  of  the  world  separate  from  the  light  of 
heaven.  Hence  also  it  is  evident  that  ultimate  spiritual  truth 
in  the  sight  of  the  natural  man  is  like  a  garment ;  and  when 
this  garment  is  withdrawn,  that  he  and  the  spiritual  man  do 
not  at  all  agree ;  consequently  that  the  spiritual  man  has  no 
longer  any  thing  whereby  to  defend  himself  against  the  natural 
man ;  which  things  are  signified  by  Joseph's  flying  and  going 
forth  abroad  when  he  had  left  his  garment ;  for  the  merely 
natural  man  does  not  acknowledge  interior  things,  therefore 
when  exterior  things  are  taken  away  or  withdrawn,  they  are 
instantly  dissociated.  Moreover,  the  natural  man  calls  all  those 
reasonings  false,  by  which  the  spiritual  man  confirms  ultimate 
truth  ;  for  he  cannot  see  whether  that  which  he  confirms  be  so 
or  not,  it  being  impossible  from  natural  light  to  see  those  things 
which  are  of  spiritual  light :  this  is  against  order ;  but  it  is 
according  to  order  that  things  in  natural  light  should  be  seen 
from  spiritual  light. 

5009.  "  And  he  fled  and  went  forth  abroad." — This  signifies 
that  he  had  no  truth  whereby  to  defend  himself,  as  appears 
from  the  signification  of  flying  and  going  forth  abroad,  after  he 
left  his  garment,  as  denoting  that  separation  was  made,  or  that 
there  was  no  longer  any  thing  common,  consequently,  as  a  gar- 
ment denotes  ultimate  truth,  that  he  had  no  truth,  whereby  to 
defend  himself ;  see  what  was  shown  just  above,  n.  5008,  at  the 
end. 

5010.  "  And  it  came  to  pass  that  she  saw." — This  signifies 
perception  concerning  that  thing,  as  appears  from  the  significa- 
tion of  seeing,  as  denoting  perception,  see  n.  2150,  3764,  4567, 
4723 :  concerning  that  thing  is  concerning  the  separation  by 
ultimate  truths  being  no  longer  acknowledged ;  which  is  signi- 
fied by  his  leaving  his  garment  in  her  hand  and  fly  ing  abroad, 
as  is  evident  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  5008,  and  5009. 


488 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


5011.  "  And  she  cried  to  the  men  of  the  house." — This  signi- 
fies falses,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  a  cry,  as  denoting 
the  false,  see  n.  2240,  hence  to  cry  is  predicated  of  what  is 
false.  The  men  of  the  honse  in  the  genuine  sense  are  the  truths 
of  good  ;  but  in  the  opposite  sense  they  are  the  falses  of  evil. 
They  are  falses  which  Potiphar's  wife  now  speaks  to  the  men 
of  the  house,  and  afterwards  to  her  husband,  as  is  manifest  from 
what  she  speaks.  Natural  truth,  which  is  here  the  wife  of 
Potiphar,  cannot  speak  other  than  falses,  or  what  is  contrary  to 
truth,  after  that  ultimate  spiritual  truth,  which  as  to  the  outer- 
most face  appears  as  it  were  conjunctive,  has  been  plucked 
away,  see  n.  5008  at  the  end. 

5012.  "  And  said  to  them,  saying."— This  signifies  exhor- 
tation, as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  saying"  in  this  case, 
as  denoting  exhortation  ;  for  saying  in  the  internal  sense  de- 
notes perception,  n.  2862,  3395,  3509,  and  also  communication, 
n.  3060,  4131  ;  in  the  present  case  therefore,  because  it  is  said 
that  she  cried,  and  it  follows  that  she  said,  saying,  it  denotes 
vehement  communication,  that  is,  exhortation  to  hear. 

5013.  "See  ye,  he  hath  brought  to  us  a  Hebrew  man."  • 
This  signifies  a  servant,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  '*  a 
Hebrew  man,"  as  being  predicated  of  service,  see  n.  1703  ■  it 
i-<  also  clear  from  what  follows,  for  Joseph  is  there  called  a 
Hebrew  servant,  and  also  simply  a  servant,  "There  came  to  me 
the  Hebrew  servant,  whom  thou  hast  brought  to  us,"  verse  17  ; 
"  according  to  these  words  thy  servant  did  to  me,"  verse  19. 
The  principal  reason  why  a  Hebrew  man  here  denotes  a  servant 
is,  because  those  who  are  in  truth  and  good  natural  not  spirit- 
ual, who  are  here  represented  by  Potiphar  and  his  wife,  regard 
spiritual  truth  and  good,  which  is  represented  by  Joseph,  no 
otherwise  than  as  a  servant;  for  both  in  life  and  doctrine  they 
are  in  inverted  order,  inasmuch  as  with  them  the  natural  prin- 
ciple bears  rule,  and  the  spiritual  serves ;  when  yet  it  is  accord- 
ing to  order  that  the  spiritual  should  bear  rule  and  the  natural 
serve;  for  the  spiritual  is  prior,  interior,  and  superior,  and 
nearer  to  the  Divine,  while  the  natural  is  posterior,  exterior,  and 
inferior,  and  more  remote  from  the  Divine ;  on  which  account 
the  spiritual  principle  with  a  man  and  in  the  church  is  compared 
to  heaven,  and  is  also  called  heaven,  and  the  natural  principle 
is  compared  to  the  earth,  and  is  also  called  earth :  hence  also 
it  is  that  the  spiritual,  that  is,  those  with  whom  the  spiritual 
principle  has  had  rule,  appear  in  the  other  life  in  the  light  of 
heaven  with  the  head  upwards  towards  the  Lord,  and  the  feet 
downwards  towards  hell :  whereas  the  natural,  that  is,  those 
with  whom  the  natural  principle  has  had  rule,  appear  in  the 
light  of  heaven  with  the  feet  upwards  and  the  head  downwards, 
although  otherwise  in  their  own  light,  which  is  a  delusive  light 
resulting  from  the  lusts  and  consequent  phantasies  in  which  they 


5012—5017.] 


GENESIS. 


489 


are,  n.  1528,  3340,  4214,  4418,  4531,  4532.  Natural  men  con- 
sider spiritual  tilings  as  subservient,  as  was  represented  by  the 
Egyptians  regarding  the  Hebrews  as  servants ;  for  the  Egyp- 
tians represented  those  who  are  in  natural  science,  thus  who  are 
natural,  but  the  Hebrews  those  who  are  of  the  church,  thus 
respectively  the  spiritual :  the  Egyptians  also  estimated  the  He- 
Drews  so  vile,  as  servants,  that  it  was  an  abomination  to  them 
to  eat  with  the  Hebrews,  Gen.  xliii.  32 ;  and  also  the  sacrifices 
ottered  by  the  Hebrews  were  an  abomination  to  them,  Exod. 
viii.  26. 

5014.  "  To  mock  us." — This  signifies  that  he  rose  up  against, 
as  appears  from  the  sefies  itself  in  the  internal  sense,  and  also 
from  the  signification  of  "  to  mock,"  when  it  is  said  from  vehe- 
mence, as  denoting  to  rise  up  against. 

5015.  "  He  came  to  me  to  lie  with  me." — This  signifies  that 
truth  natural  spiritual  was  willing  to  conjoin  itself,  as  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  "to  come,"  as  here  denoting  to  be 
willing  ;  for  he  who  comes  purposely,  is  willing  ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  "to  lie  with,"  as  denoting  to  conjoin  itself, 
see  above,  n.  4989,  5001,  5007. 

5016.  "And  I  cried  with  a  great  voice." — This  signifies  that 
there  was  aversion,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  a  cry, 
as  denoting  false  speaking  ;  see  n.  5011 :  hence,  in  the  present 
case,  to  cry  involves  such  [false  speaking] ;  because  she  cried 
to  the  men  of  the  house  for  aid,  it  involves  that  it  was  repug- 
nant to  her ;  and  because  it  is  said,  that  she  cried  with  a  great 
voice,  that  she  was  averse  thereto. 

5017.  "And  it  came  to  pass  that  he  heard." — This  signifies 
when  it  was  apperceived,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"  to  hear,"  as  denoting  to  obey,  and  also  to  apperceive  ;  that  it 
denotes  to  obey,  may  be  seen,  n.  2542,  3869 ;  that  it  also  de- 
notes to  apperceive,  is  evident  from  the  very  function  of  the  ear, 
and  the  consequent  nature  of  hearing.  The  function  of  the  ear 
is,  to  receive  another's  speech,  and  convey  it  to  the  common 
sensory,  in  order  that  this  sensory  may  thence  apperceive  what 
another  thinks :  hence  to  hear  is  to  apperceive ;  therefore  the 
nature  of  hearing  is,  to  transfer  into  another's  thought  what  a 
person  speaks  from  his  own  thought,  and  from  the  thought  to 
transfer  it  into  his  will,  and  from  the  will  into  act ;  hence  to 
hear  is  to  obey.  These  two  offices  belong  to  hearing ;  in  lan- 
guages these  offices  are  distinguished  by  hearing  any  one, 
which  is  to  apperceive,  and  by  hearing  or  hearkening  to  any 
one,  which  is  to  obey.  The  reason  why  these  are  the  two 
offices  of  hearing  is,  because  a  man  cannot  by  any  other  way 
communicate  the  things  of  his  thought,  and  of  his  will ;  nei- 
ther can  he  in  any  other  way  press  reasons  of  persuasion  and 
inducement  to  do  and  obey  the  things  of  his  will.  From  these 
considerations  it  is  manifest  that  communications  are  effected 


490 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


by  a  circuit  from  the  will  into  the  thought,  and  thence  into  the 
speech,  and  from  the  speech  through  the  ear  into  another's 
thought  and  will.  Hence  also  the  spirits  and  angels  who  cor- 
respond to  the  ear  or  to  the  sense  of  hearing,  in  the  Grand  Man, 
are  not  only  apperceptions,  but  also  obediences :  that  they  are 
obediences,  may  be  seen,  n.  4652,  4660 ;  and  because  they  are 
obediences,  they  are  also  apperceptions,  for  the  one  involves 
the  other. 

5018.  "  I  lifted  up  my  voice  and  cried." — This  signifies  that 
there  was  great  aversion,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"  to  cry"  with  a  great  voice,  as  denoting  aversion,  see  n.  5016 ; 
in  the  present  case,  therefore,  "  to  lift  up  the  voice  and  to  cry" 
denotes  great  aversion. 

5019.  "  And  he  left  his  garment  with  me." — This  signifies 
a  witness  that  he  came  near,  as  appeal's  from  the  signification 
of  "to  leave  a  garment,"  as  denoting  to  withdraw  ultimate 
truth,  see  n.  500S  :  in  the  present  case  it  denotes  a  witness ; 
because  the  garment  in  her  hand,  which  was  shown,  that  is,  the 
ultimate  truth  whereby  she  proved  that  he  was  willing  to  con- 
join himself,  was  a  witness  that  he  came  near.  This  sense  in- 
deed appears  somewhat  remote  ;  nevertheless  it  is  that  which 
is  involved  in  what  she  spake,  see  below,  n.  5028. 

5020.  "  And  he  fled,  and  went  forth  abroad." — This  signifies 
that  still  he  separated  himself,  as  appeal's  from  the  signification 
of  "  to  fly  and  go  forth  abroad,"  as  denoting  to  separate  him- 
self, see  above,  n.  5009.  These  now  are  the  falses  which  Poti- 
phar's  wife  spake  to  the  men  of  the  house  concerning  Joseph, 
in  the  internal  sense,  which  truth  natural  not  spiritual  [spake] 
concerning  truth  natural  spiritual,  or  which  the  natural  man 
not  spiritual  concerning  the  natural  spiritual  man,  see  n.  4988, 
4992,  5008. 

5021.  Verses  16  to  18.  And  she  laid  v/p  his  garment  with 
he)',  until  he?'  lord  came  to  his  house.  And  she  spake  to  him 
according  to  these  words,  saying,  The  Hebrew  servant,  whom 
thou  hast  brought  to  us,  came  to  me  to  mock  me.    And  it  came 


mcnt  tvith  me,  and  fled  forth  abroad.  And  she  laid  up  his  gar- 
ment with  her,  signifies  that  she  retained  ultimate  truth  :  until 
her  lord  came  to  his  house,  signifies  that  she  might  communi- 
cate with  natural  good  :  and  she  spake  to  him  according  to 
these  words,  signifies  false  speaking :  saying,  The  Hebrew  ser- 
vant, whom  thou  hast  brougnt  to  us,  came  to  me,  signifies  that 
serving  principle  :  to  mock  me,  signifies  that  it  rose  up  against : 
and  it  came  to  pass,  as  I  lifted  up  my  voice  and  cried,  signifies 
when  great  aversion  was  apperceived  :  that  ho  left  his  garment 
with  me,  signifies  testification  :  and  fled  forth  abroad,  signifies 
that  then  ho  separated  himself. 

5022.  "  And  she  laid  up  his  garment  with  her." — This  sig- 


to  pass,  as  I  lifted 


and  cried,  that  he  left  his  gar- 


5018—5023.] 


GENESIS. 


491 


nifies  that  she  retained  ultimate  truth,  as  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  to  lay  up  with  herself,"  as  denoting  to  re- 
tain ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a  garment,"  as  denoting 
ultimate  truth,  see  above,  n.  5006,  5008  :  which  truth  being 
withdrawn,  the  spiritual  man  has  no  longer  the  means  of  de- 
fending himself  against  the  merely  natural,  n.  5008,  5009,  and 
in  this  case  injury  is  done  to  him ;  for  whatever  the  spiritual 
man  speaks  in  such  case,  merely  natural  men  say  they  do  not 
perceive  it,  and  likewise  that  it  is  not  so.  And  if  he  only  men- 
tions what  is  internal  or  spiritual,  they  either  ridicule  it  or  call 
it  mystical ;  therefore  in  such  case  all  conjunction  between 
them  is  broken,  and  when  this  is  broken,  the  spiritual  man 
suffers  hardship  from  the  merely  natural,  which  is  also  repre- 
sented by  Joseph's  being  cast  into  prison,  after  the  wife  testi- 
fied by  the  garment  in  presence  of  her  husband. 

5023.  "  Until  her  lord  came  to  his  house." — This  signifies 
that  she  might  communicate  with  natural  good,  as  appears 
from  the  signification  of  "  a  lord,"  as  denoting  good  natural  not 
spiritual,  see  n.  4973,  4988.  A  house  in  the  internal  sense  is 
the  natural  mind ;  for  the  natural  mind,  and  also  the  rational 
mind,  is  like  a  house ;  the  husband  therein  is  good,  the  wife  is 
truth,  the  daughters  and  sons  are  the  affections  of  good  and 
truth,  also  the  goods  and  truths  which  are  derived  from  them  as 
parents ;  the  maid-servants  and  men-servants  are  the  pleasures 
and  sci entitles  which  minister  and  confirm :  here,  therefore,  the 
expression,  until  her  lord  came  to  his  house,  signifies  natural 
good  to  its  habitation,  where  also  there  is  truth  conjoined  to 
it ;  but  in  the  present  case  the  false  persuading  good  that  it  is 
the  truth ;  for  good  natural  not  spiritual  is  easily  persuaded 
that  the  false  is  truth  and  truth  is  the  false.  He  is  called  her 
lord,  because  the  natural  principle  not  spiritual  considers  the 
spiritual  as  a  servant,  see  n.  5013.  The  natural  mind  and 
the  rational  mind  of  a  man  is  called  a  house,  as  is  evident  from 
the  following  passages:  "When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out 
of  a  man,  he  wandereth  through  dry  places  seeking  rest ;  and 
not  finding  it,  he  saith,  I  will  return  into  my  house  whence  I 
came  forth ;  and  coming  he  findeth  it  swept  and  garnished  : 
then  he  goeth  away  and  taketh  to  him  seven  other  spirits  worse 
than  himself,  and  they  enter  in  and  dwell  there,"  Luke  xi.  24  to 
26.  In  this  passage  a  house  denotes  the  natural  mind,  which  is 
called  a  house  empty  and  swept,  when  there  are  no  goods  and 
truths  therein  which  are  the  husband  and  wife,  no  affections 
of  good  and  truth  which  are  the  daughters  and  sons,  and  no 
such  things  as  confirm,  which  are  maid-servants  and  men-ser- 
vants. The  man  himself  is  the  house,  because  the  rational  and 
natural  mind  constitutes  the  man,  and  without  those  things, 
that  is,  without  goods  and  truths,  and  their  affections,  and  th* 
ministry  of  these  affections,  he  is  not  a  man  but  a  brute.  Tli 


492 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


mind  of  a  man  is  also  meant  by  a  house  in  the  same  evangelist, 
"  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself  is  vastated,  and  a  house 
upon  a  house  falleth"  xi.  17  ;  and  in  Mark,  "  If  a  kingdom  be 
divided  against  itself,  this  kingdom  cannot  stand ;  if  a  house 
also  be  divided  against  itself,  this  house  cannot  stand.  No  one 
can  enter  into  a  strong  man's  house  and  spoil  his  goods  unless 
he  first  bind  the  strong  man,  and  then  will  be  spoil  his  house" 
iii.  24,  25,  27  ;  a  kingdom  signifies  truth,  n.  1672,  2547,  4691 ; 
and  a  house  good,  n.  2233,  2234,  3720,  4982  ;  a  house  signifies 
good  from  its  superior  excellence.  And  in  Luke,  "  If  the  mas- 
ter of  the  house  had  known  at  what  hour  the  thief  would  come, 
he  would  have  watched,  and  would  not  have  permitted  his 
house  to  he  dug  through"  xii.  39.  Again,  "  Henceforth  there 
shall  be  five  in  one  house  /  three  against  two,  and  two  against 
three  :  the  father  shall  be  divided  against  the  son,  and  the  son 
against  the  father ;  the  mother  against  the  daughter,  and  the 
daughter  against  the  mother,"  xii.  52,  53.  The  subject  there 
treated  of  is  spiritual  combats,  into  which  those  who  are  of  the 
church  are  to  be  admitted,  after  the  internal  or  spiritual  things 
of  the  Word  are  opened.  A  house  denotes  the  man  or  his 
mind  ;  father,  mother,  son,  and  daughter,  are  goods  and  truths 
with  their  affections,  and  in  the  opposite  sense  evils  and  falses 
with  their  affections,  from  and  with  which  there  is  a  combat. 
The  Lord  commanded  his  disciples,  "  Into  whatsoever  house  ye 
shall  enter,  first  say,  Peace  be  to  this  house  ;  and  if  the  Son  of 
Peace  be  there,  your  peace  shall  rest  upon  it ;  but  if  not,  it 
shall  return  upon  you.  But  abide  ye  m  the  same  house,  eating 
and  drinking  such  things  as  they  have  ;  go  not  f  rom  house  to 
house"  Luke  x.  5  to  7.  This  represented  that  they  should  abide 
in  real  good,  in  the  good  of  love  to  the  Lord  and  of  charity 
towards  the  neighbour,  but  should  not  pass  into  any  other. 
That  a  man  or  his  mind  is  a  house,  may  be  also  seen,  n.  3538, 
4973. 

5024.  "  And  spake  to  him  according  to  these  words." — This 
signifies  false-speaking,  as  appears  from  what  follows ;  for  what 
she  spake  to  her  husband  are  falses. 

5025.  "  Saying,  The  Hebrew  servant,  whom  thou  hast  brought 
to  us,  came  to  me." — This  signifies  that  serving  principle,  as 
appears  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  5013  :  in  the  present  case 
that  serving  principle  means  spiritual  truth  and  good,  which 
here  is  Joseph,  and  which  appears  to  the  natural  principle  not 
spiritual  as  serving.  As  for  example,  spiritual  truth  and  good 
desire  that  a  man  should  not  take  pleasure  in  dignities  and 
super-eminence  above  others,  but  in  offices  done  towards  his 
country,  and  towards  societies  in  general  and  in  particular,  and 
thus  should  take  pleasure  in  the  use  of  dignities.  The  merely 
natural  man  is  altogether  ignorant  what  this  pleasure  is,  and 
denies  its  existence,  although  from  hypocrisy  he  can  also  say 


5024-5028.] 


GENESIS. 


493 


the  same ;  hut  still  he  makes  pleasure  derived  from  dignities 
for  the  sake  of  self,  the  lord,  and  pleasure  derived  from  dignities 
for  the  sake  <>f  societies  in  general  and  particular,  he  makes  the 
servant  ;  for  he  respects  himself  in  every  thing  he  does,  and 
societies  after  himself,  favouring  them  so  far  as  they  favour  him. 
Let  us  take  another  example :  if  it  he  said  that  use  and  end  con- 
stitutes a  thing  spiritual  or  not, — use  and  end  for  the  general 
good,  the  church,  and  the  kingdom  of  God,  constituting  what 
is  spiritual,  but  use  and  end  for  the  sake  of  self  and  those  con- 
nected with  self,  prevailing  over  the  former  use  and  end,  con- 
stituting what  is  not  spiritual, — this  indeed  the  natural  man 
can  acknowledge  with  the  mouth,  but  not  with  the  heart ;  with 
the  mouth  instructed  from  the  intellectual  principle,  not  with 
the  heart  from  the  intellectual  principle  destroyed  by  lusts  ; 
from  this  principle  he  makes  use  and  end  for  the  sake  of  self  a 
lord,  and  use  and  end  for  the  sake  of  the  common  good,  of  the 
church,  and  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  a  servant ;  yea,  he  says  in 
his  heart,  how  can  it  possibly  be  otherwise?  In  a  word,  the 
natural  man  makes  light  of  and  rejects  whatever  he  views  as  sep- 
arate from  himself,  and  esteems  and  accepts  whatever  he  views 
as  conjoined  to  himself,  neither  knowing  nor  caring  to  know,  that 
it  is  spiritual  to  view  as  conjoined  to  himself  every  one  who  is 
in  good,  whether  he  be  known  or  unknown,  and  to  view  as 
separate  from  himself  every  one  who  is  in  evil,  whether  he  be 
known  or  unknown  ;  for  in  such  case  he  is  conjoined  with  those 
who  are  in  heaven,  and  disjoined  from  those  who  are  in  hell : 
the  natural  man  however  is  not  hence  made  sensible  of  pleasure, 
inasmuch  as  he  is  not  receptive  of  spiritual  influx;  he  therefore 
regards  it  as  altogether  vile  and  servile,  thus  as  of  no  account 
in  respect  to  the  pleasure  he  experiences  through  the  bodily 
senses  and  the  lusts  of  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world ;  but 
this  pleasure  is  dead,  because  it  is  from  hell ;  whereas  the 
pleasure  derived  from  spiritual  influx  is  alive,  because  it  is  from 
the  Lord  through  heaven. 

5026.  "To  mock  me." — This  signifies  that  he  rose  up  against, 
as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  to  mock,"  as  denoting  to 
rise  up  against,  see  above,  n.  5014. 

5027.  "  And  it  come  to  pass,  as  I  lifted  up  my  voice  and 
cried." — This  signifies  when  she  apperceived  great  aversion,  as 
appears  from  the  signification  of  lifting  up  the  voice  and  crying, 
as  denoting  great  aversion,  as  above,  n.  5018. 

5028.  "  That  he  left  his  garment  with  me." — This  signifies 
testification,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  leaving  his 
garment  with  her,  as  denoting  that  he  came  near,  see  n.  5019. 
A  garment  in  the  internal  sense  signifies  truth ;  and  to  leave 
the  garment  denotes  to  withdraw  ultimate  truth,  n.  5008.  The 
reason  why  it  here  signifies  a  witness  or  testification  that  he 
came  near,  is,  because  ultimate  truth,  when  it  is  left  or  with- 


494 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


drawn,  is  a  witness  to  the  natural  man  against  the  spiritual. 
That  the  natural  man  is  as  it  were  conjoined  with  the  spiritual 
man  by  ultimate  truth,  but  still  that  he  is  not  conjoined,  may 
be  seen,n.  5009  ;  for  when  the  spiritual  man  explains  that  truth, 
the  dissimilitude  appears  :  the  examples  adduced  above,  n.  5008, 
may  serve  for  illustration.  The  spiritual  man,  as  well  as  the 
natural,  says  that  good  ought  to  be  done  to  the  poor,  the  widows, 
and  the  fatherless  ;  but  the  spiritual  man  thinks  that  good  ought 
not  to  be  done  to  the  poor,  the  widows,  and  the  fatherless,  who 
call  themselves  so  and  still  are  rich,  and  who  are  evil ;  for  thus 
they  would  deceive  by  mere  names :  hence  he  concludes,  that 
the  poor,  the  widows,  and  fatherless,  in  the  Word  mean  those 
who  are  spiritually  such  ;  but  the  natural  man  thinks,  that  good 
ought  to  be  done  to  the  poor,  the  widows,  and  the  fatherless, 
who  are  so  named,  and  that  those  and  no  others  are  meant  in 
the  Word ;  neither  is  he  concerned  whether  they  be  evil  or 
good,  neither  knowing  nor  caring  to  know  what  is  meant  by 
being  spiritually  such  :  hence  it  is  manifest  that  the  ultimate 
truth,  that  good  ought  to  be  done  to  the  poor,  the  widows, 
and  the  fatherless,  appears  similar  to  both ;  but  when  it  is  ex- 
plained, it  is  dissimilar;  'and  when  it  is  made  dissimilar,  and 
disjunction  thence  arises,  it  serves  the  natural  man  for  a  witness 
or  testification  that  he  came  near ;  hence  he  speaks  what  is  false 
against  the  spiritual  man,  who  no  longer  has  the  means  of  de- 
fending himself :  hereby  it  is  clear,  whence  and  in  what  respect 
a  garment  also  signifies  a  witness  or  testification.  Let  us  take 
also  this  example  :  the  spiritual  man  as  well  as  the  natural  man 
says,  that  good  ought  to  be  done  to  the  neighbour,  and  he  also 
says  that  every  man  is  a  neighbour  ;  but  he  thinks  that  one  is 
a  neighbour  in  one  respect  and  degree,  and  another  in  another, 
and  that  to  do  good  to  an  evil  person,  because  he  calls  himself 
a  neighbour,  is  to  do  evil  to  the  neighbour :  the  natural  man 
conjoins  himself  with  the  spiritual  in  the  ultimate  truth,  that 
good  ought  to  be  done  to  the  neighbour,  and  also  in  this,  that 
every  man  is  the  neighbour;  but  he  thinks  that  he  who  favours 
him  is  the  neighbour,  not  caring  whether  he  be  good  or  evil ; 
hence  also  it  is  manifest,  that  in  that  ultimate  truth  they  are 
apparently  conjoined,  but  still  that  there  is  no  conjunction,  and 
that  as  soon  as  ever  an  explanation  takes  place,  there  is  dis- 
junction; in  this  case,  that  ultimate  truth  serves  as  a  witness 
to  the  natural  man  against  the  spiritual,  that  he  as  it  were 
mocked.    So  also  in  other  cases. 

5029.  "And  fled  forth  abroad." — This  signifies  that  in  this 
case  he  separated  himself,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
to  fly  forth  abroad,  as  denoting  to  separate  himself,  see  above, 
n.  5020  ;  and  consequently  that  he  had  no  truth  whereby  to 
defend  himself,  see  n.  5009. 

5030.  Verses  19,20.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  her  lord  heard 


5029—5032.] 


GENESIS. 


495 


the  words  of  his  wife,  which  she  spake  to  him,  saying,  Accord' 
ing  to  these  words  thy  servant  did  to  me,  that  his  anger 'was 
kindled.  And  Joseph's  lord  took  him,  and  gave  him  into  the 
prison-house,  the  p>lace  where  the  bound  of  the  king  were  bound  / 
and  he  was  there  in  the  prison-house.  And  it  came  to  pass,  sig- 
nifies a  new  state  :  as  her  lord  heard  the  words  of  his  wife  which 
she  spake  to  him,  signifies  communication  of  the  false  that  it 
appeared  as  truth  :  saying,  According  to  these  words  thy  servant 
did  to  me,  signifies  confirmation :  that  his  anger  was  kindled, 
signifies  aversion  from  spiritual  truth  :  and  Joseph's  lord  took 
him,  signifies  temptation  from  the  natural  principle  :  and  gave 
him  into  the  prison-house,  signifies  as  to  false-speaking  against 
good  :  the  place  in  which  the  bound  of  the  king  were  bound, 
signifies  the  state  where  those  are  who  are  in  falses  :  and  he  was 
there  in  the  prison-house,  signifies  the  duration  of  temptation. 

5031.  "  And  it  came  to  pass." — This  signifies  a  new  state, 
as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  it  came  to  pass,  or  it  was 
so,"  as  involving  somewhat  new,  or  a  new  state,  see  n.  4979, 
4987,  4999  ;  in  the  present  case  the  state. of  natural  spiritual 
good,  which  state  is  represented  by  Joseph,  after  the  ultimate 
of  truth  was  withdrawn  from  him,  consequently  after  there  was 
no  longer  any  conjunction  with  truth  and  good  natural  not 
spiritual. 

5032.  "  As  her  lord  heard  the  words  of  his  wife,  which  she 
spake  to  him." — This  signifies  communication  of  the  false  that 
it  appeared  as  truth,  as  is  manifest  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
"  hearing  the  words,"  as  denoting  communication  ;  for  to  hear  is 
to  apperceive,  n.  5017,  thus  to  be  communicated ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  "a  wife,"  as  denoting  truth  natural  not 
spiritual,  spoken  of  above,  but  in  the  present  case  the  false  : 
the  false-speaking  itself  is  signified  by  Avhat  she  spake  to  him, 
as  above,  n.  5024  ;  the  communication  of  the  false  is  with  good 
natural  not  spiritual,  which  is  here  signified  by  her  lord,  as 
above,  n.  5023  ;  the  false  appeared  to  him  as  truth,  as  is  evident 
from  what  follows.  The  subject  here  treated  of  is,  that  good 
natural  not  spiritual  is  easily  persuaded,  insomuch  that  the  false 
appears  to  it  as  truth.  The  nature  and  quality  of  good  natural 
not  spiritual,  or  who  and  of  what  quality  those  are  who  are  in 
that  good,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  4988,  4992,  5008,  5013,  5028  ; 
they  are  such  as  are  mild  and  well-disposed  from  an  hereditary 
and  hence  an  adscititious  principle,  thus  who  do  good  from  na- 
ture, but  not  from  religion.  It  is  one  thing  to  do  good  from 
nature,  and  another  to  do  it  from  religion ;  they  cannot  be  dis- 
tinguished by  men  in  the  world,  who  are  not  acquainted  with 
the  interiors ;  but  in  the  other  life  they  are  manifestly  dis- 
cerned ;  for  in  that  life  the  interiors  are  manifested,  the 
thoughts,  the  intentions,  and  the  ends  of  life  exhibiting  them- 
selves and  being  clearly  evident.    It  has  hence  been  granted 


496 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


me  to  know  the  quality  of  those  who  are  in  good  not  spiritual,  9 
and  of  those  who  are  in  spiritual  good.  Those  who  are  in  good 
natural  not  spiritual,  suffer  themselves  to  be  persuaded  by  every 
one,  and  easily  by  the  evil ;  for  evil  spirits  and  genii  are  in 
their  very  life  or  the  delight  of  their  life,  when  they  can  enter 
into  the  lusts  of  any  one,  and  when  they  do  so,  they  entice  him 
to  every  evil,  for  in  such  case  they  persuade  him  that  the  false 
is  truth.  This  they  easily  effect  with  those  who  are  in  good 
natural  not  spiritual ;  but  they  cannot  effect  it  with  those  who 
are  in  spiritual  good,  for  these  know  interiorly  what  is  evil  and 
false.  The  reason  of  this  is,  because  those  who  are  in  spiritual 
good,  when  they  lived  in  the  world,  received  precepts  from 
doctrine,  wherewith  they  imbued  their  internal  man ;  so  that 
heaven  can  operate  therein  :  but  those  who  are  in  good  natural 
not  spiritual,  when  they  lived  in  the  world,  did  not  receive  any 
precepts  from  doctrine,  wherewith  they  imbued  their  internal 
man ;  therefore  with  them  there  is  no  plane  into  which  heaven 
can  operate,  but  whatever  flows-in  with  them  out  of  heaven, 
flows-through ;  and  when  it  comes  into  the  natural  man,  it  is 
not  received,  because  the  evil  or  diabolical  crew  instantly  take 
it  away,  by  suffocating,  reflecting,  or  perverting  it.  Therefore 
those  who  are  in  natural  good  only,  in  the  other  life  suffer  hard- 
ship, and  complain  much  occasionally  that  they  are  among  the 
internals,  when  yet,  as  they  believe,  they  did  good  as  well  as 
others  ;  but  it  is  told  them,  that  they  did  good  merely  like  tame 
animals  without  reason,  and  were  not  solicitous  about  any  good 
and  truth  of  the  church,  and  as  in  consequence  they  had  not  in 
their  internal  man  any  receptacle  .of  good  and  truth,  therefore 
they  cannot  be  defended  by  the'  angels ;  also  that  they  did 
several  evils  under  a  specious  appearance  of  good. 

5033.  "  Saying,  According  to  these  words  thy  servant  did 
to  me." — This  signifies  confirmation,  as  may  appear  from  the 
faith  in  which  he  was  that  his  wife  said  the  truth,  and  that 
thereby  it  was  confirmed  with  himself ;  for  the  wife,  who  per- 
suaded him,  is  truth  natural  not  spiritual,  but,  in  the  present 
case,  the  false.  That  good  natural  not  spiritual  suffers  itself 
to  be  easily  persuaded  by  the  false,  may  be  seen,  n.  5032.  It 
is  well  known  that  falses  may  be  confirmed  so  as  to  appear 
altogether  like  truths.  This  is  evident  from  every  heresy,  and 
from  all  its  particulars ;  which,  notwithstanding  their  being 
false,  still  by  confirmations  appear  as  truths  to  those  who  are 
in  the  heresy:  it  is  also  evident  from  those  who  are  of  no  reli- 
gion, who  altogether  confirm  themselves  against  the  things  of 
the  church,  insomuch  that  they  believe  that  the  church  is  only 
for  the  sake  of  the  vulgar,  to  keep  them  in  some  sort  of 
check ;  also  that  nature  is  all  in  all,  and  the  Divine  so  remote 
as  to  be  scarcely  any  thing ;  likewise  that  a  man  dies  like  a 
beast.    Concerning  these  and  similar  tenets,  those  who  are  iu 


5033— 5036.J 


GENESIS. 


497 


good  natural  not  spiritual  suffer  themselves  to  be  more  easily 
persuaded  and  confirmed  than  others,  inasmuch  as  they  have 
no  mirror  as  it  were  from  an  interior  principle,  but  only  from 
an  exterior,  before  which  latter,  fallacies  appear  as  realities. 

5034.  "That  his  anger  was  kindled." — This  signifies  aver- 
sion from  spiritual  truth,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
anger,  as  being  a  recession  from  the  good  of  charity,  see  n.  357, 
thus  aversion  ;  in  the  present  case  from  spiritual  truth,  which 
is  the  subject  treated  of.  Anger  denotes  aversion,  because  a 
man,  so  long  as  lie  is  in  anger  against  any  one,  averts  his  mind 
{animus)  from  him;  for  anger  exists  or  is  excited,  when  any 
person  or  thing  is  contrary  to  any  one's  love,  by  which  love 
there  is  conjunction  with  any  person  or  thing:  when  that  con- 
junction is  broken,  the  man  is  wrathful  or  angry,  as  if  some- 
thing was  lost  from  the  delight  of  his  life,  consequently  some- 
thing from  his  life :  this  sadness  is  turned  into  grief,  and  grief 
into  anger. 

5035.  "  And  Joseph's  lord  took  him." — This  signifies  tempt- 
ation from  the  natural  principle,  as  appears  from  what  now 
follows  ;  for  the  subject  about  to  be  treated  of  is  Joseph's  being 
sent  into  the  prison-house,  whereby  in  the  internal  sense  is  de- 
scribed the  temptation  of  spiritual  good  in  the  natural  principle  ; 
and  because  the  words,  Joseph's  lord  took  him,  involve  it,  they 
also  signify  it.  Temptations  are  of  two  kinds,  as  to  truths  and 
as  to  goods  :  temptations  as  to  truths  are  effected  by  spirits,  and 
temptations  as  to  goods  by  genii.  Spirits  and  genii  in  the  other 
life  are  thus  distinguished:  spirits  act  into  the  intellectual 
principle,  consequently  into  the  things  of  faith,  but  genii  into 
the  will-principle,  consequently  into  the  things  of  love.  Spirits 
present  themselves  to  be  seen,  and  also  manifest  themselves 
by  sjjeech  ;  but  genii  make  themselves  unseen,  and  only  man- 
ifest themselves  by  an  influx  into  the  desires  and  lusts :  they 
are  also  separated  in  the  other  life,  evil  or  infernal  spirits  ap- 
pearing in  front  and  sideways  beneath  the  earth  of  inferiors, 
but  evil  or  infernal  genii  appearing  beneath  the  hinder  part  and 
backward  under  the  earth  there.  Temptations  as  to  truths  are 
effected,  as  we  have  said,  by  evil  spirits,  and  temptations  as  to 
goods  by  evil  genii.  The  subject  treated  of  in  what  now  fol- 
lows is  the  temptations  which  are  effected  by  evil  spirits,  thus 
which  are  effected  as  to  false-speaking  against  good.  These 
temptations  are  milder  than  those  which  are  effected  by  evil 
genii,  and  also  are  pi*ior  as  to  their  existence. 

5036.  "  And  gave  him  into  the  prison-house." — This  sig- 
nifies as  to  false-speaking  against  good,  as  appears  from  the 
signification  of  being  given  into  the  prison-house,  and  being 
there  kept  bound,  as  denoting  to  be  let  into  temptations  as  to- 
false-speaking  against  good,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently  ; 
but  first  it  may  be  expedient  to  say  something  concerning 

vol.  v.  32 


498 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


temptations.  Scarce  any  one  in  the  Christian  world  at  this 
day  knows  whence  temptations  come  :  the  man  who  undergoes 
them,  knows  no  other  than  that  they  are  torments  arising  from 
the  evils  which  inwardly  appertain  to  him,  and  which  first  ren- 
der him  unquiet,  next  anxious,  and  finally  torment  him ;  but  he 
is  altogether  ignorant  that  they  are  effected  by  the  evil  spirits 
attendant  upon  him  :  he  is  ignorant  of  this,  because  he  does  not 
believe  that  he  is  in  consort  with  spirits  while  he  lives  in  the 
world,  and  scarcely  that  there  is  any  spirit  attendant  upon  him  ; 
when  yet  every  man,  as  to  his  interiors,  is  contimially  in  the 
society  of  spirits  and  angels.  Temptations  take  place  when  a 
man  is  in  the  act  of  regeneration ;  for  no  one  can  be  regener- 
ated, unless  he  also  undergoes  temptations ;  and  in  this  case 
they  arise  from  the  evil  spirits  about  him;  for  on  such  occa- 
sions a  man  is  let  into  the  state  of  evil  in  which  he  is,  that  is,  in 
which  that  very  principle  is  which  constitutes  his  prqprium,  and 
when  he  comes  into  this  state,  evil  or  infernal  spirits  encompass 
him,  and  when  they  apperceive  that  he  is  interiorly  protected 
by  angels,  they  excite  the  falses  which  he  had  thought,  and  the 
evils  which  he  had  done,  but  the  angels  from  an  interior  prin- 
ciple defend  him.  It  is  this  combat  which  a  man  perceives  as 
temptation,  but  so  obscurely  that  he  scarcely  knows  any  other 
than  that  it  is  merely  an  anxiety  ;  for  a  man,  especially  one  who 
believes  nothing  concerning  influx,  is  in  a  state  altogether  ob- 
scure, and  scarce  apperceives  a  thousandth  part  of  the  things 
concerning  which  the  evil  spirits  and  angels  are  contending; 
nevertheless  on  such  occasions  the  man  and  his  eternal  salva- 
tion are  at  stake,  and  the  determination  of  the  stake  is  from 
the  man  ;  for  the  combat  is  carried  on  from  the  things  apper- 
taining to  him,  and  concerning  them.  That  this  is  the  case, 
lias  been  granted  me  to  know  of  the  utmost  certainty :  I  have 
heard  the  combat,  have  perceived  the  influx,  have  seen  the 
spirits  and  angels,  and  at  the  time  and  afterwards  have  con- 
versed with  them  on  the  subject.  Temptations,  as  we  have 
said,  exist  principally  at  the  time  when  a  man  is  made  spirit- 
ual ;  for  then  he  spiritually  apprehends  the  truths  of  doctrine. 
The  man  is  often  ignorant  of  this ;  nevertheless  the  attendant 
angels  in  his  natural  things  see  spiritual,  for  his  interiors  are 
then  open  towards  heaven :  hence  also  it  is,  that  a  man,  who 
is  regenerated,  after  his  life  in  the  world,  is  among  angels,  and 
there  both  sees  and  perceives  the  spiritual  things  which  before 
appeared  to  him  as  natural.  "When  therefore  a  man  is  of  such 
a  quality,  he  may  be  defended  by  angels  in  temptation,  when 
he  is  assaulted  by  evil  spirits ;  for  the  angels  then  have  a 
plane  into  which  they  operate,  flowing-in  into  the  spiritual 
principle  appertaining  to  him,  and  through  the  spiritual  intc 
the  natural.  "When  therefore  ultimate  truth  is  withdrawn,  and 
of  consequence  he  has  nothing  whereby  to  defend  himself 


5037.] 


GENESIS. 


499 


against  those  who  are  natural,  concerning  which  state  see  n. 
5006,  5008,  5009,  5022,  502S,  he  then  comes  into  temptations, 
and  is  accused  by  evil  spirits,  who  are  all  merely  natural, 
especially  of  false-speaking  against  good  ;  as  for  example,  that 
he  thought  and  said  that  good  ought  to  be  done  to  the  neigh- 
bour, and  that  he  also  approved  it  in  act,  and  yet  by  a  neigh- 
bour he  now  only  means  those  who  are  principled  in  good 
and  truth,  but  not  those  who  are  principled  in  evil  and  the 
false,  and  cannot  be  amended ;  and  consequently,  since  he  is 
no  longer  willing  to  do  good  to  the  evil,  and  if  he  would  do 
good,  it  would  be  in  the  way  of  punishment  for  the  sake  of 
their  amendment,  and  of  averting  evil  from  his  neighbour, 
they  charge  him  with  thinking  and  speaking  what  is  false,  and 
with  not  thinking  as  he  speaks.  Let  us  take  also  this  example : 
inasmuch  as  a  man,  when  he  is  made  spiritual,  no  longer  be- 
lieves it  holy  and  tending  to  pious  use,  to  give  to  monasteries, 
or  even  to  temples,  which  abound  in  wealth,  and  as  before  he 
was  made  spiritual,  he  had  a  thought  that  such  conduct  was 
holy  and  pious,  they  charge  him  with  thinking  now  what  is 
false,  and  stir  up  all  the  thoughts  which  he  had  heretofore 
cherished  concerning  such  holiness  and  piety,  and  also  the 
works  which  he  had  done  in  consequence  of  such  thoughts  ;  in 
like  manner  in  numberless  other  cases  ;  but  let  these  examples 
be  only  for  some  sort  of  illustration.  They  principally  enter 
into  the  affections  which  he  heretofore  had,  and  excite  them, 
and  also  the  falses  and  evils  which  he  had  thought  and  done, 
and  thereby  lead  him  into  anxiety,  and  very  often  into  doubt 
even  to  despair.  Such  then  is  the  origin  of  spiritual  anxieties, 
and  of  what  are  called  torments  of  conscience.  These  things 
appear  to  the  man  as  if  in  himself  by  influx  and  communi- 
cation. He  who  knows  and  believes  them,  may  be  compared 
to  a  man  who  sees  himself  in  a  mirror,  and  knows  that  it  is 
not  himself  that  appears  in  it,  or  on  the  other  side  of  it,  but 
only  his  image ;  but  he  who  does  not  know  and  believe  this, 
may  be  compared  to  one  who  sees  himself  in  the  mirror,  and 
imagines  that  it  is  himself  that  appears  there,  and  not  his 
image. 

5037.  To  be  given  into  the  prison-house  and  there  to  be  kept 
bound,  denotes  to  be  let  into  temptations  as  to  false-speaking 
against  good,  because  all  the  place  proximately  beneath  and 
round  about  the  sole  of  the  foot,  is  called  the  prison-house, 
where  those  are  kept  who  are  in  vastation,  that  is,  those  who 
have  been  in  principles  of  the  false  and  in  the  life  of  evil  ground- 
ed in  the  false,  and  yet  in  good  as  to  the  intentions.  Such  per- 
sons cannot  be  received  into  heaven,  until  they  have  put  off 
the  principles  of  the  false,  and  also  the  delight  of  the  life  which 
was  thence  derived :  those  who  are  there  are  let  into  tempta- 
tions ;  for  principles  of  the  false,  and  the  delights  of  life  thence 


500 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


derived,  can  only  be  cast  out  by  temptations.  The  place,  or 
rather  the  state  in  which  they  are;  is  signified  in  general  by  the 
prison-house,  and  the  places  themselves  by  pits.  Concerning 
vastations  in  the  other  life,  see  n.  698,  699,  1106  to  1113,  2699, 
2701,  2704.  Those  who  are  in  vastations  are  called  the  bound  ; 
not  that  they  are  in  any  bond  or  chain,  but  that  they  are  not  in 
liberty  as  to  their  former  thoughts  and  consequent  affections. 
That  such  are  meant  in  the  Word  by  the  bound,  and  by  those 
who  are  in  prison,  is  manifest  from  other  passages  in  the  Word  ; 
as  in  Isaiah,  "  I  will  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people, 
for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles  ;  to  open  the  blind  eyes,  to  bring  him 
that  is  bound  out  of  prison,  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of 
the  prison-house"  xlii.  6,  7  ;  speaking  of  the  Lord  and  of  his 
coming.  In  this  passage  to  open  the  blind  eyes,  and  to  bring 
him  that  is  bound  out  of  prison,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness 
out  of  the  prison-house,  denotes  those  who  are  in  ignorance  of 
good  and  truth,  who  still  are  in  the  desire  of  knowing  and  be- 
ing imbued  with  those  principles  ;  but  prison  in  this  passage, 
in  the  original  tongue,  is  expressed  by  another  term.  Again, 
in  the  same  prophet,  "  All  the  youths  are  hid  in  prison- 
houses  }  they  are  made  into  a  spoil,  and  there  is  none  that  de- 
livereth,  and  none  that  sayeth,  Lead  forth,'''  xlii.  22.  Youths, 
in  the  internal  sense,  are  the  truths  of  faith,  which  are  said  to  be 
hid  in  the  prison-houses,  and  to  be  made  into  a  spoil,  when  they 
are  no  longer  acknowledged.  Again,  "  It  shall  be  in  that  day, 
Jehovah  will  visit  upon  the  host  of  the  height  on  the  height, 
and  upon  the  kings  of  the  ground  upon  the  ground  :  and  they 
shall  be  gathered  together,  the  bound  upon  the  pit,  and  shall 
be  shut  up  upon  the  inclosure  ;  after  a  multitude  of  days  they 
shall  be  visited,"  xxiv.  21,  22  :  the  bound  upon  the  pit  denote 
those  who  are  in  vastations  or  temptations.  Again,  "  What 
will  ye  do  in  the  day  of  visitation  and  vastation ;  it  cometh 
from  far :  to  whom  will  ye  flee  for  help  ?  he  that  hath  not 
bowed  himself ;  they  shall  fall  beneath  the  bound  and  beneath 
the  slain,"  x.  3,  4 :  beneath  the  bound  denotes  hell  which  is  be- 
neath the  places  of  vastation  ;  the  slain  denote  those  who  have 
extinguished  in  themselves  the  truths  of  faith  by  principles  of 
the  false,  in  a  less  degree  than  the  thrust  through,  concerning 
whom  see  n.  4503.  And  in  Zechariah,  "  lie  shall  speak  peace 
to  the  nations  ;  and  his  dominion  shall  be  from  sea  even  to  sea, 
and  from  the  river  even  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  As  for  thee 
also,  by  the  blood  of  thy  covenant,  I  will  send  forth  the  bound 
out  of  the  pit  in  which  is  no  water.  Return  ye  to  the  strong- 
hold, ye  bound  of  hope,"  ix.  10, 12  :  to  send  forth  the  bound  out 
of  the  pit,  denotes  those  who  are  in  vastation  and  temptation : 
the  places  where  those  are  who  are  in  vastation,  are  called  pits, 
see  n.  4728,  4744.  So  in  David,  "  Jehovah  heareth  the  needy, 
and  despiseth  not  his  bound"  Psalm  lxix.  33.    Again,  "Let 


5038.] 


GENESIS. 


501 


the  groaning  of  him  that  is  bound  come  before  thee,"  Psalm 
lxxix.  11.  Again,  "Jehovah  looked  out  of  the  heavens  to  the 
earth,  to  hear  the  groaning  of  him  that  is  bound,  to  open  to  the 
sons  of  death,"  Psalm  cii.  ID,  20  :  the  hound  denote  those  who 
are  in  vastation  and  temptations.  So  in  Isaiah,  "  In  an  accept- 
able time  I  answered  thee,  and  in  the  day  of  salvation  I  heard 
thee ;  I  also  guarded  thee,  and  gave  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the 
people,  to  restore  the  earth,  to  distribute  the  wasted  inherit- 
ances, to  say  to  the  bound,  Go  ye  forth,  and  to  them  that  are  in 
darkness,  be  ye  revealed;  they  shall  feed  on  the  ways,  and  in 
all  hills  shall  be  good  pasture  ;  and  they  shall  not  hunger,  neither 
shall  they  thirst,"  xlix.  8  to  10.  Again,  "The  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  Jehovah  is  upon  me  :  Jehovah  hath  anointed  me  :  he  hath 
sent  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor,  and  to  bind  up  the 
broken  in  heart,  to  preach  liberty  to  the  captives,  to  the  bound, 
and  to  the  blind,  to  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  Jehovah," 
lxi.  1,  2.  And  in  David,  "  Jehovah  who  doeth  judgment  to  the 
oppressed,  who  giveth  bread  to  the  hungry,  Jehovah  who  looseth 
them  that  are  bound,  Jehovah  who  openeth  the  blind,  Jehovah 
who  raiseth  up  those  that  are  bowed  down,  Jehovah  who  loveth 
the  just,  Jehovah  who  guardeth  the  sojourners,  supporteth  the 
fatherless  and  the  widow,"  Psalm  cxlvi.  7  to  9  :  the  bound  de- 
note those  who  are  in  vastation  and  temptations  on  account  of 
falses.  From  these  passages  it  is  also  manifest,  who  are  meant 
in  Matthew  by  the  bound,  or  those  who  are  in  prison,  and  also 
by  the  hungry,  the  thirsty,  and  the  sojourners  :  "  Then  shall  the 
King  say  to  those  on  his  right  hand,  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave 
to  me  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  to  me  to  drink  ;  1  was 
a  sojourner,  and  ye  gathered  me ;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me ; 
sick,  and  ye  visited  me  ;  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  to  me," 
xxv.  31,  36 ;  concerning  whom  see  the  introduction  to  this 
chapter,  n.  4954  to  4958. 

5038.  "  The  place  where  the  bound  of  the  king  were  bound." 
— This  signilies  the  state  where  those  are  who  are  in  falses,  as 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "place,"  as  denoting  state, 
see  n.  2625,  2837,  3356,  3387,  4321,  4882 ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
signification  of  "  the  bound  of  the  king,"  as  denoting  those  who 
are  in  falses  ;  and  because  in  falses,  they  are  in  vastation,  and 
those  who  are  regenerated  in  the  world,  in  temptation  ;  for 
temptation  is  the  vastation  of  what  is  false,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  confirmation  of  what  is  true.  They  are  called  the 
bound  of  the  king,  because  a  king  in  the  internal  sense  is  truth, 
see  n.  1672,  1728,  2015,  2069,  3009,  3670,  4575,  4581,  4789, 
4966 :  the  bound  of  the  king  therefore  are  those  who  are  in 
falses.  The  places  also,  where  the  bound  of  the  king  were, 
were  called  pits  ;  therefore  Joseph  says,  "  By  theft  I  was  car- 
ried away  from  the  land  of  the  Hebrews  ;  and  also  here  I  have 
not  done  any  thing,  that  they  should  put  me  into  the  pit,"  chap. 


502 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


xl.  15.  Concerning  a  pit,  as  denoting  a  place  of  vastation,  see 
n.  4723,  4744. 

5039.  "  And  he  was  there  in  the  prison-house." — This  signi- 
fies the  duration  of  the  temptation,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  the  prison-house,  as  denoting  vastation,  and  also 
temptation,  see  above,  n.  5036,  5037  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  being  in  it,  as  denoting  to  tarry  there,  thus  duration. 

5040.  Verses  21  to  23.  And  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph,  and 
inclined  mercy  to  him,  and  gave  his  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the 
'prince  of  the  prison-house.  And  the  prince  of  the p>rison-house 
gave  into  Joseph's  hand  all  the  bound  who  were  in  the  prison- 
house;  and  all  that  they  did  there,  he  was  the  doer.  The  prince 
of  the  prison-house  saw  not  any  thing  in  his  hand,  because  Jeho- 
vah was  with  him  /  and  whatever  he  did,  Jehovah  prospered. 
And  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph,  signifies  that  the  Divine  was  in 
him :  and  inclined  mercy  to  him,  signifies  the  divine  love  in 
singulars :  and  gave  his  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  prince  of  the 
prison-house,  signifies  relief  hence  in  temptations :  and  the  prince 
of  the  prison-house  gave,  signifies  truth  governing  in  a  state 
of  temptations  :  into  Joseph's  hand  all  the  bound  who  were  in 
the  prison-house,  signifies  from  himself  over  all  falses :  and  all 
that  they  did  there,  he  was  the  doer,  signifies  absolute  power: 
the  prince  of  the  prison-house  saw  not  any  thing  in  his  hand, 
signifies  that  himself  governed  truth:  and  whatever  he  did, 
Jehovah  prospered,  signifies  that  the  divine  providence  was 
from  himself. 

5041.  "And  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph." — This  signifies  that 
the  Divine  was  in  him,  viz.,  in  the  Lord,  who  in  the  supreme 
sense  is  represented  by  Joseph,  in  the  present  case,  the  Divine 
in  temptations,  which  are  here  treated  of;  for  the  Divine  itself 
is  Jehovah ;  and  that  he  was  in  him,  is  signified  by  Jehovah's 
being  with  Joseph:  inasmuch  as  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  Jo- 
seph is  treated  of,  it  is  said  with  him,  but  in  the  internal  sense 
where  the  Lord  is  treated  of,  it  is  in  him.  That  the  Divine  was 
in  him,  may  be  evident  to  every  one  within  the  church  from  this 
consideration,  that  he  was  conceived  of  Jehovah  ;  on  which  ac- 
count he  so  frequently  calls  him  his  Father.  The  very  esse  of  a 
man,  and  hence  the  inmost  principle  of  his  life,  is  from  the  father, 
the  clothing  or  exterior  things  are  from  the  mother;  therefore 
the  Lord's  esse,  and  hence  the  inmost  principle  of  his  life,  was 
divine,  because  it  was  Jehovah  himself;  and  the  clothings  oi 
exterior  things  constituted  the  human  which  he  took  from  the 
mother  by  nativity.  This  human  was  such  as  could  be  tempted, 
for  it  was  polluted  with  evil  hereditary  from  the  mother ;  but 
as  the  inmost  principle  was  divine,  it  was  able  by  its  own  pro- 
per power  to  expel  the  evil  which  was  hereditary  from  the  mo- 
ther ;  and  this  was  done  successively  by  temptations,  and  finally 
by  the  last  which  was  that  of  the  cross;  on  which  occasion,  he 


5039—5011.] 


GENESIS. 


503 


fully  glorified  his  human,  that  is,  made  it  Divine.  Hence  may 
be  manifest  what  is  meant  by  "  the  Divine  was  in  him." 

5012.  "  And  inclined  mercy  to  him." — This  signifies  the 
divine  love  in  singulars,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"  mercy,"  as  being  in  the  supreme  sense  the  divine  love,  see  n. 
1735,  3063,  3073,  3120,  3875.  The  divine  esse  itself  is  love,  un- 
derstood in  the  supreme  sense,  altogether  incomprehensible  to 
man  ;  from  which  by  means  of  truth  all  things  exist  and  subsist, 
as  well  those  which  have  life,  as  those  which  have  not.  That 
divine  love,  from  the  very  esse  through  the  inmost  principle  of 
life  in  the  Lord,  flowed-in  into  even  the  minutest  things  which 
lie  did  from  the  human  taken  from  the  mother,  and  directed 
them  to  ends,  and  these  ends  to  the  ultimate  end,  that  mankind 
might  be  saved.  And  as  the  Lord  from  the  very  Divine  in 
himself  saw  that  his  human,  as  to  its  quality,  was  in  evil  from 
what  was  hereditary,  therefore  it  is  said  that  Jehovah  inclined 
mercy  to  him,  and  thereby  in  the  supreme  sense  is  meant  the 
divine  love  in  singulars ;  for  the  divine  mercy  is  actually  the 
divine  love  towards  those  who  are  in  miseries,  n.  1019,  3063, 
3875 ;  that  is,  towards  those  who  are  in  temptations,  for  these 
are  in  miseries,  and  are  principally  meant  by  the  miserable  in 
the  Word. 

5013.  "And  gave  his  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  prince  of  the 
prison-house." — This  signifies  relief  thence  derived,  as  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  "giving  grace,"  as  denoting  relief; 
for  to  give  grace  in  temptations  is  to  comfort  and  relieve  by 
hope  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a  prince,"  as  denoting 
a  primary  truth,  of  which  we  shall  speak  in  the  following  para- 
graph ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  the  "  prison-house,"  as 
denoting  the  vastation  of  the  false,  consequently  temptation, 
see  above,  n.  5036,  5037. 

5011.  "  And  the  prince  of  the  prison-house  gave."— This 
signifies  truth  governing  in  a  state  of  temptations,  as  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of"  a  prince,"  as  denoting  a  primary 
truth,  thus  the  governing  truth,  of  which  we  shall  speak  pres- 
ently ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  the  prison-house,"  as 
denoting  the  vastation  of  the  false,  consequently  temptation, 
concerning  which  see  above,  n.  5036,  5037,  5013.  It  may  be 
expedient  to  premise  what  is  meant  by  truth  governing  in  a 
state  of  temptations.  With  all  who  are  in  temptations,  truth 
flows-in  from  the  Lord,  which  rules  and  governs  the  thoughts, 
and  raises  them  as  often  as  they  fall  into  doubts  and  despair. 
This  governing  truth  is  that  truth  which  they  have  learnt  from 
the  Word  or  from  doctrine,  and  which  they  have  confirmed  with 
themselves :  other  truths  indeed  are  also  on  such  occasion  re- 
called, but  they  do  not  govern  their  interiors ;  sometimes  the 
truth  which  governs  is  not  presented  to  view  before  the  undor- 
standingj  but  lies  hid  in  what  is  obscure,  and  still  it  governs : 


504 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


for  the  Divine  of  the  Lord  fiows-in  into  it,  and  thereby  keeps 
the  interiors  of  the  mind  in  it ;  when  therefore  it  comes  into 
light,  he  that  is  in  temptation  receives  consolation  and  is  re- 
lieved. It  is  not  the  truth  itself,  but  the  affection  of  that  truth, 
by  which  the  Lord  governs  those  who  are  in  temptations  ;  for 
the  Divine  fiows-in  only  into  those  things  which  are  of  the 
affection  :  the  truth  which  is  implanted  and  inrooted  in  a  man's 
interiors,  is  implanted  and  inrooted  by  affection,  and  not  at  all 
without  it;  the  truth  which  has  been  implanted  and  inrooted 
by  affection,  remains,  and  is  recalled  by  affection ;  and  when 
such  truth  is  thus  recalled,  it  presents  the  affection  conjoined  to 
it,  which  is  the  man's  reciprocal  affection.  As  this  is  the  case 
with  a  man  who  is  in  temptations,  therefore  no  one  is  admitted 
info  any  spiritual  temptations,  until  he  attains  to  adult  age,  and 
has  thus  imbibed  some  truth  whereby  he  can  be  governed ; 
otherwise  he  sinks  under  the  temptation,  and  in  such  case  his 
last  state  is  worse  than  the  Bret.  From  these  considerations  it 
may  appear  what  is  meant  by  truth  governing  in  a  state  of 
temptations,  which  is  signified  by  the  prince  of  the  prison-house. 
A  prince  denotes  a  primary  truth,  because  a  king  in  the  in- 
ternal sense  signifies  truth  itself,  n.  1672, 1728,  2015,  2069,  3009, 
3670,  4575,  45S1,  47S9,  4966  ;  hence  princes,  as  the  sons  of  a 
king,  signify  the  primaries  of  that  truth  :  that  princes  have  this 
signification,  may  be  seen,  n.  14S2,  2089  ;  but  as  there  it  was  not 
shown  to  be  so  from  other  passages  in  the  Word,  it  may  be  ex- 
pedient here  to  adduce  some  in  the  way  of  proof;  as  in  Isaiah, 
"  Unto  us  a  boy  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given ;  upon  whose 
shoulder  shall  be  the  principality.  The  Prince  of  Peace,  mul- 
tiplying principality  and  peace  ;  there  shall  be  no  end,"  ix.  6, 
7,  speaking  of  the  Lord.  Principality  upon  the  shoulder  de- 
notes all  divine  truth  in  the  heavens  from  himself;  for  the  hea- 
vens are  distinguished  into  principalities  according  to  truths 
from  good,  whence  also  the  angels  are  called  principalities. 
Peace  is  a  state  of  blessedness  in  tlie  heavens  affecting  good 
and  truth  from  inmost  principles,  n.  37S0  ;  hence  the  Lord  is 
called  the  Prince  of  Peace,  and  is  said  to  multiply  principality 
and  peace,  to  which  there  is  no  end.  Again,  in  tlie  same  pro- 
phet, "  Tlie  ])rinces  of  Zoan,  the  wise,  the  counsellors  of  Pha- 
raoh, are  foolish.  How  say  ye  to  Pharaoh,  I  am  the  son  of  the 
wise,  the  son  of  the  kings  of  antiquity  ?  the  primes  of  Zoan 
are  infatuated,  the  princes  of  Noph  are  deceived ;  and  they 
have  seduced  Egypt,  the  corner-stone  of  the  tribes,"  xix.  11,  13  ; 
speaking  of  Egypt,  which  signifies  the  scientific  principle  of  the 
church,  n.  4749,  thus  natural  truth  which  is  the  ultimate  of 
order;  therefore  also  Egypt  is  here  called  the  corner-stone  of 
the  tribes,  for  the  tribes  denote  all  things  of  truth  in  one  com- 
plex, n.  3858,  3862,  3926,  3939,  4060:  but  in  this  passage 
Egypt  denotes  the  scientific  principle  which  perverts  the  truths 


5044.] 


GENESIS. 


505 


of  the  church  ;  thus  it  denotes  truths  in  the  ultimate  of  order 
falsified,  which  are  the  princes  of  Zoan  and  the  princes  of 
Noph.  He  calls  himself  a  son  of  the  kings  of  antiquity,  because 
the  scientitics  in  Egypt  were  from  the  truths  of  the  ancient 
church  ;  the  truths  themselves  are  signified  by  kings,  as  was 
shown  above,  and  the  truths  of  the  ancient  church  by  the  kings 
of  antiquity.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  Ashur  thinks 
what  is  not  right,  and  his  heart  meditates  what  is  not  right ; 
for  his  heart  is  to  destroy,  and  to  cut  off  nations  not  a  few  ;  for 
he  saith,  Are  not  my  princes  kings  f "  x.  7,  8  ;  Ashur  denotes 
reasoning  concerning  divine  truths,  whence  come  falsities  ; 
thus  he  denotes  perverse  reasoning,  n.  1186 :  truths  thence 
falsified,  or  falses,  which  are  made  by  reasoning  and  appear  as 
most  real  truths,  are  signified  by  his  saying,  Are  not  my  princes 
kings  ?  That  Ashur  denotes  reasoning,  and  his  princes  who  are 
kings  primary  falses,  which  are  believed  to  be  the  most  real 
truths,  cannot  be  seen  and  thence  believed,  so  long  as  the  mind 
is  kept  in  the  historical  sense  of  the  letter,  and  still  less  if  it  be 
in  a  disposition  to  deny  that  there  is  in  the  divine  Word  some- 
what more  holy  and  more  universal  than  what  appears  in  the 
letter ;  when  nevertheless  in  the  internal  sense  Ashur  in  the 
Word  means  reason  and  reasoning,  and  kings  truths  themselves, 
and  princes  the  primaries  of  truth.  It  is  also  unknown  in  hea- 
ven what  Ashur  is  ;  and  the  angels  likewise  reject  from  them- 
selves the  idea  of  a  king  and  a  prince,  and  when  they  apperceive 
it  with  a  man,  they  transfer  it  to  the  Lord,  and  perceive  that 
which  proceeds  from  the  Lord,  and  is  of  the  Lord  in  heaven, 
viz.,  the  divine  truth  from  his  divine  good.  Again,  in  the  same 
prophet,  "  Ashur  falls  by  the  sword  not  of  a  man  (vir),  and  the 
sword  not  of  a  man  (homo)  shall  devour  him  ;  also  his  rock  shall 
pass  away  through  dread,  and  his  princes  shall  be  in  consterna- 
tion at  the  standard,"  xxxi.  8,  9  ;  speaking  also  of  Egypt,  which 
is  the  scientific  principle  of  the  church  perverted.  Reasoning 
from  scientifics  concerning  divine  truths,  whence  come  perver- 
sion and  falsification,  is  Ashur ;  those  truths  perverted  and 
falsified  are  princes  ;  the  sword,  by  which  Ashur  shall  fall,  is 
the  false  combating  and  vastating  the  truth,  n.  2799,  4199. 
Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  The  strength  of  Pharaoh  shall  be 
your  shame,  and  trust  in  the  shadow  of  Egypt  your  ignominy, 
when  his  princes  shall  be  in  Zocdi"  xxx.  3,  4.  Princes  in  Zoan 
denote  truths  falsified,  thus  falses,  as  above.  Again,  "  The 
cormorant  and  the  bittern  shall  possess  it ;  and  the  owl  and  the 
raven  shall  dwell  therein  :  he  shall  stretch  over  it  the  line  of 
emptiness,  and  the  plumb-lines  of  wasteness  :  the  nobles  thereof 
shall  not  be  there  ;  they  shall  call  the  kingdom,  and  all  the 
princes  thereof  shall  be  nothing"  xxxiv.  11, 12.  The  cormorant, 
the  bittern,  the  owl,  the  raven,  denote  genera  of  the  false,  which 
exist  when  the  divine  truths  that  are  in  the  Word  become  of 


506 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


no  account.  The  desolation  and  vastation  of  truth  is  signified 
by  the  line  of  emptiness  and  the  plumb-lines  of  wasteness  ;  and 
the  falses,  which  are  their  primary  truths,  are  signified  by 
princes.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  I  will  render  profane 
the  princes  of  holiness,  and  I  will  give  Jacob  to  the  curse,  and 
Israel  to  reproaches,"  xliii.  28.  To  render  profane  the  princes 
of  holiness  denotes  holy  truths  ;  the  extirpation  of  the  truth  of 
the  external  and  internal  church  is  signified  by  giving  Jacob  to 
the  curse  and  Israel  to  reproaches.  That  Jacob  is  the  external 
church  and  Israel  the  internal,  may  be  seen,  n.  4286.  And  in 
Jeremiah,  "  There  shall  enter  through  the  gates  of  this  city 
kings  and  princes  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  David,  riding  in 
the  chariot  and  upon  horses,  themselves  and  ihe\v  princes xvii. 
25.  He  that  understands  the  Word  in  the  historical  sense  in 
this  passage,  cannot  know  that  it  contains  any  thing  deeper  and 
more  holy  than  that  kings  and  princes  should  enter  through  the 
gates  of  the  city  in  a  chariot  and  on  horses ;  and  hence  he  col- 
lects that  it  signifies  the  duration  of  the  kingdom ;  but  he  that 
knows  what  is  signified  in  the  internal  sense  by  a  city,  by  kings, 
by  princes,  by  the  throne  of  David,  and  by  riding  in  a  chariot 
and  on  horses,  such  a  one  sees  deeper  and  more  holy  things 
therein  ;  for  the  city  or  Jerusalem  signifies  the  Lord's  spiritual 
kingdom,  n.  2117,  3654 ;  kings  denote  divine  truths,  as  was 
shown  above ;  princes  the  primaries  of  truth ;  the  throne  of 
David  the  Lord's  heaven,  n.  1S88  ;  riding  in  a  chariot  and  on 
horses  the  intellectual  spiritual  principle  of  the  church,  n.  2760, 
2761,  3217.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "  O  sword  against 
the  Chaldeans,  and  against  the  inhabitants  of  Babel,  and  against 
the  princes  thereof,  and  against  the  Avise  ones  thereof;  O  sword 
against  the  liars,  O  sword  against  their  horses,  and  against 
their  chariots,"  1.  35  to  37.  A  sword  denotes  truth  combating 
against  the  false,  and  the  false  combating  against  truth  and 
vastating  it,  n.  2791*,  4499:  the  Chaldeans  denote  those  who 
profane  truths,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Babel  those  who  profane 
good,  n.  1182, 1283,  1295,  1304  to  1308, 1321, 1322, 1326,  1327. 
Princes  denote  falses,  which  to  them  are  primary  truths;  horses 
denote  the  intellectual  principle  of  the  church,  and  chariots  the 
doctrinal  principle  thereof,  whose  vastation  is  signified  by  the 
sword  against  the  horses  and  the  chariots.  Again,  "  How  doth 
the  Lord  cover  the  daughter  of  Zion  with  a  cloud  in  his  anger ! 
The  Lord  hath  swallowed  up,  he  hath  not  spared  all  the  habi- 
tations of  Jacob  ;  he  hath  destroyed  in  his  wrath  the  strongholds 
of  the  daughter  of  Judah,  he  hath  cast  them  to  the  earth  ;  he 
hath  profaned  the  kingdom  and  the  princes  thereof:  the  gates 
have  sunk  down  into  the  earth,  and  he  hath  broken  the  bars  : 
the  king  and  ths  princes  are  amongst  the  nations,"  Lam.  ii.  1, 
2,  9.  The  daughter  of  Zion  and  of  Judah  denotes  the  celestial 
church,  in  the  present  case  that  church  destroyed  ;  a  kingdom 


5014.] 


GENESIS. 


507 


denotes  the  truths  of  doctrine  therein,  n.  2547,  4091 ;  a  king  de- 
notes the  truth  itself;  princes  the  primaries  thereof.  Again, 
"  Our  skins  like  an  oven  are  made  black  because  of  the  storms 
of  famine  ;  they  have  compressed  the  women  in  Zion,  the  vir- 
gins in  the  cities  of  Judah  :  the  princes  are  hanged  up  by  their 
hand"  Lam.  v.  10  to  12.  The  princes  hanged  up  by  their  hand 
denotes  that  truths  were  profaned  ;  for  hanging  represented  the 
damnation  of  profanation ;  and  in  consequence  of  such  repre- 
sentation, it  was  also  commanded,  when  the  people  committed 
whoredom  after  Baal-peor,  and  worshipped  their  gods,  "  that  the 
jyrinces  should  be  hanged  before  the  sun"  Numb.  xxv.  1  to  4 ; 
lor  to  commit  whoredom  after  Baal-poer,  and  to  worship  their 
gods,  was  to  profane  worship.  And  in  Ezekiel,  "  The  king 
shall  mourn,  and  the  prince  shall  be  clothed  with  stupor,  and 
the  hands  of  the  people  of  the  earth  shall  be  affrighted  ;  after 
their  way  I  will  act  with  them,"  vii.  27.  A  king  in  like  manner 
denotes  truth  in  general,  and  a  prince  the  primaries  thereof. 
Again,  "  The  prince  who  is  in  the  midst  of  them  shall  be  car- 
ried upon  the  shoulder  under  darkness,  and  shall  go  forth  ;  they 
shall  dig  through  the  wall  to  bring  out  thereby ;  he  shall  cover 
his  faces,  that  Iris  eye  shall  not  see  the  earth,"  xii.  12.  It  is 
very  manifest  that  in  this  passage  a  prince  does  not  mean  a 
prince,  but  the  truth  of  the  church  ;  concerning  which,  when 
it  is  said  that  it  shall  be  carried  on  the  shoulder  under  darkness, 
it  was  to  signify  that  with  all  power  it  should  be  conveyed  down 
among  falses ;  for  darkness  denotes  falses :  covering  the  face 
denotes  that  truth  should  not  at  all  be  seen  ;  his  eye  not  seeing 
the  earth  denotes  that  nothing  of  the  church  would  be  seen. 
That  the  earth  denotes  the  church,  see  n.  662,  1066, 1068, 1262 
1413,  1607,  1733,  1850,  2117,  2118,  2928,  3355,  4447,  4535. 
And  in  Hosea,  "  Many  days  the  sons  of  Israel  shall  sit,  with 
out  a  king  and  without  a  prince,  and  without  a  sacrifice,  and 
without  a  statue,  and  without  an  ephod,  and  without  teraphim,' 
iii.  4.  And  in  David,  "  The  king's  daughter  is  all  glorious 
within,  and  her  clothing  is  of  woven  gold :  she  shall  be  brought 
to  the  king  in  needle-work :  instead  of  thy  fathers  shall  be  thy 
sons:  thou  shalt  set  them  for  princes  in  all  the  earth"  Psalm 
xlv.  13,  14,  16.  The  king's  daughter  is  the  Lord's  spiritual 
kingdom ;  it  is  called  his  spiritual  kingdom  from  the  Lord's 
divine  truth,  which  is  there  described  by  a  garment  of  woven 
gold  and  needle-work  :  sons  denote  the  truths  of  that  kingdom 
which  are  from  the  Lord's  Divine,  which  should  be  princes, 
that  is,  primaries.  The  prince,  concerning  whom  and  his  pos- 
session in  the  New  Jerusalem  and  in  the  new  earth,  so  much  is 
said  in  Ezekiel,  chap.  xliv.  3;  chap,  xlv.  7,  8,  17;  chap.  xlvi. 
8,  10,  12,  16  to  18  ;  chap,  xlviii.  21,  signifies  in  general  the  truth 
which  is  from  the  Lord's  Divine  :  for  the  New  Jerusalem,  the 
new  temple,  and  the  new  earth,  there  mentioned,  signify  the 


508 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


Lord's  kingdom  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earths,  which  is  there 
described  by  representatives,  such  as  occur  in  other  parts  of  the 
Word. 

5045.  "  Into  Joseph's  hand  all  the  bound  who  were  in  the 
prison-house." — This  signifies  from  himself  over  all  falses,  viz., 
truth  governing  in  a  state  of  temptations,  as  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  giving  into  Joseph's  hand,"  as  denoting  into 
his  power,  for  hand  is  power,  n.  5008 ;  thus  that  it  was  from 
himself,  for  what  is  effected  from  his  power  is  effected  from  him- 
self: Joseph  in  the  internal  sense  means  the  Lord,  as  has  been 
frequently  shown  above  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  the 
bound  in  the  prison-house,"  as  denoting  falses,  concerning  which 
see  above,  n.  5037,  5038  :  thus  "  the  prince  of  the  prison-house 
giving  into  Joseph's  hand  all  the  bound  in  the  prison-house," 
signifies  truth  governing  in  a  state  of  temptations  from  himself 
over  all  falses ;  that  is,  that  the  truth  whereby  he  governed 
falses  in  a  state  of  temptations  was  from  himself.  In  this  pas- 
sage and  in  what  follows  to  the  end  of  this  chapter,  in  the  in- 
ternal sense,  it  is  shown  that  the  Lord  himself  from  his  own 
proper  power  governed  in  a  state  of  temptations,  that  is,  over- 
came the  hells  which  were  in  evils  and  falses,  and  which  con- 
tinually infused  evils  and  falses  into  mankind.  That  the  Lord 
by  his  own  proper  power  overcame  and  subdued  the  hells,  and 
thereby  glorified  or  made  divine  the  human  in  himself,  mav  be 
seen,  n.  1616,  1749,  1755,  1813,  1904,  1914,  1921,  1935,  2025, 
2026,  2083,  2159,  2574,  2786,  2795,  3036,  3381,  3382,  4075, 
4286,  5005  :  this  is  manifest  from  several  passages  in  the  Word, 
as  from  this  in  John,  "  I  lay  down  my  soul,  that  I  may  take  it 
again  :  no  one  taketh  it  from  me  ;  but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself. 
I  have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take  it  again," 
x.  17,  18.  The  passion  of  the  cross  was  the  last  of  the  tempta- 
tions, by  which  he  fully  glorified  the  human  in  himself,  that  is, 
made  it  Divine,  as  is  evident  also  from  several  passages  in  the 
Word,  as  from  John,  chap.  xiii.  31,  32 ;  chap.  xvii.  1,  5  ;  Luke 
xxiv.  26. 

5046.  "And  all  that  they  did  there,  he  was  the  doer." — ■ 
This  signifies  absolute  power,  as  may  appear  without  explana- 
tion ;  for  the  words  involve  that  all  things  were  from  himself, 
thus  that  he  was  in  the  absolute  power  of  doing  and  of  leaving 
\mdone. 

5047.  "The  prince  of  the  prison-houso  saw  not  anything  in 
his  hand." — This  signifies  that  he  himself  governed  truth,  as 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  the  prince  of  the  prison- 
house,"  as  denoting  truth  governing  in  a  state  of  temptations, 
sec  above,  n.  5044  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  not  see- 
ing any  thing  in  his  hand,"  as  denoting  that  it  is  from  himself, 
thus  from  absolute  power,  as  above,  n.  5045,  5046. 

5048.  "  Because  Jehovah  was  with  him." — This  signifies 


5015—5051.] 


GENESIS. 


509 


from  the  Divine  which  was  in  himself,  as  appears  from  what 
was  Baid  above,  n.  5041. 

5049.  "And  whatever  he  did  Jehovah  prospered." — This 
signifies  that  the  Divine  Providence  was  from  himself,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  causing  to  prosper,  as  denoting 

Srovidence,  see  n.  4972,  4975 :  that  it  is  divine,  is  meant  by 
ehovah  ;  and  that  it  was  from  himself,  by  what  he  did.  The 
reason  why  causing  to  prosper  in  the  supreme  sense  is  provi- 
dence, is,  because  every  thing  prosperous,  which  appears  in  the 
idti mates  of  nature,  is  in  its  origin  from  the  Divine  Providence 
of  the  Lord  :  that  this  is  the  case,  and  also  that  every  thing 
which  is  said  to  be  of  fortune,  is  from  the  same  source,  will  be 
shown  elsewhere,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  from  what 
has  been  experienced  in  the  spiritual  world. 


A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  SUBJECT  OF  CORRESPONDENCE  WITII 
THE  GRAND  MAN,  IN  THE  PRESENT  CASE  OF  THE  CORRESPOND- 
ENCE OF  THE  LOINS  AND  THE  GENITALS  THEREWITH. 

5050.  AT  the  close  of  the  preceding  chapter,  n.  4931  to  4953, 
we  showed  from  experience,  who  in  the  Grand  Man  or  heaven 
belong  to  the  province  of  the  hands,  the  arms,  and  the  feet  y  we 
will  noio proceed  to  show  what  are  the  societies  in  heaven  or  the 
Grand  Man,  to  which  the  loins  correspond,  and  also  the  members 
adhering  thereto,  which  are  called  the  genitals.  In  general  it 
is  to  be  noted,  that  the  loins,  and  the  members  adhering  thereto, 
correspond  to  genuine  conjugial  love,  consequently  to  the  societies 
which  C07isist  of  such  persons.  Those  who  are  in  those  societies 
are  more  celestial  than  others,  and  live  in  the  delight  of  peace 
more  than  others. 

5051.  In  a  quiet  dream  I  saw  some  trees  that  were  planted 
in  a  wooden  receptacle :  one  of  them  was  tall,  another  lower,  and 
two  were  small ;  the  lower  tree  delighted  me  most  /  and  at  the 
same  time  a  very  pleasant  rest,  such  as  I  cannot  expreis,  affected 
my  mind.  When  I  awoke,  I  entered  into  conversation  xcith  the 
angelic  spirits  who  had  induced  the  dream  :  see  n.  1977,  1979. 
They  told  me  that  what  I  had  seen  signified  conjugial  love  /  the 
tall  tree  signifying  the  husband,  the  lower  tree  the  wife,  and  the 
tioo  small  ones  the  children :  they  said  further  that  the  very  pleas- 
ant rest,  which  affected  my  mind,  teas  an  indication  of  th  e  pleas- 
antness of  peace  enjoyed  %n  the  other  life  by  those  who  have  lived 
in  genuine  conjugial  love.  They  added,  that  such  persons  belong 
to  the  province  of  the  thighs  next  above  the  knees,  and  that  those 
who  are  in  a  still  more  pleasant  state  belong  to  the  province  of 
the  loins.   It  was  also  shown  me,  that  there  is  a  communication 


510 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


through  the  feet  with  the  soles  and  the  heels :  that  there  is  a  com' 
munication,  is  also  manifest  from  that  great  nerve  in  the  thigh, 
vjhich  sends  forth  its  branches  not  only  through  the  loins  to  the 
genitals,  tohich  are  the  organs  of  conjugial  love,  but  also  through 
the  feet  to  the  soles  and  the  heels.  It  was  also  discovered  to  me 
on  th  is  occasion,  what  is  meant  in  the  Word  by  the  pan  and  the 
nerve  of  the  thigh  which  Jacob  had  put  out  of  joint  when  he 
wrestled  with  the  angel,  Gen.  xxxii.  26,  32,  33/  see  n.  42S0, 
42S1,  4314  to  4317.  I  afterwards  saw  a  great  dog,  like  that 
which  the  most  ancient  writers  call  Cerberus,  with  his  jaws  hor- 
ribl y  extended.  It  was  told  me,  that  such  a  dog  signifies  a  guard, 
to  prevent  a  man's  passing  over  from  celestial  conjugial  love  to 
the  love  of  adultery,  which  is  infernal;for  conjugial  love  is 
celestial,  when  a  man  with  his  conjugial  partner,  and  his  chil- 
dren, whom  he  most  tenderly  loves,  lives  contented  in  the  lord: 
hence  in  the  world  he  experiences  interior  satisfaction,  and  in 
the  other  life  celestial  joy  /  but  when  he  passes  from  that  love 
into  the  opposite,  and  the  delight  therein  appears  as  if  it  were 
celestial,  although  it  is  infernal,  in  this  case  such  a  dog  is  pre- 
sented as  a  security  lest  the  opposite  delights  should  commu- 
nicate. 

5052.  The  lord  insinuates  conjugial  love  through  the  inmost 
heaven,  the  inhabitants  thereof  being  in  peace  above  all  others. 
Peace  in  the  heavens  resembles  the  sj)rmg  season  in  the  world, 
which  gives  delight  to  all  things  /  it  is  the  celestial  principle  it- 
self in  its  origin.  The  angels  who  dwell  there  are  the  wisest  of 
all,  and  from  their  innocence  appear  to  others  like  infants  ;  for 
they  love  infants  much  more  than  their  parents  do.  They  are 
present  with  infants  in  the  womb,  and,  by  their  means  the  lord 
takes  care  that  infants  be  nourished  and  perfected  there  :  thus 
they  p>residc  over  those  who  are  with  child. 

5053.  There  are  heavenly  societies,  to  which  all  and  singular 
the  members  and  organs  allotted  to  generation  in  each  sex  corre' 
spond.  Those  societies  are  distinct  from  others,  as  that  province 
in  man  is  perfectly  distinct  and  separate  from  the  rest.  The 
reason  iqhy  those  societies  are  heavenly  is,  because  conjugial  love 
is  the  fundamental  of  all  loves,  n.  686,  2736  to  2738  /  it  also  ex- 
cels the  rest  in  use,  and  consequently  in  delight:  for  marriages 
are  the  seminaries  of  the  whole  human  race,  and  also  of  the 
Lord's  heavenly  kingdom  /  for  heaven  is  from  the  human  race. 

5054.  Those  who  have  most  tenderly  loved  infants,  as  such 
mothers,  are  in  the  province  of  the  womb  and  the  adjacent  organs, 
as  in  that  of  the  neck  of  the  uterics  and  of  the  ovaries,  and  those 
who  are  there,  are  in  the  sweetest  and  most  delicious  life,  and  in 
heavenly  joy  above  others. 

5055.  But  it  has  not  been  granted  me  to  knoio  the  nature 
and  quality  of  those  heavenly  societies  which  belong  to  each  of 
these  organs,  for  they  are  of  a  more  interior  kind  than  can  be 


5052—5056.] 


GENESIS. 


511 


comprehended  by  any  one  who  is  in  an  inferior  sphere  ;  they 
also  have  reference  to  the  uses  of  those  organs,  which  uses  are 
hidden,  and  likewise  remote  from  science,  for  a  reason  also 
which  is  of  providence,  lest  sicch  things,  which  are  in  themselves 
most  heavenly,  should  suffer  injury  by  filthy  thoughts,  which 
are  those  of  lasciviousness,  of  whoredom,  and  adultery,  and 
which  are  excited  with  the  generality  of  people  on  the  bare 
mention  of  those  organs.  I  am  therefore  only  cdlowed  to  relate 
some  things  more  remotely  connected  therewith,  which  I  have 
seen. 

5056.  A  certain  spirit  from  another  earth  teas  present  with 
me  I  {concerning  the  spirits  from  other  earths,  by  the  divine 
mercy  of  the  Lord,  we  shall  speak  elsewhere  /)  he  anxiously 
requested  that  I  woidd  intercede  for  him,  that  he  mi g Jit  be  ad- 
mitted into  heaven,  saying  he  aid  not  know  that  he  had  done 
any  evil,  only  that  he  had  chided  the  inhabitants  of  that  earth  ; 
(for  there  are  chiders  and  chastisers  of  those  who  do  not  lead 
orderly  lives,  of  whom  also  we  shall  speak,  when  we  treat  of 
the  inhabitants  of  other  earths :)  he  added,  that  after  chiding 
he  instructed  them ;  he  then  talked  as  it  were  with  a  divided 
mind  y  he  could  also  excite  compassion.  I  could  make  him  no 
other  reply  than  that  it  was  out  of  my  power  to  help  him  ;  that 
help  could  come  only  from  the  Lord,  and  that,  if  he  was  worthy, 
he  might  entertain  liope.  He  was  then  sent  among  the  well 
disposed  spirits  from  his  own  earth  /  but  these  told  him  that  he 
could  not  continue  in  consort  with  them,  because  he  was  not  of 
their  temper  and  disposition.  But  as  from  an  intense  desire 
he  was  still  urgent  to  be  let  into  heaven,  he  was  sent  into  a 
society  of  well-disposed  splits  of  this  earth :  yet  these  also  said 
that  he  could  not  continue  with  them.  He  was  likewise  of  a 
black  colour  in  the  light  of  heaven,  but  he  himself  said,  that  he 
was  not  of  a  black  but  of  a  murrhine  colour.  L  was  told  that 
they  are  such  in  the  beginning,  who  are  afterwards  received 
among  those  who  constitute  the  province  of  the  seminal  vessels  / 
for  in  those  vessels  is  collected  the  semen  with  its  proper  serum 
with  which  it  is  combined,  and  thereby  rendered  meet,  after  it 
has  been  emitted,  to  be  resolved  in  the  neck  of  the  uterus,  and  so 
to  be  serviceable  to  conception  /  and  there  is  in  such  substance 
an  endeavour  and  as  it  were  a  desire  of  performing  use,  thus  of 
Witting  off  the  serum  with  which  it  is  clothed.  Something  simi- 
lar to  this  also  appeared  to  appertain  to  that  spirit.  He  came 
again  to  me,  but  in  vile  clothing,  and  said,  that  he  teas  burning 
with  desire  to  come  into  heaven,  and  that  now  he  apperceived 
that  he  was  of  a  quality  to  be  received.  L  was  permitted  to  tell 
him,  that  possibly  it  toas  a  proof  that  in  a  short  time  he  woidd 
be  received.  He  was  then  told  by  the  angels  to  put  of  his  gar- 
ment, which  he  immediately  did  in  great  haste,  so  intense  was 
his  desire.    Thus  was  represented  the  quality  of  the  desires  of 


512 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


those  who  are  in  the  province  to  which  the  seminal  vessels  cor- 
r  wpond. 

5057.  I  once  saw  a  large  mortar,  and  standing  by  it  a  cer- 
tain man  with  an  iron  pestle,  who  from  phantasy  seemed  to  him- 
self to  be  pounding  men  in  it,  torturing  them  in  a  dreadful 
manner  j  this  he  did  toith  great  delight :  the  delight  itself  was 
communicated  to  me,  that  I  might  know  its  quality  and  quan- 
tity with  persons  of  such  a  character :  it  was  an  infernal  delight. 
The  angels  told  me  that  such  was  the  ruling  delight  with  the 
posterity  of  Jacob,  and  that  they  perceived  nothing  more  delight- 
ful than  to  treat  the  nations  with  cruelty,  to  expose  them  when 
slain  to  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts  and  birds,  to  cut  them  alive 
with  saws  and  axes,  to  send  them  through  the  brick-kiln,  2  Sam. 
xii.  31,  and  to  throw  and  dash  their  children  to  the  ground. 
Such  things  were  never  commanded  or  permitted  except  to  those 
who  had  the  nerve  of  their  thigh  out  of  joint,  n.  5051.  The 
dwellings  of  such  are  under  the  right  heel,  where  are  adulterers 
who  are  also  cruel.  It  is  therefore  surprising  that  any  one 
should  at  all  believe,  that  that  nation  was  chosen  hi  preference 
to  others :  hence  cdso  it  comes  to  pass,  that  several  confirm  them- 
selves in  the  belief  that  the  life  is  of  no  account,  but  election  is 
every  thing,  and  that  consequently  reception  into  heaven  is  of 
mere  mercy,  without  any  regard  to  the  life  ;  when  yet  every  one 
from  sound  reason  is  enabled  to  see,  that  to  think  so  is  to  think 
against  the  Divine,  for  the  Divine  is  mercy  itself  :  if  therefore 
heaven  was  of  mere  mercy,  without  regard  to  the  life,  all  wouldbe 
received  into  it,  whatever  might  be  their  numbers  :  to  thrust  any 
one  into  hell,  when  he  might  be  received  into  heaven,  would  be 
unmercif  ulness  and  not  mercy,  and  to  choose  one  in prefere?ice  to 
another  would  be  injustice  and  not  justice.  Those  therefore 
who  have  believed,  and  have  confirmed  themselves  in  the  belief, 
that  some  are  chosen  and  the  rest  rejected,  and  that  admission 
into  heaven  is  merely  out  of  mercy,  without  any  regard  to  the 
life,  are  told,  as  I  have  also  occasionally  heard  and  seen,  that 
the  Lord  never  denies  heaven  to  any  one,  as  they  may  know  from 
experience,  if  they  desire  it  /  they  are  therefore  elevated  into 
some  society  of  heaven,  inhabited  by  those  who  have  spent  their 
life  in  the  affection  of  good  or  in  charity  /  but  when  they  come 
there,  and  being  evil,  they  begin  to  be  tormented  and  inwardly 
tortured,  because  their  life  is  contrary  ;  and  in  the  heavenly  light 
they  appear  like  devils,  almost  xoithout  the  human  form,  some 
with  the  face  distorted,  some  like  grates  of  teeth,  some  like  mon- 
sters in  other  shapes  ;  thus  they  abhor  themselves,  and  cast  them- 
selves down  headlong  into  hell,  and  the  deeper  they  desce?id  so 
much  the  better  for  them. 

5058.  /  also  saw  a  certain  man,  who  in  the  world  had  been 
imputed-  among  the  more  worthy,  and  who  at  that  time  toas  known 
to  me,  but  not  as  to  his  internal  quality ;  nevertheless  in  the 


5057—5060.] 


GENESIS. 


513 


other  life,  after  some  revolutions  of  the  state  of  his  life,  he  was 
shown  to  be  deceitful.  When  he  had  been  for  some  time  among 
the  deceitful  in  the  other  life,  and  had  there  suffered  much 
hardship,  he  was  desirous  of  being  separated  from  them.  I 
heard  lam.  say  on  this  occasion,  that  he  wished  to  come  into  hea- 
ven i  he  also  had  believed  that  reception  there  was  of  mere 
mercy  y  but  he  was  told  that  if  he  came  there,  he  could  not  re- 
main, and  that  he  would  be  tormented  like  those  in  the  world 
who  are  in  the  agony  of  death.  Nevertheless,  as  he  was  still 
urgent,  he  was  admitted  into  a  society  consisting  of  the  simple 
good,  xoho  are  in  front  above  the  head/  but  when  he  came  among 
them  he  began  to  act  according  to  his  life  by  craft  and  dec>it  j 
hence  in  the  space  of  an  hour,  the  good  there,  who  were  simple, 
began  to  lament  that  he  took  from  them  the  perception  of  good 
and  truth,  and  consequently  their  delight,  thereby  destroying 
their  state.  At  that  instant  some  light  from  the  interior  heaven 
was  admitted,  in  which  he  appeared  like  a  devil,  with  the  upper 
part  of  his  nose  shamefully  furrowed  as  from  a  loathsome 
wound.  He  then  began  also  to  be  inwardly  tortured,  and  as 
soon  as  he  was  sensible  of  it,  he  cast  himself  thence  into  hell. 
Hence  it  is  manifest,  that  election  and  reception  are  not  of  mere 
mercy,  but  that  it  is  the  life  which  makes  heaven  y  nevertheless 
all  things  of  the  life  of  good  and  of  the  faith  of  truth  are  mer- 
cifully given  to  those  in  the  world  who  receive  mercy,  and  they 
are  received  out  of  mercy,  and  it  is  they  who  are  called  the  elect, 
n.  3755,  3900. 

5059.  Those  who  have  lived  in  what  is  contrary  to  conjugial 
love,  that  is,  in  adultery,  when  they  have  approached  me,  have 
infused  a  vain  into  my  loins,  more  or  less  acute  according  to 
the  life  of  adultery  which  they  have  lived  y  from  which  influx 
also  it  was  manifest,  that  the  loins  correspond  to  conjugial  love. 
Their  hell  also  is  under  the  hinder  part  of  the  loins,  beneath 
the  buttocks,  where  they  dwell  in  Jilt h  and  excrement:  these 
things  likewise  are  alluring  to  them,  for  they  correspond  to  such 
pleasures  in  the  spiritual  world,  more  however  toill  be  said 
respecting  these,  when  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord  we  come 
to  speak  of  the  hells  generally  and  specifically. 

5060.  Who  they  are  that  correspond  to  the  testicles,  was  like- 
wise made  manifest  to  me  from  those  who  are  in  what  is  con- 
trary to  conjugial  love,  and  cause  pain  in  the  testicles  y  for 
societies,  when  they  operate,  act  upon  those  parts  and  members 
of  the  body  to  which  they  correspond,  the  heavenly  societies  by 
a  gentle,  sweet,  delightful  influx,  the  infernal,  who  are  in  what 
is  contrary \  by  a  severe  and  painf  ul  influx  y  but  their  influx  is 
not  perceived,  except  by  those  toho  have  their  interiors  open,  and, 
thence  have  perceptible  communication  with  the  spiritual  world. 
Those  who  are  in  principles  contrary  to  conjugial  love,  and 
cause  pain  in  the  testicles,  are  those  who  ensnare  by  love,  friend 

vol.  v.  33 


514 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xxxix. 


ship,  and  kind  offices  :  such,  when  they  have  come  to  me,  were 
desirous  to  speak  with  me  in  secret,  being  exceedingly  fearful 
lest  any  one  should  be  present  /  for  this  ivas  their  character  in 
the  life  of  the  body,  and  consequently  such  is  their  character  in 
the  other  life  ;  for  every  one's  peculiar  life  follows  him  after 
death.  There  arose  from  the  region  near  gehenna  as  it  were 
something  aerial  and  inconspicuous,  which  was  a  company  of 
such  spirits  ;  but  although  there  were  several,  afterwards  it  ap- 
peared to  me  as  if  it  were  only  one,  having  bandages  interposed, 
which  yet  he  seemed  to  himself  to  remove :  hereby  was  signified 
that  they  were  desirous  to  remove  obstacles,  for  in  such  a  man- 
ner the  thoughts  and  contrivances  of  the  mind  appear  repre- 
sentatively in  the  world  of  spirits,  and  when  they  appear,  it  is 
instantl y  apperceived  what  they  signify.  Afterwards  it  seemed 
to  me  as  if  there  came  forth  from  his  body  a  diminutive  spirit 
of  the  colour  of  snow,  by  which  was  represented  their  thought  and 
intention,  that  they  were  desirous  to  put  on  a  state  of  innocence, 
that  no  one  might  suspect  any  thing  of  the  kind  concerning  them. 
When  he  came  to  me,  he  let  himself  down  towards  the  loins,  and 
seemed  as  it  were  to  bend  himself  about  each,  by  which  was 
represented  that  they  were  desirous  to  present  themselves  in 
chaste  conjugial  love  ;  afterwards  about  the  fed  by  spiral  flex- 
ures, by  which  was  represented  that  they  were  desirous  to 
insinuate  themselves  by  such  things  as  in  nature  are  delightfid. 
At  length  that  diminutive  spirit  became  almost  inconspicuous, 
by  which  was  represented  that  they  were  desirous  to  lie  alto- 
gether concealed.  The  angels  told  me  that  such  insinuation  is 
customary  with  those  who  have  ensnaring  purposes  in  conjugial 
love,  viz.,  who  in  the  world  have  insinuated  themselves  in  order 
that  they  might  commit  adultery  with  wives,  by  speaking  chastely 
and  sanely  concerning  conjugial  love,  fondling  the  infants,  com- 
mending the  husbands  in  every  way,  so  as  to  be  believed  friendly, 
chaste,  and  innocent,  when  yet  they  are  deceitful  adulterers. 
What  therefore  their  quality  is,  was  further  shown  me ;  for 
when  all  this  had  passed,  the  diminutive  spirit  of  the  colour  of 
snoro  became  conspicuous,  and  appeared  dusky  and  very  black, 
and  moreover  very  deformed  J  and  he  was  cast  out  into  his  hell, 
which  was  also  at  a  considerable  depth  beneath  the  m  iddle  part 
of  the  loins  ;  there  they  drag  on  their  existence  in  the  filthiest 
excrements  ;  and  they  are  also  there  among  the  robbers  who  have 
relation  to  the  common  involuntary  sense,  concerning  whom 
see  n.  4327.  /  also  afterwards  entered  into  conversation  with 
such,  and,  they  were  surprised  that  any  one  should  make  con- 
science  of  adultery,  or  from  scruples  of  conscience  should  refuse 
to  lie  with  another 's  wife  when  he  was  allowed ;  and  when  I 
spoke  with  them  respecting  conscience,  they  denied  that  any  one 
has  conscience.  I  was  told,  that  such  are  chiefly  from  Christen? 
dotn,  and  seldom  any  from  other  parts. 


5061—5063.] 


GENESIS. 


515 


5061.  As  a  corollary,  I  am  allowed  to  add  this  memoran- 
dum. There  were  some  spirits  who  had  long  lain  concealed, 
shut  up  in  a  peculiar  hell,  f  rom  which  they  could  not  break 
out.  1  wondered  for  some  time  who  they  were.  One  evening 
they  were  let  out,  and  on  this  occasion  I  heard  from  them  a 
tumultuous  and  long-continued  murmur  ;  and  when  they  had 
an  opportunity,  I  heard  from  them  some  abusive  language 
against  myself,  and  perceived  an  attempt  that  they  were  desirous 
to  ascend  and  destroy  me.  On  my  inquiring  from  the  angels 
the  reason,  they  said  that  those  spirits  hated  me  in  their  life- 
time, although  I  had  never  done  them  the  slightest  injury  ;  and 
I  %oas  instructed  that  such,  when  they  only  perceive  the  sphere 
of  the  person  whom  they  have  hated,  breathe  his  destruction/ 
out  they  were  sent  bach  to  their  own  hell.  Hence  it  may  appear 
evident,  that  those  who  have  indulged  in  mutual  hatred  towards 
each  other  in  the  xoorld,  meet  together  in  the  other  life,  and  are 
intent  upon  doing  much  mischief  to  each  other,  as  I  have  also 
been  led  to  know  by  other  examples  on  several  occasions ;  for 
hatred  is  opposite  to  love  and  charity,  and  is  an  aversion  and 
as  it  were  a  spiritual  antipathy  ;  therefore  in  the  other  life  at 
the  very  instant  that  they  perceive  the  sphere  of  the  person 
against  whom  they  have  indxdged  hatred,  they  become  as  it 
were  mad.  Hence  it  is  manifest  what  is  involved  in  what  the 
Lord  said  in  Matthew,  chap,  v.,  verses  22  to  26. 

5062.  The  subject  concerning  correspondence  with  the  Grand 
Man  will  be  continued  at  the  close  of  the  folloiving  chapter. 


GENESIS. 

CHAPTER  THE  FORTIETH. 


5063.  BEFORE  the  preceding  chapter  xxxix.  we  explained 
what  the  Lord  spake  concerning  the  judgment  npon  the  good 
and  the  evil,  in  Matthew,  chap,  xxv.,  verses  3-4  to  36.  We  come 
now  to  what  follows  in  these  words,  "  Then  will  the  just  answer 
him,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  hungry  and  fed  thee,  or 
thirsty  and  gave  thee  to  drink  ?  when  saw  we  thee  a  sojourner 
and  gathered  thee,  or  naked  and  clothed  thee  ?  when  saw  we 
thee  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  came  to  thee  f  But  the  King  will 
answer,  and  say  to  them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  So  much  as  ye 


516 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


have  done  to  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done 
to  me.  Then  will  he  say  also  to  those  on  the  left  hand,  Depart 
from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the 
devil  and  his  angels  :  for  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  did  not  give  to 
me  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  did  not  give  to  me  to  drink  ;  1 
was  a  sojourner,  and  ye  did  not  gather  me  ;  naked,  and  ye  did 
not  clothe  me  /  side,  and  in  prison,  and  ye  did  not  visit  me. 
Then  will  they  also  answer  him,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we 
thee  hungry,  or  thirsty,  or  a  sojourner,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in 
prison,  and  did  not  minister  to  thee  ?  Then  will  he  answer 
them,  saying,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  So  much  as  ye  have  not 
done  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  neither  have  ye  done  to  me. 
And  these  will  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the 
just  into  life  eternal"  verses  37  to  46. 

5064.  In  what  was  premised  to  the  preceding  chapter,  n. 
4954  to  4959,  we  explained  what  is  signified  in  the  internal 
sense  by  giving  to  the  hungry  to  eat,  to  the  thirsty  to  drink,  by 
gathering  the  sojourner,  clothing  the  naked,  visiting  the  sick 
and  him  that  is  in  prison,  viz.,  that  it  is  the  essence  of  charity 
which  is  involved,  and  is  so  described ;  by  the  hungry,  the 
thirsty,  and  the  sojourner,  the  affection  of  good  and  of  truth, 
and  by  the  naked,  the  sick,  and  in  prison,  self-acknowledgment ; 
see  n.  4956,  4958. 

5065.  As  the  same  things  are  three  times  repeated  in  what 
has  been  quoted,  and  they  have  been  before  explained,  there  is 
no  need  to  expound  as  to  each  word  what  these  expressions  sig- 
nify in  the  internal  sense ;  we  will  here  only  show  what  is  sig- 
nified by  the  answer  made  both  by  those  on  the  right  hand 
and  those  on  the  left,  viz.,  that  they  did  not  see  him  hungry, 
thirsty,  a  sojourner,  naked,  sick,  and  in  prison  ;  and  afterwards 
what  is  signified  by  the  king,  also  by  the  just  and  by  eternal 
life,  and  by  the  cursed  and  everlasting  fire. 

5066.  The  answer  made  by  those  on  the  right  hand,  "  Lord, 
when  saw  we  thee  hungry  and  fed  thee,  or  thirsty  and  gave 
thee  to  drink  ?  when  saw  we  thee  a  sojourner  and  gathered 
thee,  or  naked  and  clothed  thee  ?  when  saw  we  thee  sick  or  in 
prison,  and  came  to  thee  ?"  signifies,  that  if  they  had  seen  the 
Lord  himself,  every  one  of  them  would  have  done  those  offices, 
yet  not  from  love  towards  him,  but  from  fear  because  he  was  to 
be  the  Judge  of  the  universe,  and  not  for  the  sake  of  him,  but 
of  themselves  ;  thus  not  from  an  interior  principle  or  the  heart, 
but  from  an  exterior  principle  and  in  act.  The  case  here  is  like 
that  of  a  person  who  sees  a  king,  whose  favour  he  is  desirous  to 
merit,  that  he  may  become  great  or  rich,  and  on  this  account 
he  behaves  himself  submissively  towards  him.  The  case  is 
similar  with  those  who  are  in  holy  external  worship,  in  which 
as  it  were  they  see  the  Lord,  and  submit  themselves  to  him, 
believing  thus  that  they  shall  receive  eternal  life,  and  yet  they 


5064—5069.] 


GENESIS. 


517 


have  no  chariy,  and  do  no  good  to  any  one  except  for  the  sake 
of  themselves,  thus  only  to  themselves  :  these  are  like  those 
persons  who  openly  pay  court  to  their  kino;  with  much  respect, 
and  yet  deride  his  commands,  because  in  lieart  they  disregard 
him.  These  and  similar  things  are  signified  bv  the  answer  of 
those  on  the  right  hand  ;  and  as  the  evil  also  do  similar  things 
in  the  external  form,  therefore  those  on  the  left  returned  nearly 
the  same  answer. 

5067.  As  therefore  the  Lord  regards  not  externals  but  inter- 
nals, and  a  man  discovers  his  internals  not  by  worship  only,  but 
by  charity  and  its  acts,  on  this  account  the  Lord  answered, 
"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  So  much  as  ye  have  done  to  one  of  the 
least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  to  me."  Those  who 
are  called  brethren  are  those  who  are  in  the  good  of  charity  and 
life ;  for  the  Lord  is  with  them,  because  they  are  in  essential 
good  ;  and  it  is  these  who  are  properly  understood  by  the 
neighbour :  in  these  also  the  Lord  does  not  manifest  himself, 
for  they  are  respectively  vile ;  but  the  man  himself  manifests 
before  the  Lord  that  he  worships  him  from  an  interior  prin- 
ciple. 

5068.  The  reason  why  the  Lord  calls  himself  a  king,  where 
he  says,  "When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  then 
will  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory,"  and,  "  Then  will  the 
King  say  to  them,"  is,  because  the  Lord's  kingly  principle  is 
the  divine  truth,  from  and  according  to  which  judgment  is 
effected.  But  from  and  according  to  that  principle,  the  good 
are  judged  in  one  way  and  the  evil  in  another ;  the  good,  as 
they  have  received  divine  truth,  are  judged  from  good,  thus  from 
mercy ;  the  evil,  as  they  have  not  received  the  divine  truth, 
are  judged  from  truth,  thus  not  from  mercy,  for  this  they  have 
rejected,  and  hence  also  they  reject  it  in  the  other  life.  To 
receive  the  divine  truth  is  not  only  to  have  faith,  but  also  to 
practise  it,  that  is,  to  cause  doctrinals  to  become  of  the  life. 
Hence  the  Lord  calls  himself  a  king.  That  the  Lord's  kingly 
principle  is  the  divine  truth,  see  n.  1728,  2015,  3009,  3670, 
4581,  4966. 

5069.  Those  on  the  right  hand  being  called  just,  as  where 
it  is  said,  "The  just  will  answer  him,  saying,  &c,  and  the  just 
will  go  into  life  eternal,"  signifies  that  they  are  in  the  Lord's 
justice.  All  who  are  in  the  good  of  charity,  are  called  the 
just ;  not  that  they  are  just  from  themselves,  but  from  the 
Lord,  whose  justice  is  appropriated  to  them.  Those  who  be- 
lieve themselves  just  from  themselves,  or  so  justified  that  they 
have  no  longer  any  thing  of  evil,  are  not  among  the  just  but 
among  the  unjust ;  for  they  attribute  to  themselves  what  is 
good,  and  also  place  merit  in  good,  and  such  can  never  adore 
the  Lord  from  true  humiliation.  Those  therefore  who  in  the 
Word  are  called  just  and  holy,  are  those  who  know  and  ao 


518 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


knowledge  that  all  good  is  from  the  Lord,  and  all  evil  from 
themselves,  that  is,  in  the  power  of  themselves  from  hell. 

5070.  The  eternal  life  of  the  just,  is  the  life  from  good  ; 
good  has  life  in  itself,  because  it  is  from  the  Lord,  who  is  life 
itself.  The  life  which  is  from  the  Lord,  contains  wisdom  and 
intelligence  ;  for  to  receive  good  from  the  Lord,  and  thence  to 
will  good,  is  wisdom,  and  to  receive  truth  from  the  Lord,  and 
thence  to  believe  truth,  is  intelligence  ;  and  those  who  have  this 
wisdom  and  intelligence,  have  life;  and  as  happiness  is  adjoined 
to  such  life,  eternal  happiness  is  also  signified  by  life.  The  con- 
trary is  the  case  with  those  who  are  in  evil:  these  appear  indeed, 
especially  to  themselves,  as  if  they  had  life  ;  but  it  is  such  a  life 
as  in  the  Word  is  called  death,  and  also  is  spiritual  death ;  for 
they  have  no  relish  for  any  thing  good,  neither  do  they  under- 
stand any  truth  :  this  may  be  manifest  to  every  considerate 
person ;  for  since  there  is  life  in  good  and  in  truth  thence  de- 
rived, there  cannot  be  life  in  evil  and  in  the  false  thence  derived, 
for  these  latter  are  contrary  principles  and  extinguish  life  ;  these 
therefore  have  no  other  life  than  such  as  the  insane  have. 

5071.  Those  on  the  left  hand  are  called  cursed,  and  their 
punishment  eternal  tire  ;  as  it  is  written,  "  Then  will  he  say  to 
those  on  the  left  hand,  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  ever- 
lasting fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels  ;"  and  again, 
"  These  will  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment ;"  the  reason 
of  this  is,  because  they  turned  themselves  from  good  and  truth, 
and  to  evil  and  the  false  :  a  curse  in  the  internal  sense  of  the 
Word  signifies  aversion,  see  n.  245,  379,  1423,  3530,  3584. 
The  eternal  fire,  into  which  they  were  to  depart,  is  neither 
elementary  fire,  nor  the  torment  of  conscience,  but  the  lust  of 
evil ;  for  a  man's  lusts  are  the  spiritual  fires  which  consume  him 
in  the  life  of  the  body,  and  torment  him  in  the  other  life  ;  from 
those  fires  the  infernals  torture  each  other  in  direful  ways. 
That  eternal  fire  is  not  elementary  fire,  may  be  very  manifest : 
the  reason  why  it  is  not  the  torment  of  conscience  is,  because 
all  who  are  in  evil  have  no  conscience,  and  those  who  had  none 
in  the  life  of  the  body,  cannot  have  any  in  the  other  life  :  the 
reason  why  it  is  lust  is,  because  all  the  fiery  vital  principle  is 
from  the  loves  appertaining  to  man,  the  fiery  celestial  principle 
from  the  love  of  good  and  truth,  and  the  fiery  infernal  principle 
from  the  love  of  evil  and  the  false;  or  what  is  the  same,  the  fiery 
celestial  principle  is  from  love  to  the  Lord  and  love  towards  the 
neighbour,  and  the  fiery  infernal  principle  is  from  the  loves  of 
self  ami  of  the  world.  That  all  fire  or  heat  inwardly  in  a  man 
is  from  these  sources,  may  be  known  to  any  one  who  attends 
thereto.  Hence  also,  love  is  called  spiritual  heat,  which  is  sig- 
nified by  fire  and  heat  in  the  Word,  see  n.  934, 1297,  1527, 1528, 
1861,  2446,  4906.  The  fiery  vital  principle  with  the  evil  is  also 
such,  that  when  they  are  in  the  vehemence  of  their  lusts,  they 


5070,  5071.] 


GENESIS. 


519 


are  also  in  a  sort  of  fire,  from  which  they  are  in  the  ardour  and 
fury  of  tormenting  others  ;  but  the  fiery  vital  principle  with  the 
good  is  such,  that  when  they  are  in  a  superior  degree  of  affec- 
tion, they  are  also  as  it  were  in  a  sort  of  fire,  from  which  they 
are  in  the  love  and  zeal  of  doing  good  to  others. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

1.  AND  it  came  to  pass  after  these  words,  they  sinned,  the 
butler  of  the  king  of  Egypt  and  the  baker,  against  their  lord 
the  king  of  Egypt. 

2.  And  Pharaoh  was  angry  with  his  two  ministers,  his 
stewards,  with  the  prince  of  the  butlers,  and  the  prince  of  the 
bakers. 

3.  And  he  gave  them  into  the  custody  of  the  house  of  the 
prince  of  the  guards,  at  the  prison-house,  the  place  where 
Joseph  was  bound. 

4.  And  the  prince  of  the  guards  set  Joseph  over  them,  and 
he  ministered  to  them ;  and  they  were  for  days  in  custody. 

5.  And  they  dreamed  a  dream  both  of  them,  each  man  his 
dream,  in  one  night,  each  man  according  to  the  interpretation 
of  his  dream,  the  butler  and  the  baker  of  the  king  of  Egypt, 
who  were  bound  in  the  prison-house. 

6.  And  Joseph  came  to  them  in  the  morning,  and  saw 
them,  and  behold  they  were  disturbed. 

7.  And  he  asked  the  ministers,  the  stewards  of  Pharaoh, 
who  were  with  him  in  the  custody  of  his  lord's  house,  saying, 
Wherefore  are  your  faces  sad  to-day  ? 

8.  And  they  said  to  him,  We  have  dreamed  a  dream,  and 
there  is  no  interpreter  of  it :  and  Joseph  said  to  them,  Do  not 
interpretations  belong  to  God  ?    Tell  me  them,  I  pray. 

9.  And  the  prince  of  the  butlers  told  his  dream  to  Joseph, 
and  said  to  him,  In  my  dream,  behold  a  vine  was  before  me. 

10.  And  in  the  vine  were  three  shoots;  and  it  as  it  were 
budded  ;  the  flower  thereof  ascended,  and  the  clusters  thereof 
ripened  (into)  grapes. 

11.  And  Pharaoh's  cup  was  in  my  hand  ;  and  I  took  the 
grapes,  and  squeezed  them  into  Pharaoh's  cup,  and  I  gave  the 
cup  into  the  palm  of  Pharaoh's  hand. 

12.  And  Joseph  said  to  him,  This  is  the  interpretation 
thereof:  The  three  shoots  are  three  days. 

13.  Yet  within  three  days  Pharaoh  will  lift  thy  head,  and 
will  bring  thee  back  to  thy  station ;  and  thou  shalt  give  Pha- 
raoh's cup  into  his  hand  after  the  former  manner,  when  thou 
wast  his  butler 


520 


GENESIS. 


[Chai».  xl. 


14.  But  remember  me  with  thee,  when  it  is  well  with  thee, 
and  do  mercy,  I  pray,  with  me,  and  cause  me  to  be  remem- 
bered to  Pharaoh,  and  bring  me  out  of  this  house. 

15.  Because  in  being  taken  away  by  theft  I  was  taken  away 
from  the  land  of  the  Hebrews,  and  also  here  I  have  not  done 
auy  thing  that  they  should  put  me  into  the  pit. 

16.  And  the  prince  of  the  bakers  saw  that  he  interpreted 
good,  and  he  said  to  Joseph,  I  also  was  in  my  dream,  and 
behold  there  were  three  baskets  perforated  upon  my  head. 

17.  And  in  the  highest  basket  there  was  of  all  Pharaoh's 
meat,  the  work  of  the  baker ;  and  the  fowls  did  eat  them  out  of 
the  basket  from  upon  my  head. 

18.  And  Joseph  answered,  and  said,  This  is  the  interpreta- 
tion thereof :  The  three  baskets  are  three  days. 

19.  Yet  within  three  days  Pharaoh  will  lift  thy  head  from 
upon  thee,  and  will  hang  thee  upon  wood,  and  the  birds  will 
eat  thy  flesh  from  upon  thee. 

20.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  Pharaoh's  birth- 
day, that  he  made  a  feast  for  all  his  servants,  and  lifted  up  the 
head  of  the  prince  of  the  butlers,  and  the  head  of  the  prince  of 
the  bakers,  in  the  midst  of  his  servants. 

21.  And  he  brought  back  the  prince  of  the  butlers  unto  his 
hntlership,  and  he  gave  the  cup  into  the  palm  of  Pharaoh's 
hand. 

22.  And  he  hanged  the  prince  of  the  bakers,  as  Joseph  had 
interpreted  to  them. 

23.  And  the  prince  of  the  butlers  did  not  remember  Joseph, 
and  forgot  him. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

5072.  IN  the  internal  sense  of  this  chapter  the  subject  is 
continued  concerning  a  state  of  temptations,  whereby  corporeal 
things  might  be  brought  into  correspondence.  Corporeal  things 
properly  so  called  are  things  sensual,  which  are  of  two  kinds, 
some  being  subordinate  to  the  intellectual  part,  and  some  to 
the  will  part;  those  which  are  subordinate  to  the  intellectual 
part  are  represented  by  the  king  of  Egypt's  butler,  and  those 
subordinate  to  the  will  part  by  his  baker:  that  the  former 
things  as  to  time  were  retained,  and  the  latter  rejected,  is 
represented  by  the  butler's  returning  to  his  station,  and  the. 
baker's  being  hanged.  The  rest  will  be  manifest  from  the 
series  in  the  internal  sense. 


5072—5075.] 


GENESIS. 


521 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

5073.  Verses  1  to  4.  AND  it  came  to  pass  after  these  words, 
they  sinned,  the  hutler  of  the  king  of  Egrmt  and  the  baker, 
against  their  lord  the  king  of  Egypt.  And  Pharaoh  was  angry 
with  his  two  ministers,  his  stewards,  with  the  prince  of  the  but- 
lers, and  the  prince  of  the  bakers,  and  he  gave  them  into  the 
custody  of  the  house  of  the  prince  of  the  guards,  at  the  p>rison~ 
house,  the  place  %ohere  Joseph  toas  bound.  And  the  prince  of 
the  guards  set  Joseph  over  them,  and  he  ministered  to  them  ; 
and  they  were  for  days  in  custody.  And  it  came  to  pass,  sig- 
nifies a  new  state,  and  the  things  which  follow :  after  these 
words,  signifies  after  those  things  which  precede  :  they  sinned, 
signifies  inverted  order :  the  butler  of  the  king  of  Egypt,  sig- 
nifies with  those  things  in  the  body  which  are  subject  to  the 
intellectual  part :  and  the  baker,  signifies  with  those  things  in 
the  body  which  are  subject  to  the  will  part :  against  their  lord 
the  king  of  Egpyt,  signifies  that  they  were  contrary  to  the  new 
state  of  the  natural  man  :  and  Pharaoh  was  angry,  signifies  that 
the  new  natural  man  averted  itself :  with  his  two  ministers,  his 
stewards,  signifies  from  the  sensual  things  of  the  body  of  both 
kinds :  with  the  prince  of  the  butlers,  and  the  prince  of  the 
bakers,  signifies  in  general  from  the  sensual  things  subordinate 
to  the  intellectual  part  and  to  the  will  part :  and  he  gave  them 
into  the  custody,  signifies  rejection  :  of  the  house  of  the  prince 
of  the  guards,  signifies  from  the  primaries  of  interpretation  :  at 
the  prison-house,  signifies  among  falses :  the  place  where  Joseph 
was  bound,  signifies  the  state  of  the  celestial  of  the  natural  now 
as  to  those  [falses]  :  and  the  prince  of  the  guards  set  Joseph 
over  them,  signifies  that  the  celestial  of  the  natural  taught  them 
from  the  primaries  of  interpretation :  and  he  ministered  to 
them,  signifies  that  he  instructed  them :  and  they  were  for 
days  in  custody,  signifies  that  they  were  a  long  time  in  a  state 
of  rejection. 

5074.  "And  it  came  to  pass." — This  signifies  a  new  state 
and  the  things  which  follow,  as  appears  from  this  consideration, 
that  "  it  was,  and  it  came  to  pass"  in  the  Word  involve  a  new 
state,  see  n.  4979,  4999 :  and  that  in  the  original  tongue  it 
serves  for  a  distinction  between  the  series  of  things  which  go 
before  arid  which  follow,  n.  4987  ;  hence  it  also  signifies  the 
things  which  follow. 

5075.  "After  these  words." — This  signifies  after  those  things 
which  precede,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  words"  in 
the  original  tongue,  which  also  denote  things ;  in  the  present 
case,  "  after  these  words"  denotes  after  those  things,  thus  after 
those  which  precede.  Words  in  the  original  tongue  also  signify 
things,  because  words  in  the  internal  sense  signify  the  truths 


522 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


of  doctrine  ;  on  which  account  all  divine  truth  in  general  is 
called  the  Word,  and  the  Lord  himself,  from  whom  comes  all 
divine  truth,  in  the  supreme  sense  is  the  Word,  n.  1288 ;  and 
since  nothing  which  exists  in  the  universe  is  any  thing,  that  is, 
is  a  thing,  unless  it  is  from  divine  good  by  divine  truth,  there- 
fore icords  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  also  denote  things.  That 
nothing  in  the  universe  is  any  thing,  that  is,  is  a  thing,  unless 
it  be  from  divine  good  by  divine  truth,  that  is,  by  the  Word, 
is  evident  in  John,  "  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the 
Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  All  things  were 
made  by  him,  and  without  him  was  not  any  thing  made  which 
was  made,"  i.  1,  3.  The  interior  significatives  of  expressions 
for  the  most  part  derive  their  origin  from  the  interior  man,  who 
is  with  spirits  and  angels ;  for  every  man,  as  to  his  spirit,  or 
as  to  that  very  man  which  lives  after  the  decease  of  the  body, 
is  associated  with  spirits  and  angels,  although  the  external  man 
is  altogether  ignorant  of  the  circumstance  ;  and  inasmuch  as  he 
is  associated  with  them,  he  is  also  with  them  in  their  universal 
language,  thus  in  the  origins  of  expressions.  Hence  it  is,  that 
many  expressions  have  inherent  significations,  which  in  the  ex- 
ternal form  appear  unsuitable,  and  yet  in  the  internal  form  are 
suitable,  as  in  the  present  instance,  that  words  signify  things : 
the  case  is  similar  in  very  many  other  instances,  as  in  that  of 
the  understanding  being  called  internal  sight,  and  light  being 
attributed  to  it,  and  in  that  of  observation  and 'obedience  being 
called  hearing  and  hearkening,  the  apperception  of  a  thing 
being  called  smelling,  and  so  forth. 

5076.  "They  sinned." — This  signifies  inverted  order,  as 
appears  from  the  signification  of  "  to  sin,"  as  denoting  to  act 
contrary  to  divine  order  :  whatever  is  contrary  thereto  is  sin  ; 
divine  order  itself  is  divine  truth  from  divine  good.  In  that 
order  are  all  who  are  in  truth  from  good  ;  that  is,  who  are  in 
faith  from  charity,  for  truth  is  of  faith,  and  good  is  of  charity  ; 
but  those  are  contrary  to  that  order  who  are  not  in  truth  from 
good,  consequently  who  are  in  truth  from  evil,  or  in  the  false 
from  evil  ;  this  is  what  is  signified  by  sin.  In  the  present  case, 
"  they  sinned,"  viz.,  the  butler  and  the  baker,  signifies  that  ex- 
ternal sensual  things  were  in  an  inverted  order  in  respect  to 
interior  things,  so  that  they  did  not  agree  or  correspond. 

5077.  "The  butler  of  the  king  of  Egypt." — This  signifies 
with  those  things  in  the  body  which  are  subject  to  the  intel- 
lectual part,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a  butler," 
as  denoting  the  external  sensual,  or  the  sensual  principle  of  the 
body,  which  is  subordinate  or  subject  to  the  intellectual  part  of 
the  internal  man,  of  which  signification  we  shall  speak  pres- 
ently ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  the  king  of  Egypt," 
as  denoting  the  natural  man.  concerning  which  see  below,  n. 
5079.    As  the  subject  treated  of  in  what  follows  is  concerning 


5076,  5077.] 


GENESIS. 


523 


the  butler  and  the  baker,  and  by  them  are  signified  the  external 
sensual  things  of  the  body,  it  may  be  expedient  to  premise 
somewhat  concerning  these  sensual  things.  It  is  well  known 
that  there  are  five  external  senses,  or  those  of  the  body,  viz., 
seeing,  hearing,  smelling,  the  taste,  and  the  touch,  and  also  that 
these  constitute  all  the  vitality  of  the  body ;  for  without  those 
senses  the  body  has  no  life  ;  therefore  also  when  it  is  deprived 
of  them,  it  dies  and  becomes  a  carcase.  The  very  corporeal 
principle  of  man  therefore  is  nothing  but  a  receptacle  of  sensa- 
tions, consequently  of  the  life  derived  from  them  ;  the  sensitive 
is  the  principal,  and  the  corporeal  is  the  instrumental :  the  in- 
strumental, without  its  principal  to  which  it  is  adapted,  cannot 
even  be  called  the  corporeal  principle  such  as  a  man  carries 
about  him  during  life  in  the  world,  but  the  instrumental  toge- 
ther with  the  principal,  when  they  act  in  unity  [may  be  so 
called]  ;  this  therefore  is  the  corporeal  principle.  All  a  man's 
external  sensual  things  have  relation  to  his  internal  sensual 
things,  for  they  are  given  to  him  and  placed  in  his  body,  that 
they  may  serve  the  internal  man  while  he  is  in  the  world,  and 
be  subject  to  the  sensual  things  thereof;  therefore  when  a  man's 
external  sensual  things  begin  to  rule  over  his  internal  sensual 
things,  the  man  is  lost ;  for  in  this  case,  the  internal  sensual 
things  are  considered  as  servants,  useful  for  confirming  those 
things  which  the  external  sensual  things  with  authority  com- 
mand. When  the  external  sensual  things  are  in  this  state,  they 
are  in  the  inverted  order  spoken  of  just  above,  n.  5076.  A 
man's  external  sensual  things  have  relation,  as  we  said,  to  in- 
ternal things,  in  general  to  the  intellectual  principle,  and  to  the 
will-principle ;  therefore  there  are  external  sensual  things  sub- 
ject or  subordinate  to  his  intellectual  part,  and  there  are  others 
subject  to  his  will-part.  The  sense  which  is  subject  to  the 
intellectual  part,  is  especially  the  sight;  that  which  is  subject 
to  the  intellectual  part  and  next  to  the  will-part,  is  the  hear- 
ing ;  that  which  is  subject  to  both  together  is  the  smell,  and 
still  more  the  taste ;  but  that  which  is  subject  to  the  will-part 
is  the  touch.  That  the  external  sensual  things  are  subject  to 
those  parts,  and  in  what  manner,  might  be  abundantly  shown  ; 
but  it  would  be  tedious  here  to  extend  the  explanation  to  those 
points  ;  it  may  in  some  measure  be  known  from  what  was  shown 
concerning  the  correspondence  of  those  senses  at  the  close  of 
the  preceding  chapters.  It  is  further  to  be  noted,  that  all  the 
truths  of  faith  appertain  to  the  intellectual  part,  and  all  the 
goods  of  love  and  charity  to  the  will-part ;  consequently  it  be- 
longs to  the  intellectual  part  to  believe,  to  acknowledge,  to 
know,  and  to  see  truth,  and  also  good,  but  to  the  will-part  to  be 
affected  therewith,  and  to  love  it ;  and  what  a  man  is  affected 
with  and  loves,  is  good  :  but  how  the  intellectual  principle  flows 
into  the  will-principle,  when  truth  passes  into  good,  and  how 


524 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


the  will-principle  flows  into  the  intellectual,  when  the  former 
acts,  are  points  of  still  deeper  investigation,  respecting  which, 
by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  more  will  be  said  in  what 
follows.  The  reason  why  "  a  butler"  denotes  the  sensual  prin- 
ciple which  is  subject  or  subordinate  to  the  intellectual  part  of 
the  internal  man,  is,  because  every  thing  which  serves  for  drink- 
ing, or  which  is  drunk,  as  wine,  milk,  water,  has  relation  to 
truth,  which  is  of  the  intellectual  part,  thus  it  has  relation  to 
the  intellectual  part ;  and  as  the  external  sensual  principle,  or 
that  of  the  body,  is  subservient,  therefore  "a  butler"  signifies 
that  subservient  sensual  principle,  or  that  which  subserves 
things  sensual.  To  give  to  drink  and  to  drink  in  general  are 
predicated  of  the  truths  of  the  intellectual  part,  as  raav  be  seen, 
n.  3069,  3071,  3168,  3772,  4017,  4018;  that  specifically  also  it 
is  predicated  of  truth  which  is  from  good,  or  of  faith  which  is 
from  charitv,  see  n.  1071,  1798  ;  and  that  water  is  truth,  n. 
680,  2702,  3058,  3424,  4976 ;  from  these  considerations  it  may 
now  be  manifest  what  is  signified  uy  a  butler. 

5078.  "And  the  baker." — This  signifies  with  those  things 
in  the  body  which  are  subject  to  the  will-part,  as  appeals  from 
the  signification  of  "  a  baker,"  as  denoting  the  external  sensual 
principle,  or  that  of  the  body,  which  is  subordinate  or  subject 
to  the  will-part  of  the  internal  man.  "A  baker"  has  this  signi- 
fication, because  every  thing  which  serves  for  food,  or  which  is 
eaten,  as  bread,  meat  in  general,  and  all  the  work  of  the  baker, 
is  predicated  of  good,  and  thereby  has  relation  to  the  will-part ; 
for  all  good  is  of  that  part,  as  all  truth  is  of  the  intellectual 
part,  agreeably  to  what  was  said  just  above,  n.  5077.  That 
"  bread  "  denotes  the  celestial  principle  or  good,  may  be  seen, 
n.  1798,  2165,  2177,  3478,  3735,  3S13,  4211,  4217,  4735,  4976. 
The  reason  why  here,  and  in  what  follows  of  this  chapter,  the 
external  sensual  things  of  each  kind  are  treated  of  in  the  inter- 
nal sense,  is,  because  in  the  foregoing  chapter  we  treated  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  Lord  glorified  or  made  Divine  the  interior 
things  of  his  natural  principle  ;  in  the  present  chapter  therefore 
we  treat  of  the  manner  in  which  the  Lord  glorified  or  made 
Divine  the  exterior  things  of  his  natural  principle.  The  exterior 
tilings  of  the  natural  principle  are  what  are  properly  called  cor- 
poreal things,  or  the  sensual  things  of  each  kind,  and  their  recip- 
ients, which  together  constitute  that  which  is  called  the  body; 
Bee  above,  n.  5077.  The  Lord  made  the  very  corporeal  prin- 
ciple in  himself  Divine,  as  well  its  sensual  things  as  their  recip- 
ients, therefore  also  he  rose  again  from  the  sepulchre  with  his 
body ;  and  likewise  after  his  resurrection  said  to  the  disciples, 
"  See  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I  myself :  handle  me  and 
see  ;  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones  as  ye  see  me  have," 
Luke  xxiv.  39.  It  is  the  common  belief  at  this  day  of  those  who 
are  of  the  church,  that  every  one  is  to  rise  again  at  the  last  day, 


5078.] 


GENESIS. 


525 


and  with  his  body  ;  which  opinion  is  so  universal,  that  scarce 
any  one  from  doctrine  believes  otherwise ;  but  this  opinion  has 
been  prevalent,  because  the  natural  man  supposes  that  it  is  the 
body  alone  which  lives ;  therefore  unless  he  believed  that  the 
body  was  again  to  receive  life,  he  would  altogether  deny  a  resur- 
rection :  the  case  however  is  this,  a  man  rises  again  immediately 
after  death,  and  then  appears  to  himself  in  a  body  altogether 
such  as  he  had  in  the  world,  with  a  similar  face,  members,  arms, 
hands,  feet,  breast,  loins,  &c. ;  yea  also  when  he  sees  and  touches 
himself,  he  says  that  he  is  a  man  as  he  was  in  the  world  ;  never- 
theless it  is  not  his  external,  which  he  carried  about  in  the 
world,  that  he  sees  and  touches,  but  it  is  the  internal,  which 
constitutes  that  very  human  principle  which  lives,  and  which 
had  an  external  principle  about  it,  or  without  the  particulars 
belonging  to  itself,  whereby  it  could  be  in  the  world,  and  act 
suitably  to  its  situation  there  in  the  performance  of  its  func- 
tions.   The  earthly  corporeal  principle  is  no  longer  of  any  use 
to  it,  it  being  in  another  world  where  it  has  other  functions, 
powers,  and  abilities,  to  which  its  body,  such  as  it  has  there,  is 
adapted  :  this  body  it  sees  with  its  eyes,  not  those  which  it  had 
in  the  world,  but  those  which  it  has  there,  which  are  the  eyes 
of  its  internal  man,  and  by  which  through  the  eyes  of  the  body 
it  had  heretofore  seen  worldly  and  terrestrial  things  ;  it  also  feels 
it  with  the  touch,  not  with  the  hands  or  the  sense  of  touch  which 
it  enjoyed  in  the  world,  but  with  the  hands  and  the  sense  of 
touch  which  it  there  enjoys,  which  is  that  from  which  its  sense 
of  touch  in  the  world  existed.    Every  sense  also  is  there  more 
exquisite  and  more  perfect,  because  it  is  the-sense  of  the  internal 
set  loose  from  the  external ;  for  the  internal  is  in  a  more  per- 
fect state,  inasmuch  as  it  gives  to  the  external  the  power  of 
sensation :  but  when  it  acts  into  the  external,  as  in  the  world, 
in  this  case  the  sensation  is  rendered  dull  and  obscure.  More- 
over it  is  the  internal  principle  which  is  sensible  of  the  internal, 
and  the  external  which  is  sensible  of  the  external :  hence  it  is 
that  men  after  death  see  each  other,  and  are  associated  together 
according  to  the  interiors ;  for  my  conviction  of  the  certainty 
of  all  this,  I  have  also  been  permitted  to  toxich  spirits  them- 
selves, and  to  converse  with  them  frequently  on  this  subject, 
see  n.  322,  1630,  4622.    Men  after  death,  who  are  then  called 
spirits,  and  those  who  have  lived  good  lives,  angels,  are  greatly 
surprised  that  the  man  of  the  church  should  believe,  that  he  is 
not  to  see  eternal  life  until  he  is  again  clothed  with  the  dust 
which  had  been  rejected ;  when  yet  the  man  of  the  church 
knows  that  he  rises  again  after  death ;  for  who  does  not  say, 
when  a  man  dies,  that  his  soul  or  spirit  is  afterwards  in  heaven 
or  in  hell  ?  and  who  does  not  say  of  his  own  infants  that  are 
dead,  that  they  are  in  heaven  ?  and  who  does  not  comfort  a  sick 
person,  or  one  condemned  to  death,  by  the  assurance  that  ho 


526 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  x\ 


will  shortly  come  into  another  life?  and  what  duly  prepared 
person  in  the  agony  of  death  does  not  entertain  this  faith  ?  yea 
also,  from  the  influence  of  that  belief,  many  claim  to  themselves 
the  power  of  delivering  others  from  places  of  damnation,  and 
of  introducing  them  into  heaven,  and  of  saying  masses  for  them. 
Who  does  not  know  what  the  Lord  said  to  the  thief,  "  To-day 
shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise,"  Luke  xxiii.  43  ?  and  what 
he  said  concerning  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus,  that  the  former 
was  translated  into  hell,  but  the  latter  was  carried  by  angels 
into  heaven,  see  Luke  xvi.  22,  23  ?  and  who  is  not  acquainted 
with  what  the  Lord  taught  concerning  the  resurrection,  that 
"  he  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living,"  Luke  xx. 
38  ?  A  man  is  acquainted  with  these  things,  and  likewise  so 
thinks  and  speaks,  when  he  thinks  and  speaks  from  the  spirit, 
but  when  from  doctrinals,  he  says  on  the  contrary,  that  he  is 
not  to  rise  again  till  the  last  day  ;  when  yet  it  is  the  last  day  to 
every  one  when  he  dies,  and  likewise  then  is  his  judgment,  as 
many  also  have  said.  What  is  meant  by  being  encompassed 
with  skin,  and  from  the  flesh  seeing  God,  Job  xix.  25,  26,  may 
be  seen,  n.  3540,  at  the  end.  These  remarks  are  made  in  order 
that  it  may  be  known,  that  no  man  rises  again  in  the  body  with 
which  he  was  clothed  in  the  world ;  but  that  the  Lord  so  arose, 
because  he  glorified  his  body,  or  made  it  Divine,  while  he  was 
in  the  world. 

5079.  "Against  their  lord  the  king  of  Egypt." — This  sig- 
nifies that  they  were  contrary  to  the  new  state  of  the  natural 
man,  viz.,  the  external  sensual  things,  or  those  of  the  body, 
signified  by  "  the  butler  and  the  baker,"  as  appears  from  the 
signification  of  "  the  king  of  Egypt,"  as  denoting  the  scientific 
principle  in  general,  see  n.  1164,  1165,  1186,  1462,  4749,  4964, 
4966  :  for  the  same  is  signified  by  "  the  king  of  Egypt"  as  by 
"  Egypt,"  the  king  being  the  head  of  the  nation,  and  so  in 
other  passages  where  mention  is  made  of  the  king  of  any  na- 
tion, see  n.  4789.  As  it  is  the  scientific  principle  in  general 
which  is  signified  by  the  king  of  Egypt,  it  is  also  the  natural 
man  ;  for  every  scientific  is  a  truth  of  the  natural  man,  n.  4967: 
the  good  of  the  natural  man  is  signified  by  a  lord,  n.  4973.  A 
new  state  thereof  is  here  signified,  because  the  subject  treated 
of  in  the  preceding  chapter  was  the  making  new  the  interiors 
of  the  natural  principle,  and  in  the  supreme  sense,  in  which  the 
Lord  is  treated  of,  their  being  glorified ;  but  the  subject  now 
treated  of  is  the  exteriors  of  the  natural  principle,  which  were 
to  be  reduced  to  concordance  or  correspondence  with  the  inte- 
riors. Those  interiors  of  the  natural  man  which  were  new,  or 
what  is  the  same  thing,  the  new  state  of  that  natural  man,  is 
what  is  signified  by  "  the  lord  the  king  of  Egypt ;"  and  the 
exteriors  which  were  not  reduced  into  order,  and  hence  were 
contrary  to  order,  are  what  are  signified  by  "  the  butler  and 


5079—5081.]  GENESIS.  527 


the  baker."  There  are  interiors  and  exteriors  belonging  to  the 
natural  principle  ;  the  interiors  of  the  natural  principle  are  the 
scientifics  and  the  affections  thereof,  but  the  exteriors  are  the 
sensual  tilings  of  each  kind,  spoken  of  above,  n.  5077 :  these 
latter,  the  exteriors  of  the  natural  principle,  a  man  leaves  when 
he  dies ;  but  for  the  former,  the  interiors  of  the  natural  prin- 
ciple, he  carries  along  with  him  into  the  other  life,  where  they 
serve  as  a  plane  for  tilings  spiritual  and  celestial ;  for  a  man, 
when  he  dies,  loses  nothing  but  his  bones  and  flesh.  He  has 
along  with  him  the  memory  of  all  that  he  had  done,  spoken,  and 
thought,  and  all  the  natural  affections  and  lusts,  thus  all  the 
interior  things  of  the  natural  principle :  the  exterior  things 
thereof  he  has  no  need  of;  for  he  neither  sees,  hears,  smells, 
tastes,  nor  touches  the  things  that  are  in  the  natural  world,  but 
those  that  are  in  the  other  lite  ;  which  indeed  for  the  most  part 
appear  like  those  which  are  in  the  world ;  but  still  they  are  not 
like,  for  they  have  in  them  a  living  principle,  which  is  not  the 
case  with  those  that  belong  to  the  natural  world ;  for  all  and 
singular  the  things  in  the  other  life  exist  and  subsist  from  the 
sun  which  is  the  Lord,  whence  they  have  in  them  a  living  prin- 
ciple ;  whereas  all  and  singular  the  things  in  the  natural  world, 
exist  and  subsist  from  the  sun  which  is  elementary  lire,  conse- 
quently they  have  not  in  them  a  living  principle :  the  living 
principle  Avhich  appears  in  them  is  from  the  spiritual  world, 
that  is,  from  the  Lord  through  the  spiritual  world. 

5080.  "And  Pharaoh  was  angry." — This  signifies  that  the 
new  natural  man  averted  itself,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  repre- 
sentation of  "  Pharaoh"  or  the  king  of  Egypt,  as  denoting  the 
new  natural  man,  or  the  new  state  of  the  natural  man,  see  just 
above,  n.  5079 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  being  "  angry," 
as  denoting  to  avert  itself,  see  n.  533-1 :  in  the  present  case 
therefore  denoting  that  the  interior  natural  principle,  which 
was  made  new,  averted  itself  from  the  exterior  natural  or  cor- 
poreal sensual  principle,  because  this  latter  did  not  correspond 
with  the  former. 

5081.  "With  his  two  ministers,  his  stewards."— This  signifies 
that  it  averted  itself  from  the  sensual  things  of  the  body  of 
each  kind,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  the  ministers, 
the  stewards,"  who  in  this  case  are  "  the  butler  and  the  baker," 
as  denoting  the  sensual  things  of  each  kind,  see  above,  n.  5077, 
5078.  The  sensual  things  of  the  body,  viz.,  the  sight,  the 
hearing,  the  smell,  the  taste,  and  the  touch,  are  also  ministers 
as  stewards  in  respect  to  the  interior  man,  who  is  "  the  lord  the 
king ;"  for  they  minister  to  him,  so  that  he  may  acquire  know- 
ledge from  experience  derived  from  those  things  which  are  in 
the  visible  world,  and  in  human  society,  and  may  thereby 
attain  intelligence  and  wisdom  :  for  a  man  is  born  into  no 
science,  still  less  into  any  intelligence  and  wisdom,  but  only 


528 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


into  tne  faculty  of  receiving  and  imbibing  them.  This  is  ef- 
fected both  by  an  internal  and  an  external  way  ;  by  the  internal 
way  the  Divine  flows-in,  by  the  external  way  the  worldly  prin- 
ciple flows-in  ;  and  these  principles  meet  together  in  the  man 
within  ;  and  in  this  case,  so  far  as  he  suffers  himself  to  be  illus- 
trated from  the  Divine,  so  far  he  comes  into  wisdom.  The 
tilings  which  flow-in  by  the  external  way,  flow-in  through  the 
sensual  things  of  the  body :  they  do  not  however  flow-in  of 
themselves,  but  are  called  forth  by  the  internal  man,  to  serve 
as  a  plane  for  the  celestial  and  spiritual  things  which  flow-in 
by  the  internal  way  from  the  Divine.  Hence  it  may  be  mani- 
fest, that  the  sensual  things  of  the  body  are  like  ministering 
stewards.  In  general,  all  exteriors  are  ministers  in  respect  to 
interiors :  the  whole  natural  man  is  nothing  else  in  respect  to 
the  spiritual  man.  The  above  expression  in  the  original  tongue 
signifies  a  minister,  steward,  chamberlain,  or  eunuch :  in  the 
internal  sense  by  the  latter  is  signified  the  natural  man  as  to 
good  and  truth,  as  in  the  present  case ;  but  specifically  the 
natural  man  as  to  good,  as  in  Isaiah,  "  Let  not  the  son  of  the 
stranger  that  adheres  to  Jehovah  say,  saying,  Jehovah  by  sepa- 
rating separates  me  from  his  people ;  neither  let  the  eunuch 
say,  Behold,  I  am  dry  wood :  for  thus  saith  Jehovah  to  the 
eunuchs  that  keep  my  sabbaths,  and  choose  that  which  pleases 
me,  and  take  hold  of  my  covenant;  I  will  give  them  in  my 
house,  and  within  my  walls,  a  place  and  a  name  better  than 
sons  and  daughters ;  I  will  give  them  an  everlasting  name 
which  shall  not  be  cut  off,"  lvi.  3  to  5 ;  where  "a  eunuch"  de- 
notes the  natural  man  as  to  good,  and  "  the  son  of  the  stranger" 
the  natural  man  as  to  truth :  for  the  Lord's  church  is  both  ex- 
ternal and  internal.  Those  who  are  of  the  external  church  are 
natural,  and  those  of  the  internal  church  are  spiritual :  those 
who  are  natural,  and  yet  are  in  good,  are  "  eunuchs,"  and  those 
who  are  in  truth  are  "  the  sons  of  the  stranger ;"  and  as  the 
truly  spiritual  or  internal  are  only  to  be  found  with  the  church, 
therefore  also  "  the  sons  of  the  stranger"  signifies  those  who 
are  out  of  the  church,  or  the  gentiles,  and  who  still  are  in  truth 
according  to  their  religion,  see  n.  204-9,  2593,  2599  to  2603, 
2801,  2863,  3263  ;  and  "  eunuchs"  those  who  are  in  good. 

5082.  "  With  the  prince  of  the  butlers  and  the  prince  of 
the  bakers." — This  signifies  in  general  from  the  sensual  things 
subordinate  to  the  intellectual  part  and  to  the  will  part,  as  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "a  butler,"  as  denoting  the 
sensual  principle  subordinate  and  subject  to  the  intellectual 
part,  see  above,  n.  5077;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "a 
baker,"  as  denoting  the  sensual  principle  subordinate  and  sub- 
ject to  the  will  part,  see  also  above,  n.  5078 ;  and  (3.)  from  the 
signification  of  "  a  prince,"  as  denoting  what  is  primary,  see  n. 
1482,  2089,  5044,  in  the  present  case  in  general  or  in  common; 


5082—5084.] 


GENESIS. 


529 


for  what  is  primary  is  also  common,  since  it  rules  in  the  rest  of 
the  principles ;  for  particulars  have  relation  to  primaries  as  to 
things  common,  that  they  may  make  a  one,  and  that  there  he  no 
contradiction. 

5083.  "  And  he  gave  them  into  the  custody." — This  signifies 
rejection,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  giving  into  cus- 
tody," as  denoting  rejection ;  for  he  that  is  given  into  custody 
is  rejected. 

5084.  "  Of  the  house  of  the  prince  of  the  guards." — This 
signifies  by  those  things  which  are  primary  for  interpretation, 
as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  the  prince  of  the  guards," 
as  denoting  primaries  for  interpretation,  see  n.  4790,  4966 ;  in 
the  present  case  therefore  denoting,  that  the  sensual  things  of 
both  kinds  were  rejected  by  primaries  for  interpretation,  which 
are  those  of  the  Word  as  to  the  internal  sense,  and  which  are 
said  to  be  rejected  when  men  have  no  faith  in  such  things ;  for 
sensual  things,  and  those  which  by  their  means  enter  imme- 
diately into  the  thought,  are  fallacious ;  and  all  fallacies,  which 
prevail  with  men,  are  from  this  source :  hence  it  happens  that 
few  believe  the  truths  of  faith,  and  that  the  natural  man  is  op- 
posed to  the  spiritual,  that  is,  the  external  man  to  the  internal. 
If  therefore  the  natural  or  external  man  begins  to  have  do- 
minion over  the  spiritual  or  internal,  the  things  of  faith  are  no 
longer  believed,  for  fallacies  overshadow  and  lusts  suffocate 
them.  As  but  few  know  what  the  fallacies  of  the  senses  are, 
and  few  believe  that  they  cast  so  great  a  shade  over  things 
rational,  and  most  especially  over  the  spiritual  things  of  faith, 
as  to  extinguish  them,  especially  when  a  man  at  the  same  time 
is  in  the  delights  of  the  lusts  arising  from  self-love  and  the  love 
of  the  world,  it  may  be  expedient  to  illustrate  the  subject  by 
cases,  showing  first  what  are  the  fallacies  of  the  senses  which 
are  merely  natural,  or  in  the  things  of  nature,  and  next  what 
are  the  fallacies  of  the  senses  in  spiritual  things.  1.  It  is  a 
fallacy  of  the  merely  natural  sense,  or  of  nature,  to  believe  that 
the  sun  is  carried  once  every  day  round  about  this  earth,  and 
at  the  same  time  also  the  firmament  with  all  the  stars :  and  al- 
though it  be  said,  that  it  is  incredible  because  it  is  impossible, 
that  so  great  an  ocean  of  fire  as  the  sun,  and  not  only  the  sun 
but  also  innumerable  stars,  without  any  change  of  place  in 
respect  to  each  other,  should  every  day  perform  such  a  revo- 
lution together ;  and  although  it  be  added,  that  it  may  be  seen 
from  the  case  of  the  planets,  that  the  earth  performs  a  diurnal 
and  annual  motion  by  circumrotations  and  circumgyrations, 
inasmuch  as  the  planets  also  are  earths,  and  some  of  them  like- 
wise have  moons  revolving  around  them,  and  it  has  been  ob- 
served that  they  like  our  earth  perform  such  diurnal  and  annual 
motions,  still  with  the  generality  of  men  the  fallacy  of  sense 
prevails,  that  it  is  as  it  appears  to  the  eye.    2.  It  is  a  fallacy 

vol.  v.  34 


530 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


of  the  merely  natural  sense,  or  of  nature,  that  there  is  only  one 
single  atmosphere  distinguished  merely  by  the  successive  purity 
of  its  parts,  and  that  where  it  ceases,  there  is  a  vacuum ;  such 
is  the  apprehension  of  man's  external  sensual  principle,  when 
that  alone  is  consulted.  3.  It  is  a  fallacy  of  the  merely  natural 
sense,  that  from  the  first  creation  there  has  been  impressed  on 
seeds  a  faculty  of  growing  up  into  trees  and  flowers,  and  of 
rendering  themselves  prolific,  and  that  hence  all  things  have 
their  existence  and  subsistence :  and  if  it  be  urged,  that  it  is 
not  possible  for  any  thing  to  subsist  unless  it  perpetually  exists, 
according  to  the  established  maxim,  "  Subsistence  is  perpetual 
existence,"  also  that  every  thing  which  is  not  in  connection 
with  somewhat  prior  to  itself,  falls  into  nothing,  still  the  sensual 
principle  of  the  body,  and  the  thought  grounded  therein,  does 
not  apprehend  it,  nor  that  all  things,  even  the  most  minute, 
subsist  as  they  existed,  by  influx  from  the  spiritual  world,  that 
is,  from  the  Divine  through  the  spiritual  world.  4.  Hence  it 
is  a  fallacy  of  the  merely  natural  sense,  that  there  are  simple 
substances,  such  as  monads  and  atoms ;  for  whatever  is  within 
the  external  sensual  principle,  the  natural  man  believes  is  either 
such  a  thing  or  it  is  nothing.  5.  It  is  a  fallacy  of  the  merely 
natural  sense,  that  all  things  are  of  and  from  nature,  and  that 
indeed  in  the  purer  or  interior  nature  there  is  something  which 
is  not  apprehended  ;  but  if  it  be  said,  that  within  or  above 
nature  there  is  a  spiritual  and  celestial  principle,  this  is  rejected, 
and  it  is  believed  that  unless  it  be  a  natural  principle,  it  is 
nothing.  6.  It  is  a  fallacy  of  sense,  that  the  body  alone  lives, 
and  that  its  life  perishes  when  it  dies.  The  sensual  man  does 
not  apprehend,  that  the  internal  man  is  in  the  minutest  things 
of  the  external,  and  is  within  nature  in  the  spiritual  world; 
hence  he  does  not  believe,  because  he  does  not  apprehend,  that 
he  will  live  after  death,  unless  he  be  again  clothed  with  a  body, 
n.  5078,  5079.  7.  Hence  it  is  a  fallacy  of  sense,  that  a  man 
can  no  more  live  after  death  than  the  beasts,  because  these  also 
have  a  life  in  many  respects  similar  to  the  life  of  a  man,  only 
that  a  man  is  a  more  perfect  animal.  The  sensual  principle, 
that  is,  the  man  who  thinks  and  concludes  from  the  sensual 
principle,  does  not  apprehend  that  a  man  is  above  the  beasts, 
and  has  a  superior  life,  in  this  respect,  because  he  can  think, 
not  only  concerning  the  causes  of  things,  but  also  concerning 
the  Divine,  and  by  faith  and  love  be  conjoined  with  the  Divine, 
and  also  receive  influx  thence,  and  appropriate  it  to  himself;  so 
that  a  man,  since  he  has  a  reciprocal  principle,  has  a  power  of 
reception,  which  is  by  no  means  the  case  with  the  beasts.  8.  It 
is  a  fallacy  hence  derived,  that  the  living  principle  appertain- 
ing to  man,  which  is  called  the  soul,  is  only  somewhat  ethereal 
or  flamy,  which  is  dissipated  when  he  dies;  and  that  it  resides 
either  in  the  heart,  or  the  brain,  or  in  some  part  thereof,  and 


5081.] 


GENESIS. 


531 


that  hence  it  rules  the  body  like  a  machine  :  that  the  internal 
man  is  in  the  minutest  things  of  the  external,  that  the  eye 
does  not  see  of  itself  but  from  that  internal  man,  or  the  ear 
hear  of  itself  but  from  the  same  principle,  the  sensual  man  does 
not  apprehend.  9.  It  is  a  fallacy  of  sense,  that  there  is  no  light 
from  any  other  source  than  from  the  sun  or  elementary  fire,  and 
no  heat  from  any  other  source  than  from  the  same :  that  there 
is  a  light  in  which  is  intelligence,  and  a  heat  in  which  is  celes- 
tial love,  and  that  all  the  angels  are  in  that  light  and  heat,  the 
sensual  man  does  not  apprehend.  10.  It  is  a  fallacy  of  sense, 
that  a  man  believes  that  he  lives  of  himself,  or  that  he  has  life 
in  him  [so  as  to  be  self-dependent],  as  it  appears  to  the  sensual 
principle :  that  it  is  the  Divine  alone  that  has  life  of  itself,  and 
thus  that  there  is  only  one  life,  and  that  the  lives  in  the  world 
are  only  recipient  forms,  is  altogether  inconceivable  by  the 
sensuafprinciple ;  see  n.  1951,  2706,  2886  to  2889,  2893,  3001, 
3318,  3337,  3338,  3481,  3712,  3713,  1151,  1219,  1318  to  1320, 
1117,  1523,  1S82.  11.  The  sensual  man  from  fallacy  believes 
that  adulteries  are  allowed;  for  from  the  sensual  principle  he 
concludes,  that  marriages  are  instituted  only  with  a  view  to 
order  for  the  sake  of  the  education  of  the  offspring,  and  pro- 
vided that  order  be  not  destroyed,  it  is  a  matter  of  indifference 
from  whom  the  offspring  comes ;  also  that  what  is  conjugial 
differs  from  lasciviousness  only  in  the  circumstance  of  its  being 
allowed ;  thus  also,  that  it  would  not  be  contrary  to  order  to 
marry  more  wives  than  one,  if  the  Christian  world  did  not 
prohibit  it  on  the  authority  of  the  Sacred  Scripture.  If  it  be 
urged,  that  there  is  a  correspondence  between  the  heavenly 
marriage  and  marriages  in  the  earths,  and  that  no  one  can 
have  in  himself  the  conjugial  principle,  unless  he  be  in  spiritual 
truth  and  good,  also  that  the  genuine  conjugial  principle  cannot 
exist  between  a  husband  and  more  wives  than  one,  and  hence 
that  marriages  are  in  themselves  holy,  these  things  the  sensual 
man  rejects  as  of  no  account.  12.  It  is  a  fallacy  of  sense,  that 
the  Lord's  kingdom,  or  heaven,  is  of  a  quality  resembling  an 
earthly  kingdom  in  this,  that  the  joy  and  happiness  therein 
consist  in  one  being  greater  than  another,  and  hence  in  being 
exalted  in  glory  above  another ;  for  the  sensual  principle  does 
not  at  all  comprehend  what  is  meant  by  the  least  being  greatest, 
or  the  last  being  first:  if  it  be  urged,  that  joy  in  heaven  or 
with  the  angels  consists  in  serving  others  by  doing  them  good, 
without  any  thought  of  merit  and  return,  this  to  the  sensual 
man  presents  an  idea  of  sadness.  13.  It  is  a  fallacy  of  sense, 
that  good  works  are  meritorious,  and  that  to  do  good  to  any 
one  with  a  view  to  self  is  a  good  work.  11.  It  is  also  a  fallacy 
of  sense,  that  a  man  is  saved  by  faith  alone ;  and  that  any  one 
can  have  faith  who  has  not  charity ;  also  that  it  is  faith,  and 
not  the  life,  which  remains  after  death.    The  case  is  similar  ia 


532 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


several  other  instances ;  when  therefore  the  sensual  principle 
bears  rule  in  man,  the  rational  principle,  illustrated  from  the 
Divine,  sees  nothing,  and  is  in  such  thick  darkness  as  to  believe 
that  all  that  is  rational  which  is  concluded  from  the  sensual 
principle. 

5085.  "  At  the  prison-house." — This  signifies  among  falses, 
as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  the  prison-house,"  as  de- 
noting the  vastation  of  the  false,  and  hence  denoting  the  false, 
see  n.  4958,  503T,  5038. 

5056.  "  The  place  where  Joseph  was  bound." — This  signi- 
fies the  state  of  the  celestial  of  the  natural  principle  at  this  time 
as  to  those  principles,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
"place,"  as  denoting  state,  see  n.  2625,  2837,  3356,  3387, 
4321,  4SS2 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  "  Joseph,"  as 
denoting  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  principle  from  the  ra- 
tional, see  n.  4286,  4585,  4592,  4594,  4963 :  in  the  present  case 
denoting  the  celestial  of  the  natural  principle,  because  now  in 
the  natural  principle  from  which  come  temptations,  n.  5035, 
5039 ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  "  bound,"  as  denoting 
a  state  of  temptations,  see  n.  5037.  The  subject  treated  of  in 
the  foregoing  chapter  was  the  state  of  temptations  of  the  celes- 
tial spiritual  principle  in  the  natural  as  to  those  things  which 
were  of  the  interior  natural  principle,  in  the  present  case  as  to 
those  which  are  of  the  exterior. 

5057.  "  And  the  prince  of  the  guards  set  Joseph  over  them." 
— This  signifies  that  the  celestial  of  the  natural  principle  taught 
them  from  primaries  for  interpretation,  as  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  the  prince  of  the  guards,  as  denoting  the 
primaries  for  interpretation,  see  n.  4790,  4966,  5084  ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  representation  of  "  Joseph,"  as  denoting  the  celestial 
of  the  natural  principle,  see  just  above,  n.  5086  ;  and  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  being  set  over,"  as  here  denoting  to  teach  : 
for  he  that  is  set  over  the  things  which  are  rejected  for  the 
sake  of  exploration  or  emendation,  performs  the  office  of  a 
teacher. 

5088.  "  And  he  ministered  to  them." — This  signifies  that  he 
instructed  them,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  to  min- 
ister," as  denoting  to  instruct :  that  "  to  minister"  in  this  case 
does  not  mean  to  minister  as  a  servant,  is  evident  from  the  con- 
sideration that  Joseph  was  set  over  them ;  therefore  "  to  min- 
ister" here  denotes  to  sub-minister  what  conduces  to  their  good  ; 
and  as  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  the  new  sensual  or  exter- 
nal natural  principle,  "  to  bo  set  over"  signifies  to  teach,  and  "  to 
minister"  to  instruct :  "  to  be  set  over"  is  predicated  of  the  good 
which  is  of  the  life,  and  "to  minister"  of  the  truth  which  is  of 
doctrine,  n.  4976. 

5089.  "  And  they  were  for  days  in  custody." — This  signifies 
that  they  were  a  long  time  in  a  state  of  rejection,  as  appeal's 


5085—5090.] 


GENESIS. 


533 


from  the  signification  of  "  days,"  as  denoting  states,  see  n.  23, 
487,  488,  493,  893,  2788,  3462,  3785,  4850  :  in  the  present 
case  therefore,  "for  days"  denotes  that  they  were  a  long  time 
in  the  state  of  rejection,  which  is  signified  by  custody,  n.  5083. 
I  am  not  allowed  to  explain  more  at  large  the  particulars  which 
are  here  contained  in  the  internal  sense,  because  they  are  such 
that  no  idea  concerning  them  can  be  formed  from  the  things 
which  are  in  the  world  ;  as  concerning  the  celestial  man  of  the 
spiritual,  concerning  the  state  thereof  in  the  natural  principle 
when  the  interior  natural  principle  is  being  made  new,  and 
afterwards  when  it  is  made  new,  and  the  exterior  natural  prin- 
ciple rejected :  but  concerning  these  and  similar  things  an  idea 
may  be  formed  from  the  things  which  are  in  heaven,  which 
idea  is  such  as  not  to  coincide  with  any  idea  formed  from 
worldly  things,  except  with  those  who,  while  they  are  in  the 
exercise  of  thought,  are  capable  of  being  withdrawn  from  sen- 
sual things.  Unless  the  thinking  principle  with  a  man  can  be 
elevated  above  sensual  things,  so  that  he  can  see  them  as  it- 
were  beneath  him,  he  cannot  in  any  wise  relish  the  interior 
things  of  the  Word,  still  less  such  as  are  of  heaven  abstracted 
from  those  which  are  of  the  world  ;  for  sensual  things  absorb 
and  suffocate  them  :  hence  it  happens  that  those  who  are  sen- 
sual, and  have  applied  themselves  to  the  study  of  sci entities, 
rarely  comprehend  any  thing  relating  to  heaven  ;  for  they  have 
immersed  their  thoughts  in  the  things  of  the  world,  that  is,  in 
terms,  and  in  distinctions  thence  derived,  thus  in  sensual  things, 
from  which  they  cannot  again  be  elevated,  and  thereby  be  held 
in  superior  intuition  ;  thus  neither  can  their  thought  again  be 
freely  extended  over  all  the  plain  of  the  things  of  the  memory, 
so  as  to  choose  what  is  suitable,  and  reject  what  is  repugnant, 
and  to  apply  the  things  which  are  in  any  connection :  for,  as 
we  said,  it  is  kept  closed  and  immersed  in  terms,  and  hence  in 
things  sensual,  so  that  it  cannot  take  any  comprehensive  views. 
This  is  the  reason  why  the  learned  believe  less  than  the  simple, 
yea  also  that  in  heavenly  things  they  are  less  wise ;  for  the 
simple  can  view  a  thing  above  terms  and  scientifics,  thus  above 
sensual  things,  which  the  learned  cannot,  for  they  view  it  from 
terms  and  scientifics,  inasmuch  as  their  mind  is  fixed  on  those 
things,  and  is  thus  bound  as  in  a  jail  or  prison. 

5090.  Verses  5  to  8.  And  they  dreamed  a  dream,  both  of 
them,  each  man  his  dream,  in  one  night,  each  man  according 
to  the  interpretation  of  his  dream,  the  butler  and  the  baker  of 
the  king  of  Egypt,  who  were  bound  in  the  prison-house.  And 
Joseph  came  to  them  in  the  morning,  and  saw  them,  and  behold 
they  were  disturbed.  And  he  asked  the  ministers,  the  stewards 
of  Pharaoh,  who  were  with  him  in  the  custody  of  his  lord's 
house,  saying,  Wherefore  are  your  faces  sad  to-day  ?  And 
they  said  to  him,  We  have  dreamed  a  dream,  and  there  is  no 


534 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


interpreter  of  it :  and  Joseph  said  to  them.  Do  not  interpreta- 
tions belong  to  God?  Tell  me  them,  I  pray.  And  they 
dreamed  a  dream,  both  of  them,  signifies  foresight  concerning 
them  :  each  man  his  dream,  in  one  night,  signifies  concerning 
the  event  which  to  them  was  in  obscurity :  each  man  according 
to  the  interpretation  of  his  dream,  signifies  which  they  had  in 
themselves :  the  butler  and  the  baker,  signifies  concerning  the 
sensual  things  of  each  kind :  of  the  king  of  Egypt,  signifies 
which  were  subordinate  to  the  interior  natural  principle  :  who 
were  bound  in  the  prison-house,  signifies  who  were  among 
falses  :  and  Joseph  came  to  them  in  the  morning,  signifies 
revealed  and  clear  to  the  celestial  of  the  natural  principle  :  and 
saw  them,  signifies  perception :  and  behold  they  were  disturbed, 
signifies  that  they  were  in  a  state  of  sadness  :  and  he  asked  the 
ministers,  the  stewards  of  Pharaoh,  signifies  those  sensual  things : 
who  were  with  him  in  the  custody  of  his  lord's  house,  signifies 
which  were  rejected:  saying,  Wherefore  are  your  faces  sad  to- 
day? signifies  from  what  aftection  was  the  sadness:  and  they 
said  to  him,  signifies  perception  concerning  them :  We  have 
dreamed  a  dream,  signifies  prediction :  and  there  is  no  inter- 
preter of  it,  signifies  that  no  one  knows  what  is  therein :  and 
Joseph  said  to  them,  signifies  the  celestial  of  the  natural  prin- 
ciple :  Do  not  interpretations  belong  to  God  ?  signifies  that  the 
Divine  was  therein  :  tell  me  them,  I  pray,  signifies  that  it 
should  be  known. 

5091.  "  And  they  dreamed  a  dream,  both  of  them." — This 
signifies  foresight  concerning  them,  as  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  "  a  dream,"  as  denoting  foresight,  see  n.  3698  ;  "  both 
of  them"  denotes  the  sensual  things  of  each  kind  signified  by 
"the  butler  and  the  baker."  That  the  dreams  were  concerning 
those  things,  is  manifest  from  what  follows.  The  reason  why 
in  the  supreme  sense  "  a  dream"  denotes  foresight,  is,  because 
the  dreams  which  flow-in  immediately  through  heaven  from  the 
Lord,  foretell  things  to  come  :  such  were  the  dreams  of  Joseph, 
those  of  the  butler  and  the  baker,  of  Pharaoh,  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and  the  prophetic  dreams  in  general.  The  things  to 
come,  which  are  foretold  thereby,  are  from  no  other  source  than 
the  Lord's  divine  foresight.  Hence  also  it  may  be  known  that 
all  things  even  the  most  minute  are  foreseen. 

5092.  "  Each  man  his  dream  in  one  night." — This  signifies 
concerning  the  event  which  to  them  was  in  obscurity,  as  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a  dream,"  as  denoting  foresight, 
and  hence  prediction ;  and  as  it  denotes  prediction,  it  also  denotes 
the  event,  for  prediction  is  concerning  the  event ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  night,"  as  denoting  what  is  obscure.  In 
the  spiritual  sense  "night"  denotes  a  state  of  shade  induced  by 
what  is  false  grounded  in  evil,  n.  1712,  2353,  thus  also  an  ob- 
scure principle  of  the  mind.    The  obscurity  of  night  in  the 


5091—5094.] 


GENESIS. 


535 


world,  is  natural  obscurity,  but  the  obscurity  of  night  in  the 
other  life,  is  spiritual  obscurity  :  the  former  arises  from  the  ab- 
sence of  the  sun  of  the  world,  and  the  consequent  privation  of 
light,  but  the  latter  from  the  absence  of  the  sun  of  heaven, 
which  is  the  Lord,  and  the  consequent  privation  of  light,  that 
is,  of  intelligence.  This  privation  does  not  arise  in  consequenee 
of  the  sun  of  heaven  setting  like  the  sun  of  the  world,  but  in 
consequence  of  a  man  or  a  spirit  being  in  what  is  false  grounded 
in  evil,  and  removing  himself,  and  so  occasioning  the  obscurity 
to  himself.  From  an  idea  of  night  in  each  sense,  and  of  the 
obscurity  thence  arising,  it  may  appear  manifest  how  the  case 
is  with  the  spiritual  sense  in  respect  to  the  natural  sense  of  the 
same  thing.  Moreover  there  are  three  kinds  of  spiritual  ob- 
scurity ;  one  which  is  from  the  false  of  evil,  another  from  an 
ignorance  of  the  truth,  and  a  third  which  is  that  of  exterior 
principles  in  respect  to  interior,  thus  of  the  sensual  things  of 
the  external  man  in  respect  to  the  rational  things  of  the  inter- 
nal :  nevertheless  all  these  kinds  of  obscurity  derive  their  exist- 
ence from  this  circumstance,  that  the  light  of  heaven,  or  the 
intelligence  and  wisdom  from  the  Lord,  is  not  received  ;  for  this 
light  is  continually  flowing-in,  but  by  the  false  of  evil  it  is  either 
rejected,  or  suffocated,  or  perverted  ;  by  ignorance  of  the  truth 
it  is  little  received  ;  and  by  the  sensual  things  of  the  external 
man  it  is  rendered  dull,  because  it  is  rendered  common  or 
general. 

5093.  "  Each  man  according  to  the  interpretation  of  his 
dream." — This  signifies  the  event  which  they  had  in  themselves, 
as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  the  interpretation  of  a 
dream,"  as  denoting  the  explanation,  and  thence  the  knowledge 
of  the  event,  thus  denoting  the  event  which  they  had  in  them- 
selves ;  that  "  a  dream"  denotes  the  event,  see  just  above,  n. 
5092. 

5094.  "  The  butler  and  the  baker." — This  signifies  concern- 
ing the  sensual  things  of  each  kind,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  "  the  butler,"  as  denoting  the  sensual  principle 
subordinate  to  the  intellectual  part,  see  n.  5077 ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  "the  baker,"  as  denoting  the  sensual  prin- 
ciple subordinate  to  the  will  part,  see  n.  5078  :  that  these  were 
rejected  by  the  interior  natural  principle,  was  said  above,  n. 
5083,  5089.  It  is  however  to  be  noted,  that  the  sensxial  things 
themselves  were  not  rejected,  viz.,  those  of  the  sight,  the  hear- 
ing, the  smell,  the  taste,  and  the  touch,  from  which  the  body 
lives,  but  the  views  or  thoughts,  and  also  the  affections  and 
lusts  grounded  therein.  Into  the  external  or  natural  memory 
of  man  there  enter  obj ects  from  the  world  through  those  sensual 
tilings  on  the  one  part,  and  there  enter  into  it  objects  through 
the  rational  principles  on  the  other  part :  these  objects  separate 
themselves  in  that  memory.    Those  which  entered  through  tho 


536 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


rational  principles,  place  themselves  more  within,  but  those 
which  entered  through  the  sensual  principles,  place  themselves 
more  without ;  hence  the  natural  principle  becomes  twofold, 
viz.,  interior  and  exterior,  as  was  also  said  above.  The  interior 
natural  is  what  is  represented  by  "  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt," 
but  the  exterior  natural  by  "  the  butler  and  the  baker."  vvhat 
the  difference  is,  may  appear  manifest  from  the  views  of  things, 
or  thoughts,  and  consequent  conclusions  respecting  them.  He 
that  thinks  and  concludes  from  the  interior  natural,  is  so  far 
rational  as  he  imbibes  what  enters  through  the  rational ;  but 
he  that  thinks  and  concludes  from  the  exterior  natural,  is  so  far 
sensual  as  he  imbibes  what  enters  through  the  sensual :  such  a 
one  is  also  called  a  sensual  man,  and  the  other  a  rational  man. 
A  man,  when  he  dies,  takes  with  him  all  the  natural  principle, 
and  such  as  it  was  formed  in  the  world,  such  also  it  remains 
with  him  :  so  far  as  he  had  imbibed  from  the  rational,  so  far 
also  he  is  then  rational,  and  so  far  as  he  had  imbibed  from  the 
sensual,  so  far  he  is  sensual.  There  is  this  difference,  that  the 
natural,  so  far  as  it  had  imbibed  and  appropriated  any  thing  to 
itself  from  the  rational,  views  beneath  itself  the  sensual  things 
of  the  exterior  natural,  and  so  far  it  has  dominion  over  them, 
making  light  of  and  rejecting  the  fallacies  thence  derived  ; 
whereas  the  natural,  so  tar  as  it  has  imbibed  and  appropriated 
any  thing  to  itself  from  the  sensual  things  of  the  body,  views 
rational  things  as  beneath  itself,  making  light  of  and  rejecting 
them.  As  for  example  ;  the  rational  natural  man  can  compre- 
hend that  a  man  does  not  live  from  himself,  but  by  an  influx 
of  life  through  heaven  from  the  Lord  ;  but  the  sensual  man 
cannot  comprehend  this,  for  he  says  that  he  is  sensible  and  ap- 
perceives  manifestly  that  the  life  is  in  himself,  and  that  it  is  vain 
to  speak  contrary  to  the  evidence  of  the  senses.  Again,  the 
rational  natural  man  comprehends  that  there  are  a  heaven  and 
a  hell  ;  whereas  the  sensual  man  denies  both,  because  he  does 
not  conceive  that  there  is  a  purer  world  than  what  he  sees  with 
his  eyes  :  the  rational  natural  man  comprehends  that  there  are 
spirits  and  angels  who  are  unseen ;  but  the  sensual  man  does 
not  comprehend  this,  supposing  that  to  be  nothing  which  he 
does  not  see  and  touch.  Again,  to  take  another  example  ;  the 
rational  natural  man  comprehends  that  it  is  the  part  of  an 
intelligent  person  to  take  a  view  of  ends,  and  to  foresee  and 
arrange  the  means  to  some  ultimate  end  :  when  he  looks  at 
nature  from  the  order  of  things,  he  sees  that  nature  is  a  com- 
plex of  means,  and  he  then  apperccives  that  an  intelligent 
Supreme  Being  arranged  them ;  but  to  what  ultimate  end  they 
were  arranged,  he  does  not  see  unless  he  becomes  spiritual :  but 
the  sensual  man  does  not  comprehend  that  there  can  be  any 
thing  distinct  from  nature,  thus  neither  that  there  can  be  any 
Being  which  is  above  nature  :  what  it  is  to  understand,  to  be 


5095,  5096.] 


GENESIS. 


wise,  to  take  a  view  of  ends,  and  to  arrange  means,  lie  does 
not  conceive,  unless  it  be  termed  natural ;  and  when  it  is  termed 
natural,  he  entertains  an  idea  on  those  subjects  such  as  an  arti- 
ficer does  of  an  automaton.  From  these  few  cases  it  may  appear 
manifest  what  is  meant  by  the  interior  natural  and  the  exterior 
natural ;  and  also  what  by  sensual  things  being  rejected,  viz., 
not  the  rejection  of  the  things  of  sight,  hearing,  smell,  taste, 
and  touch,  in  the  body,  but  the  rejection  of  the  conclusions 
thence  formed  concerning  interior  things. 

5095.  "  Of  the  king  of  Egypt," — This  signifies  which  were 
subordinate  to  the  interior  natural,  as  appears  from  the  repre- 
sentation of  "Pharaoh,  or  the  king  of  Egypt"  in  this  chapter, 
as  denoting  a  new  state  of  the  natural,  see  n.  5079,  5080,  con- 
sequently denoting  the  interior  natural,  for  this  was  made  new  : 
what  the  interior  natural  is,  and  what  the  exterior,  may  be  seen 
just  above,  n.  5094.  It  may  be  expedient  here  briefly  to  show 
the  quality  of  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word  in  the  historical^ 
and  in  the  propheticals.  Where  more  persons  than  one  are 
mentioned  in  the  historical  sense,  as  in  the  present  case,  Joseph, 
Pharaoh,  the  prince  of  the  guards,  the  butler  and  the  baker,  in 
the  internal  sense  they  indeed  signify  various  things,  but  only 
in  one  person.  The  reason  of  this  is,  because  names  signify 
things  ;  as  here  Joseph  represents  the  Lord  as  to  the  celestial 
spiritual  from  the  rational,  and  also  in  the  natural ;  Pharaoh 
represents  him  as  to  the  new  state  of  the  natural,  or  as  to  the 
interior  natural ;  the  butler  and  the  baker  represent  him  as  to 
those  things  which  are  of  the  external  natural :  such  is  the 
internal  sense.  In  like  manner  in  other  places,  as  where  men- 
tion is  made  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the  sense  of 
the  letter  there  are  three  persons  spoken  of,  but  in  the  supreme 
sense  all  the  three  represent  the  Lord ;  Abraham  the  Divine 
itself,  Isaac  the  divine  intellectual,  and  Jacob  his  divine  nat- 
ural. Also  with  the  prophets,  where  on  any  occasion  the 
relation  consists  of  mere  names,  as  of  persons,  kingdoms,  or 
cities,  yet  those  names  together  present  and  describe  one  thing 
in  the  internal  sense.  He  that  is  not  aware  of  this  circumstance, 
may  easily  be  led  away  by  the  sense  of  the  letter  into  an  idea 
of  various  things,  whereby  the  idea  of  one  thing  may  be  dis- 
sipated. 

5096.  "Who  were  bound  in  the  prison-house." — This  signi- 
fies which  were  among  falses,  as  appears  from  the  signification 
of  "  to  be  bound  in  the  prison-house,"  as  denoting  to  be  among 
falses,  see  n.  4958,  5037,  5038,  5085.  Those  who  are  in  falses, 
and  especially  those  who  are  in  evils,  are  said  to  be  bound  and 
in  prison ;  not  that  they  are  in  any  bonds,  but  because  they  are 
not  in  freedom ;  those  who  are  not  in  freedom  being  interiorly 
bound  ;  for  those  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  what  is 
false,  are  no  longer  in  any  freedom  of  choosing  and  accepting 


538 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


the  truth,  and  those  who  have  much  confirmed  themselves  there- 
in, are  not  even  in  freedom  to  see  it,  still  less  to  acknowledge  and 
believe  it,  for  they  are  in  the  persuasion  that  what  is  false  is  true 
and  what  is  true  is  false :  so  powerful  is  this  persuasion,  that 
it  takes  away  all  freedom  of  thinking  any  thing  else,  conse- 
quently it  holds  the  thought  itself  in  bonds  and  as  it  were  in  a 
prison.  This  I  had  much  opportunity  of  being  convinced  of 
experimentally  from  those  in  the  other  life  who  have  been  in 
a  persuasion  of  the  false  by  confirmations  in  themselves :  they 
do  not  at  all  admit  truths,  but  reflect  or  strike  them  back  again, 
and  this  with  an  obstinacy  proportioned  to  the  degree  of  per- 
suasion ;  especially  when  the  false  is  grounded  in  evil,  or  when 
evil  has  persuaded  them.  These  are  those  who  are  meant  in 
the  Lord's  parable  in  Matthew,  where  it  is  said,  "  Other  seeds 
fell  upon  the  hard  way,  and  the  fowls  came  and  devoured 
them,"  xiii.  4.  The  seeds  are  truths  divine ;  a  hard  rock  de- 
notes persuasion  ;  fowls  are  principles  of  the  false.  Those 
who  are  such,  do  not  even  know  that  they  are  in  bonds  or  in 
a  prison ;  for  they  are  affected  with  their  own  false  principle, 
and  love  it  for  the  sake  of  the  evil  from  which  it  springs  :  hence 
they  imagine  that  they  are  in  freedom ;  for  whatever  is  of  the 
affection  or  love,  appears  to  be  free.  But  those  who  are  not  in 
the  false  confirmed,  that  is,  in  the  persuasion  of  what  is  false, 
easily  admit  truths,  and  see  and  choose  them,  and  are  affected 
with  them,  and  afterwards  see  falses  as  beneath  themselves,  and 
also  how  those,  who  are  in  the  persuasion  of  what  is  false,  are 
bound :  they  are  in  so  much  freedom,  that  by  intuition  and 
thought  they  can  expatiate  as  it  were  through  the  whole  hea- 
ven to  innumerable  truths ;  but  no  one  can  be  in  this  freedom 
unless  he  be  in  good ;  for  by  virtue  of  good  he  is  in  heaven, 
and  by  virtue  of  good  in  heaven  truths  become  apparent. 

5097.  "And  Joseph  came  to  them  in  the  morning." — This 
signifies  that  it  was  revealed  and  clear  to  the  celestial  of  the 
spiritual,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  "Joseph," 
as  denoting  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual,  see  n.  4286,  4592, 
4963  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  the  morning,"  as  de- 
noting a  state  of  illustration,  see  n.  3458,  thus  what  is  revealed 
and  clear.  The  reason  why  the  morning  has  this  signification, 
is,  because  all  the  times  of  the  day,  like  all  the  times  of  the  year, 
signify  various  states  according  to  the  variations  of  the  light  of 
heaven.  The  variations  of  the  light  of  heaven  are  not  varia- 
tions like  those  of  light  in  the  world,  every  day  and  every 
year;  but  they  are  variations  of  intelligence  and  love:  for  the 
light  of  heaven  is  divine  intelligence  from  the  Lord,  which  also 
is  bright  before  the  eyes,  and  the  heat  of  that  light  is  the  Lord's 
divine  love,  which  also  is  warm  to  the  sense.  It  is  that  light 
which  makes  the  intellectual  principle  of  man,  and  that  heat 
which  makes  his  warm  vital  and  will-principle  of  good.  Mom- 


5097—5102.] 


GENESIS. 


539 


ing  in  heaven  is  a  state  of  illustration  as  to  those  things  which 
are  of  good  and  truth  ;  which  state  exists  when  it  is  acknow- 
ledged, and  more  so  when  it  is  perceived,  that  good  is  good  and 
truth  is  truth.  Perception  is  internal  revelation :  hence  the 
morning  signifies  what  is  revealed,  and  as  in  such  case  that 
becomes  clear  which  was  before  obscure,  therefore  hence  the 
morning  also  signifies  what  is  clear.  Moreover  by  morning  in 
the  supreme  sense  is  signified  the  Lord  himself,  because  the 
Lord  is  the  sun  from  which  comes  all  light  in  heaven,  and  he 
is  always  in  the  rising,  thus  in  the  morning :  he  is  also  always 
rising  with  every  one  who  receives  the  truth  which  is  of  faith, 
and  the  good  which  is  of  love  ;  but  he  sets  with  every  one  who 
does  not  receive  them  :  not  that  the  sun  there  sets,  because,  as 
we  said,  he  is  always  in  the  rising;  but  that  he  who  does  not 
receive  him,  causes  him  as  it  were  to  set  in  himself.  This  may 
in  some  sort  be  compared  to  the  vicissitudes  which  the  sun  of 
the  world  causes  in  respect  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth;  for 
neither  does  this  sun  set,  because  he  always  remains  in  his 
place,  and  is  always  shining  thence  ;  but  it  appears  as  if  he  set, 
because  the  earth  revolves  about  its  axis  once  every  day,  and 
at  the  same  time  removes  the  inhabitant  from  the  sun's  aspect, 
see  n.  5084,  p.  1 ;  thus  also  the  setting  is  not  in  the  sun,  but  in 
the  removal  of  the  inhabitant  of  the  earth  from  his  light :  this 
comparison  is  illustrative,  and  because  in  even  the  minutest 
things  of  nature  there  is  somewhat  representative  of  the  Lord's 
kingdom,  it  also  instructs  us,  that  the  privation  of  the  light  of 
heaven,  that  is,  of  intelligence  and  wisdom,  is  not  because  the 
Lord,  who  is  the  sun  of  intelligence  and  wisdom,  sets  with  any 
one,  but  because  the  inhabitant  of  his  kingdom  removes  himself, 
that  is,  suffers  himself  to  be  led  by  hell,  by  which  he  is  removed. 

5098.  "  And  saw  them." — This  signifies  perception,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  signification  of  "  to  see,"  as  denoting  to  under- 
stand and  apperceive,  see  n.  2150,  3764,  4567,  4723. 

5099.  "  And  behold  they  were  disturbed." — This  signifies 
that  they  were  in  a  state  of  sadness,  as  appears  without  expla- 
nation. 

5100.  "  And  he  asked  the  ministers,  the  stewards  of  Pha- 
raoh."— This  signifies  the  above  sensual  things,  as  appears  from 
the  signification  of  "the  ministers,  the  stewards  of  Pharaoh," 
as  denoting  the  sensual  things  of  each  kind,  viz.,  those  which 
are  subordinate  to  the  intellectual  part,  and  those  which  are 
subordinate  to  the  will  part ;  see  above,  n.  5981. 

5101.  "  Who  were  with  him  in  the  custody  of  his  lord's 
house." — This  signifies  which  were  rejected,  as  appears  from 
the  signification  of  "  to  be  given  into  custody,"  thus  of  being  in 
custody,  as  denoting  to  be  in  a  state  of  rejection  ;  see  also  above, 
n.  5083. 

5102.  "  Saying,  Wherefore  are  your  faces  sad  to-day  ?"-— ^las 


540 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xl. 


signifies  from  what  affection  was  the  sadness  ?  as  appears  from, 
the  signification  of  "  faces,"  as  denoting  the  interiors,  see  n.  358, 
1999,  2434,  3527,  4066,  4796,  4797 ;  thus  as  denoting  the  affec- 
tions ;  for  a  man's  interiors  from  which  come  the  thoughts, 
which  are  also  interior  things,  are  the  affections  ;  for  these,  since 
they  are  of  the  love,  are  of  his  life.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
affections  are  presented  visihly  in  the  face  with  those  who  are 
in  innocence  ;  and  as  the  affections  are  so  presented,  so  also  are 
the  thoughts  in  general,  for  these  are  the  forms  of  the  affections : 
hence  the  face  considered  in  itself  is  a  representative  image  of 
the  interiors.  All  faces  appear  in  this  manner,  and  in  no  other, 
to  the  angels  ;  for  they  do  not  see  the  faces  of  men  in  their 
material,  but  in  their  spiritual  form,  that  is,  in  the  form  pre- 
sented by  the  affections  and  consequent  thoughts ;  these  also 
are  what  cause  the  real  face  with  man,  as  may  be  known  from 
this  consideration,  that  the  face  deprived  of  those  principles  is 
a  mere  dead  subject,  and  that  it  has  life  from  those  principles, 
and  is  pleasing  according  thereto.  The  sadness  of  the  affection, 
or  from  what  affection,  is  signified  by  his  saying,  "  Wherefore 
are  your  faces  sad  to-day  ?" 

5103.  "  And  they  said  to  him." — This  signifies  perception 
concerning  those  things,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"  saying,"  in  the  historical  of  the  Word,  as  denoting  percep- 
tion, see  frequently  above. 

5104.  "  We  have  dreamed  a  dream." — This  signifies  predic- 
tion, as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  a  dream,"  as  denot- 
ing foresight,  and  hence  prediction,  see  above,  n.  5091. 

5105.  "  And  there  is  no  interpreter  of  it." — This  signifies  that 
no  one  knows  what  is  therein,  as  appears  from  the  signification 
of  u  interpretation,"  as  denoting  an  explanation  of  what  it  has 
in  it,  see  above,  n.  5093,  thus  of  what  is  therein. 

5106.  "And  Joseph  said  to  them." — This  signifies  the  celes- 
tial of  the  natural,  as  appears  from  the  representation  of  "Jo- 
seph," as  denoting  the  celestial  of  the  natural,  see  above,  n. 
5086. 

5107.  "  Do  not  interpretations  belong  to  God  ?" — This  sig- 
nifies that  the  Divine  was  therein,  as  appears  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  "  interpretation,"  when  it  is  predicated  of  dreams,  as 
denoting  that  which  is  in  them,  see  just  above,  n.  5105;  the 
Divine  is  signified  by  God. 

5108.  "  Tell  me  them,  I  pray." — This  signifies  that  it  should 
be  known,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  the  expression, 
"  Tell,  I  pray,"  as  denoting  that  it  should  be  known  ;  as  is  also 
evident  from  what  follows. 

5109.  Verses  9  to  13.  And  the  prince  of  the  hitlers  told  his 
dream  to  Joseph,  a?id  said  to  him,  In  my  dream,  behold  a  vine 
was  before  me.  And  in  the  vine  were  three  shoots,  and  it  as  it 
were  budded/  the  flower  thereof  ascended,  arid  the  clusters  there- 


5103—5110.] 


GENESIS. 


541 


of  ripened  into  grapes.  And  Pharaoh 's  cup  was  in  my  hand, 
and 1  took  the  grapes,  and  squeezed  them  into  Pharaoh's  cup, 
and  I  gave  the  cup  into  the  palm  of  Pharaoh's  hand.  And  Jo- 
seph said  to  him,  This  is  the  interpretation  thereof:  The  three 
shoots  are  three  days.  Yet  with/m  three  days  Pharaoh  will 
lift  thy  head,  and  will  bring  thee  hack  to  thy  station  ;  and  thou 
shalt  give  Pharaohs  cup  into  his  hand,  after  the  former  man- 
ner, when  thou  wast  his  butler.  And  the  prince  of  the  butlers 
told  his  dream  to  Joseph,  signifies  that  the  celestial  of  the 
spiritual  apperceived  the  event  concerning  the  things  of  the 
sensual  subject  to  the  intellectual  part,  which  had  been  hitherto 
rejected:  and  said  to  him,  signifies  revelation  from  percep- 
tion :  In  my  dream,  signifies  prediction :  behold,  a  vine  was 
before  me,  signifies  the  intellectual  principle :  and  in  the  vine 
were  three  shoots,  signifies  the  derivations  thence  even  to  the 
last :  and  it  as  it  were  budded,  signifies  the  influx  which  pro- 
duces re-birth  :  the  flower  thereof  ascended,  signifies  the  state 
near  regeneration  :  and  the  clusters  thereof  ripened  into  grapes, 
signifies  the  conjunction  of  spiritual  truth  with  celestial  good : 
and  Pharaoh's  cup  was  in  my  hand,  signifies  the  influx  of  the 
interior  natural  into  the  exterior,  and  the  beginning  of  recep- 
tion :  and  I  took  the  grapes,  and  squeezed  them  into  Pharaoh's 
cup,  signifies  the  reciprocal  influx  into  the  goods  from  a  spirit- 
ual origin  there  :  and  I  gave  the  cup  into  the  palm  of  Pharaoh's 
hand,  signifies  appropriation  by  the  interior  natural  principle : 
and  Joseph  said  to  him,  This  is  the  interpretation  thereof,  sig- 
nifies revelation  from  perception  from  the  celestial  principle  in 
the  natural,  what  it  had  in  itself :  the  three  shoots  are  three 
days,  signifies  derivations  continued  even  to  the  last:  yet  within 
three  days,  signifies  that  in  this  case  there  would  be  a  new 
state :  Pharaoh  will  lift  thy  head,  signifies  what  is  provided 
and  thence  concluded :  and  will  bring  thee  back  unto  thy  sta- 
tion, signifies  that  the  things  of  the  sensual  principle  subject  to 
the  intellectual  part  would  be  reduced  into  order,  that  they  may 
be  in  the  last  place :  and  thou  shalt  give  Pharaoh's  cup  into 
his  hand,  signifies  that  hence  they  may  serve  the  interior  nat- 
ural :  after  the  former  manner,  signifies  from  the  law  of  order  : 
when  thou  wast  his  butler,  signifies  as  is  usual  with  sensual 
tilings  of  that  kind. 

5110.  "  And  the  prince  of  the  butlers  told  his  dream  to 
Joseph." — This  signifies  that  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual  apper- 
ceived the  event  concerning  the  things  of  the  sensual  subject  to 
the  intellectual  part,  which  had  been  hitherto  rejected,  as  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  representation  of  "Joseph,"  as  denoting  the 
celestial  of  the  spiritual,  see  n.  4286, 4585, 4592,  4594, 4963 ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a  dream,"  as  denoting  foresight, 
and  hence  the  event,  see  n.  5091,  5092,  5104,  thus  the  event 
foreseen  or  apperceived  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  "  the 


542 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


prince  of  the  butlers,"  as  denoting  the  sensual  subject  to  the 
intellectual  part  in  general,  see  n.  5077,  5082  ;  that  it  was  re- 
jected, is  meant  by  his  being  in  custody,  see  n.  5083,  5101 :  from 
these  considerations  it  is  manifest,  that  the  above  is  the  internal 
sense  of  those  words.  That  Joseph  also,  who  represented  the 
celestial  of  the  spiritual,  apperceived  the  event,  is  manifest 
from  what  follows.  It  is  said  the  celestial  of  the  spiritual,  and 
thereby  is  meant  the  Lord  :  it  may  also  be  said  abstractedly  of 
him,  because  he  is  the  celestial  itself  and  the  spiritual  itself, 
that  is,  good  itself  and  truth  itself;  of  which  principles  indeed 
a  man  cannot  conceive  abstractedly  from  person,  since  the 
natural  principle  is  adjoined  to  the  minutest  things  of  his 
thought ;  nevertheless  when  we  think  that  all  that  is  in  the 
Lord  is  divine,  and  that  the  Divine  is  above  all  thought,  and  is 
altogether  incomprehensible  even  to  the  angels,  consequently 
if  in  this  case  we  abstract  that  which  is  comprehensible,  there 
remains  the  very  Esse  and  Existere,  and  this  is  the  celestial 
itself  and  the  spiritual  itself,  that  is,  good  itself  and  truth  itself. 
Howbeit,  since  man's  nature  is  such  that  he  is  utterly  incapable 
of  forming  an  idea  of  thought  concerning  abstract  principles*, 
unless  he  adjoins  somewhat  natural  which  had  entered  from 
the  world  through  sensual  things  (for  without  such  a  natural 
somewhat  his  thought  perishes  as  in  an  abyss,  and  is  dissipated), 
therefore,  lest  the  Divine  should  perish  with  the  man  who  is 
altogether  immersed  in  corporeal  and  worldly  things,  and,  in 
cases  where  it  remained,  should  be  defiled  by  an  unclean  idea, 
and  together  therewith  every  thing  celestial  and  spiritual  should 
suffer  in  like  manner,  it  pleased  Jehovah  to  present  himself  ac- 
tually such  as  he  is,  and  such  as  he  appears  in  heaven,  viz.,  as 
a  Divine  Man;  for  all  of  heaven  conspires  to  the  human  form, 
as  may  be  manifest  from  what  was  shown  at  the  close  of  the 
chapters  concerning  the  correspondence  of  all  things  of  man 
with  the  Grand  Man,  which  is  heaven.  This  Divine,  or  this  of 
Jehovah  in  heaven,  is  the  Lord  from  eternity :  the  Lord  also 
took  the  same  upon  him  when  he  glorified  or  made  the  human 
in  himself  divine.  This  is  also  manifest  from  the  form  in  which 
he  appeared  before  Peter,  James,  and  John,  when  he  was 
transfigured,  Matt.  xvii.  1,  2;  and  also  in  which  he  occasionally 
appeared  to  the  prophets  :  hence  now  every  one  is  able  to  think 
of  the  Divine  itself  as  of  a  man,  and  in  this  case  of  the  Lord, 
in  whom  is  all  the  Divine,  and  a  perfect  trine  ;  for  in  the  Lord 
the  Divine  itself  is  the  Father,  that  Divine  in  heaven  is  the  Son, 
and  the  Divine  thence  proceeding  is  tho  Holy  Spirit.  That 
these  are  a  one,  as  he  himself  teaches,  is  hence  manifest. 

5111.  "And  said  to  him." — This  signifies  revelation  from 
perception,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "saying"  in  the 
histoncals  of  the  Word,  as  denoting  perception,  see  n.  1791, 
1815, 1810, 1822, 1898, 1919,  2080,  2019,  2862,  3395, 3509  ;  thua 


6111—5113.] 


GENESIS. 


543 


also  as  denoting  revelation;  for  this  is  internal  perception,  and 
is  from  perception. 

5112.  "  In  my  dream." — This  signifies  prediction,  as  appears 
from  the  significetion  of  "  a  dream,"  as  denoting  foresight,  and 
from  foresight  prediction  ;  see  above,  n.  5091,  5092,  5104. 

5113.  "  Behold,  a  vine  was  before  me." — This  signifies  the 
intellectual  principle,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  a 
vine,"  as  denoting  the  intellectual  principle  of  the  spiritual 
church,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently.  Since  the  butler 
signifies  the  sensual  principle  subject  to  the  intellectual  part, 
and  we  are  here  treating  of  the  influx  of  the  intellectual  prin- 
ciple into  the  sensual  subordinate  thereto,  therefore  in  the  dream 
there  appeared  a  vine  with  shoots,  flower,  clusters,  and  grapes, 
by  which  things  influx  and  the  re-birth  of  that  sensual  are  de- 
scribed. It  is  to  be  noted,  that  in  the  Word,  where  the  spiritual 
church  is  treated  of,  its  intellectual  principle  is  also  treated  of 
throughout,  because  it  is  the  intellectual  part  which,  with  the 
man  of  that  church,  is  regenerated  and  made  a  church.  There 
are  in  general  two  churches,  the  celestial  and  the  spiritual ;  the 
celestial  church  has  place  with  the  man  who  is  capable  of  be- 
ing regenerated  or  made  a  church  as  to  the  will-part ;  whereas 
the  spiritual  church  has  place  with  the  man  who,  as  we  said, 
is  capable  of  being  regenerated  only  as  to  the  intellectual  part. 
The  most  ancient  church,  which  was  before  the  flood,  was  ce- 
lestial, because  with  those  who  were  of  that  church,  there  was 
somewhat  entire  in  the  will-part ;  but  the  ancient  church,  which 
was  after  the  flood,  was  spiritual,  because  with  those  who  were 
of  that  church,  there  was  not  any  thing  entire  in  the  will-part, 
but  in  the  intellectual  part ;  hence  now  it  is,  that  in  the  Word, 
where  the  spiritual  church  is  treated  of,  its  intellectual  principle 
is  also  in  part  treated  of;  but  on  this  subject  see  n.  640,  641, 
765,  863,  8T5,  895,  927,  928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555,  2124,  2256, 
2669,  4328,  4493.  That  the  intellectual  part,  with  those  who 
are  of  the  spiritual  church,  is  regenerated,  may  be  manifest 
also  from  this  consideration,  that  the  man  of  that  church  has  no 
perception  of  truth  from  good,  as  those  had  who  were  of  the 
celestial  church  ;  but  he  must  first  learn  the  truth  which  is  of 
faith,  and  imbibe  it  in  his  intellectual  principle,  and  thereby 
from  truth  know  what  is  good ;  and  after  he  has  thence  known 
it,  he  is  enabled  to  think  it,  next  to  will  it,  and  at  length  to  do 
it,  and  in  this  case  a  new  will  is  formed  with  him  by  the  Lord 
in  the  intellectual  part.  By  this  new  will  the  spiritual  man  is 
elevated  by  the  Lord  into  heaven,  evil  still  remaining  in  his 
proper  will ;  which  will,  on  this  occasion,  is  miraculously  sepa- 
rated, by  a  superior  force,  whereby  he  is  withheld  from  evil,  and 
kept  in  good.  But  the  man  of  the  celestial  church  was  regen- 
erated as  to  the  will-part,  by  imbibing  from  infancy  the  good 
of  charity  ;  and  when  he  had  gained  the  perception  thereof,  he 


544 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


was  led  into  the  perception  of  love  to  the  Lord  ;  hence  all  the 
truths  of  faith  appeared  to  him  in  the  intellectual  principle  as 
in  a  mirror  ;  the  understanding  and  the  will  with  him  make 
altogether  one  mind  ;  for  it  "was  perceived  by  the  things  in  the 
understanding  what  was  in  the  will ;  herein  consisted  the  integ- 
rity of  the  first  man,  who  signified  the  celestial  church.  That 
"  a  vine"  denotes  the  intellectual  principle  of  the  spiritual 
church,  is  manifest  from  several  passages  in  other  parts  of  the 
Word,  as  in  Jeremiah,  "What  hast  thou  to  do  with  the  way 
of  Egypt  that  thou  shouldst  drink  the  waters  of  Sihor ;  or  what 
hast  thou  to  do  with  the  way  of  Assyria  that  thou  shouldst 
drink  the  waters  of  the  river?  But  /  had  planted  thee  a  whole 
noble  vine,  a  seed  of  truth.  How  art  thou  turned  into  the  de- 
generate shoots  of  a  strange  vine  unto  me  !"  ii.  IS,  21 ;  speaking 
of  Israel,  who  signified  the  spiritual  church,  see  n.  3054,  4286: 
"  Egypt  and  the  waters  of  Sihor"  denote  the  scientifics  which 
pervert,  n.  1164,  1165,  1186,  1462:  "Assyria  and  the  waters 
of  the  river"  denote  the  reasoning  from  those  scientifics  against 
the  good  of  life  and  the  truth  of  faith,  n.  119,  1186  :  "  a  noble 
vine  denotes  the  man  of  the  spiritual  church,  who  is  called  a 
vine  from  the  intellectual  principle :  "  the  degenerate  shoots 
of  a  strange  vine"  denote  the  man  of  the  perverted  church. 
And  in  Ezekiel,  "  An  enigma  and  a  parable  concerning  the 
house  of  Israel.  A  great  eagle  took  ot  the  seed  of  the  earth, 
and  set  it  in  a  field  ot  sowing  :  it  grew,  and  became  a  luxuriant 
vine,  of  low  stature,  so  that  its  shoots  had  respect  to  it,  and  its 
roots  were  under  it ;  thus  it  became  a  vine,  which  made  shoots, 
and  sent  forth  offsets  to  the  eagle.  This  vine  applied  its  roots 
and  sent  forth  its  shoots  to  the  eagle,  in  a  good  field  by  many 
waters :  it  was  planted  to  make  a  branch  that  it  might  be  a 
magnificent  vine"  xvii.  2,  3,  5,  8.  An  eagle  denotes  the  ra- 
tional principle,  n.  3901 :  seed  of  the  earth  denotes  the  truth 
of  the  church,  n.  1025, 1447, 1610, 1940,  2848,  303S,  3310,  3373  ; 
its  being  made  into  a  luxuriant  vine  and  a  magnificent  vine, 
denotes  into  a  spiritual  church,  which  is  called  a  vine  from  the 
wine  thence  produced,  which  signifies  spiritual  good  or  the  good 
of  charity  from  which  comes  the  truth,  of  faith,  implanted  in 
the  intellectual  part.  Again,  in  the  same  prophet,  "Thy 
mother,  like  a  vine  in  thy  likeness,  planted  near  the  waters, 
bearing  fruit,  and  made  full  of  branches  by  many  waters ; 
whence  she  had  rods  of  strength  for  sceptres  of  those  who  bear 
rule  ;  and  she  elevated  herself  in  her  stature  above  among  the 
entwined  branches,  that  she  appeared  in  her  height  in  the  mul- 
titude of  shoots,"  xix.  10,  11 ;  speaking  also  of  Israel,  who  sig- 
nified the  spiritual  church,  which  is  compared  to  a  vine  for  a 
reason  like  that  above  mentioned.  In  this  passage  are  de- 
scribed the  derivations  thereof  even  to  the  last  in  the  natural 
man,  that  is,  to  the  scientifics  derived  from  things  sensual, 


5113.] 


GENESIS. 


515 


■which  are  the  entwined  branches,  n.  2831.  And  in  Hosea,  "  1 
M  ill  be  as  the  dew  unto  Israel :  his  brandies  shall  spread,  and 
his  honour  shall  be  as  of  an  olive,  and  his  smell  as  of  Lebanon. 
Those  who  dwell  in  his  shadow  shall  return;  they  shall  vivify 
the  corn,  and  shall  flourish  as  a  vine  :  his  memory  shall  be  as 
the  wine  of  lebanon.  Ephraim,  what  have  I  to  do  any  more 
■with  idols?"  xiv.  5  to  8;  Israel  denotes  the  spiritual  church, 
whose  flourishing  is  compared  to  a  vine,  and  its  memory  to  the 
wine  of  Lebanon,  from  the  good  of  faith  implanted  in  the  in- 
tellectual principle:  Ephraim  is  the  intellectual  of  the  spiritual 
church,  n.  3909.  And  in  Zechariah,  "The  remains  of  the 
people,  the  seed  of  peace :  the  vine  shall  give  her  fruit,  the 
earth  shall  give  provender,  and  the  heavens  shall  give  their 
dew,"  viii.  11,  12;  the  remains  of  the  people  denote  truths 
stored  up  by  the  Lord  in  the  interior  man,  n.  468,  530,  560, 
561,  660,  798,  1050,  1738,  1906,  22S4;  the  seed  of  peace  de- 
notes good  there ;  the  vine,  the  intellectual  principle.  And  in 
Malachi,  "I  will  rebuke  him  that  taketh  away  from  you,  that 
he  may  not  corrupt  for  you  the  fruit  of  the  earth ;  and  the  vine 
in  the  field  shall  not  be  barren  to  you"  iii.  11 :  a  vine  denotes 
the  intellectual  principle ;  the  vine  is  said  not  to  be  barren, 
when  the  intellectual  principle  is  not  deprived  of  the  truths  and 
goods  of  faith ;  but  on  the  other  hand  the  vine  is  said  to  be 
empty,  when  there  are  falses  therein  and  consequent  evils  ;  as  in 
Hosea,  "  Israel  is  an  empty  vine  ;  he  makes  fruit  like  unto  him- 
self," x.  1.  And  in  Moses,  "  He  shall  bind  unto  the  vine  his 
ass  colt,  and  unto  the  noble  vine  the  son  of  his  she-ass,  after  that 
he  hath  washed  his  garment  in  wine,  and  his  covering  in  the 
blood  of  grapes"  Gen.  xlix.  11  ;  the  prophecy  of  Jacob,  at  that 
time  Israel,  concerning  his  twelve  sons ;  in  this  passage  con- 
cerning Judah,  who  represented  the  Lord,  n.  3881 ;  a  vine  de- 
notes the  intellectual  principle  of  the  spiritual  church,  and  a 
noble  vine  denotes  the  intellectual  principle  of  the  celestial 
church.  And  in  David,  "  Jehovah,  thou  hast  made  a  vine  to 
come  out  of  Egypt  /  thou  hast  driven  out  the  nations,  and 
planted^/  thou  hast  purged  before  it,  and  madest  its  roots  to 
be  rooted,  so  that  it  filled  the  earth ;  the  mountains  were  cov- 
ered with  the  shadow  of  it,  and  the  cedars  of  God  with  its 
branches  ;  thou  hast  sent  forth  its  shoots  even  to  the  sea,  and  its 
little  branches  to  Euphrates  :  the  boar  out  of  the  wood  tramples 
it  down,  and  the  wild  beast  of  the  fields  devours  it"  Psalm 
lxxx.  8  to  11,  13:  in  the  supreme  sense  the  vine  out  of  Egypt 
denotes  the  Lord ;  the  glorification  of  his  human  is  described 
by  it  and  its  shoots:  in  the  internal  sense  the  vine  in  the  above 
passage  is  the  spiritual  church,  and  the  man  of  that  church, 
such  as  he  is  when  made  new  or  regenerated  by  the  Lord  as  to 
the  intellectual  and  will-principle  :  the  boar  in  the  wood  is  the 
false,  and  the  wild  beast  of  the  fields  is  the  evil,  which  destroy 
vol.  v.  35 


546 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


the  church  as  to  faith  in  the  Lord.  And  in  the  Apocalypse, 
"  The  angel  sent  his  sickle  into  the  earth,  and  vintaged  the  vine 
of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great  wine-press  of  the  anger 
of  God.  The  wine-press  was  trodden  without  the  city,  and 
blood  went  forth  from  the  wine-press  even  to  the  reins  of  the 
horses,"  xiv.  19,  20  :  to  vintage  the  vine  of  the  earth  denotes 
to  destroy  the  intellectual  principle  of  the  church  ;  aud  as  a' 
vine  signifies  that  intellectual  principle,  it  is  also  said  that  blood 
went  forth  from  the  wine-press  even  to  the  reins  of  the  horses, 
for  horses  signify  things  intellectual,  n.  2761,  2762,  3217.  And 
in  Isaiah,  "  It  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  every  place  shall 
be,  in  which  there  have  been  a  thousand  vines  for  a  thousand 
of  silver,  it  shall  be  for  a  place  of  briers  and  thorns,"  vii.  23. 
Again,  "  The  inhabitants  of  the  earth  shall  be  burnt  up,  and  a 
rare  man  shall  be  left:  the  new  wine  shall  mourn,  and  the  vine 
shall  faint"  xxiv.  6,  7.  Again,  "  They  beat  themselves  upon 
the  teats  on  account  of  the  fields  of  new  wine,  on  account  of 
the  fruitful  vine :  upon  the  land  of  my  people  cometh  up  the 
thorn  aud  the  brier,"  xxxii.  12,  13.  In  these  passages  the  sub- 
ject treated  of  is  the  vastation  of  the  spiritual  church  as  to  the 
good  and  truth  of  faith,  thus  as  to  the  intellectual  principle  ;  for, 
as  we  said  above,  the  truth  and  good  of  faith  is  in  the  intellect- 
ual part  of  the  man  of  that  church.  Every  one  may  see  that  a 
vine  in  that  passage  does  not  mean  a  vine,  nor  the  earth  the 
earth ;  but  that  they  mean  something  of  the  church  answering 
thereto.  As  in  the  genuine  sense  a  vine  signifies  the  good  of 
the  intellectual  principle,  and  a  fig-tree  the  good  of  the  natural, 
or  what,  is  the  same  thing,  a  vine  the  good  of  the  interior  man, 
and  a  fig-tree  the  good  of  the  exterior,  therefore  very  frequently 
in  the  Word,  where  mention  is  made  of  the  vine,  the  fig-tree  is 
also  mentioned ;  as  in  the  following  passages:  "Consuming  I 
will  consume  them ;  there  shall  not  be  grapes  on  the  vine,  or 
figs  on  the  fig-tree,  and  the  leaf  shall  fall  off,"  Jer.  viii.  13. 
Again,  "  I  will  bring  upon  you  a  nation  from  far,  O  house  of 
Israel,  which  shall  devour  your  vine  and  your  fig-tree"  v.  15, 
17.  And  in  Hosea,  "I  will  lay  waste  her  vine  and  her  fig- 
tree"  ii.  12.  And  in  Joel,  "  A  nation  is  come  up  upon  the 
earth.  lie  hath  reduced  my  vine  to  wasteness,  and  my  fig-tree 
to  foam  ;  baring  he  hath  made  it  bare,  and  hath  cast  it  forth : 
the  shoots  thereof  are  made  white.  The  vine  is  dried  up,  and 
the  fig-tree  languisheth,"  i.  6,  7,  12.  Again,  "  Fear  not,  ye 
beasts  of  my  fields  ;  because  the  habitations  of  the  wilderness 
are  become  herbose :  because  the  tree  hath  produced  its  fruit, 
and  the  fig-tree  and  the  vine  shall  give  their  strength,"  ii.  22. 
And  in  David,  "He  smote  their  vine  and  their  Jig-tree,  and 
brake  in  pieces  the  tree  of  their  border,"  Psalm  cv.  33.  And 
in  Ilabakkuk,  "  The  fig-tree  shall  not  flourish,  and  there  shall 
be  no  fruit  on  the  vines"  iii.  17.    And  in  Micah,  "Doctrine 


5113.] 


GENESIS. 


547 


shall  go  forth  out  of  Zion,  and  the  "Word  of  Jehovah  out  of  Je- 
rusalem. They  shall  sit  every  one  under  his  own  vine  and  un- 
der his  own  fig-tree,  and  none  shall  make  them  afraid,"  iv.  2, 
4.  And  ir  Zechariah,  "  In  that  day  ye  shall  cry,  a  man  to  his 
companion,  u?ider  the  vine  and  under  the  fig-tree"  iii.  10.  And 
in  the  first  book  of  the  Kings,  "  In  the  time  of  Solomon  there 
was  peace  from  all  the  passages  round  about ;  and  Judah  and 
Israel  dwelt  in  confidence,  every  one  under  his  own  vine  and 
under  his  own  fig-tree ,"  iv.  25.  A  fig-tree  denotes  the  good  of 
the  natural  or  exterior  man,  see  n.  217.  A  vine  denotes  the 
intellectual  principle  made  new  or  regenerated  by  good  from 
truth  and  by  truth  from  good,  as  is  manifest  from  the  Lord's 
words  to  the  disciples,  after  he  had  instituted  the  Holy  Supper, 
in  Matthew,  "  I  say  unto  you,  that  I  will  not  drink  henceforth 
of  this  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that  day  when  I  shall  drink  it  new 
with  you  in  my  Father's  kingdom,"  xxvi.  29.  Good  from  truth 
and  truth  from  good,  whereby  the  intellectual  principle  is  made 
new,  or  the  man  is  made  spiritual,  is  signified  by  the  fruit  of  the 
vine ;  the  appropriation  thereof  is  signified  by  drinking.  To 
drink  denotes  to  appropriate,  and  is  predicated  of  truth,  see  n. 
3168.  That  this  is  not  done  fully  but  in  the  other  life,  is  sig- 
nified by  "  until  that  day  when  I  shall  drink  it  new  with  you 
in  my  Father's  kingdom."  That  the  fruit  of  the  vine  does  not 
mean  must  or  wine,  but  somewhat  heavenly  of  the  Lord's  king- 
dom, is  very  manifest.  As  the  intellectual  principle  of  the 
spiritual  man  is  made  new  and  regenerated  by  truth,  which  is 
solely  from  the  Lord,  therefore  the  Lord  compares  himself  to  a 
vine,  and  those  who  are  implanted  in  the  truth  which  is  from 
him,  consequently  who  are  implanted  in  him,  he  compares  to 
the  branches,  and  the  good  which  is  thence  derived,  to  the  fruit, 
in  John,  "lam  the  true  Vine,  and  my  Father  is  the  Vine- 
dresser. Every  branch  in  me  that  beareth  not  fruit,  he  taketh 
away  ;  but  every  one  that  beareth  fruit  he  pruneth,  that  it  may 
bring  forth  more  fruit.  Abide  in  me  and  I  in  you.  As  the 
branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself,  except  it  abide  in  the  vine,  no 
more  can  ye,  except  ye  abide  in  me.  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the 
branches.  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same 
bringeth  forth  much  fruit ;  for  without  me  ye  cannot  do  any 
thing.  This  is  my  commandment,  That  ye  love  one  another, 
as  I  have  loved  you,"  xv.  1  to  5,  12.  As  a  vine  in  the  supreme 
sense  signifies  the  Lord  as  to  divine  truth,  and  hence  in  the  in- 
ternal sense  the  man  of  the  spiritual  church,  therefore  a  vine- 
yard signifies  the  spiritual  church  itself,  n.  1069,  3220.  As  the 
Nazarite  represented  the  celestial  man,  and  he  is  regenerated 
by  the  good  of  love,  but  not  by  the  truth  of  faith  like  the  spir- 
itual man,  consequently  he  is  regenerated  not  as  to  the  intellect- 
ual principle  but  as  to  the  will-principle,  as  may  be  seen  above  ; 
therefore  the  Nazarite  was  forbidden  to  eat  any  thing  which 


548 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


came  forth,  from  the  vine,  thus  to  drink  wine,  Numb.  vi.  3, 
4  ;  Judg.  xiii.  14 :  from  this  circumstance  also  it  is  evident, 
that  a  vine  signifies  the  intellectual  principle  of  the  spiritual 
man,  as  we  have  already  shown.  The  ISTazarite  represented  the 
celestial  man,  as  may  be  seen,  n.  3301 ;  hence  also  it  may  he 
seen,  that  it  cannot  at  all  be  known  why  the  jSTazarite  was  for- 
bidden every  thing  which  came  forth  from  the  vine,  with  many 
other  circumstances  concerning  him,  unless  it  be  known  what 
the  vine  signifies  in  a  proper  sense,  also  unless  it  he  known 
that  there  are  a  celestial  church  and  a  spiritual  church,  and 
that  the  man  of  the  celestial  church  is  regenerated  in  one  man- 
ner, and  the  man  of  the  spiritual  church  in  another  ;  the  former 
by  seed  implanted  in  the  will-part,  the  latter  by  seed  im- 
planted in  the  intellectual  part.  Such  arcana  are  stored  up  in 
the  internal  sense  of  the  "Word. 

5114.  "And  in  the  vine  were  three  shoots." — This  signifies 
the  derivations  thence  even  to  the  last,  as  appeal's  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  "  a  vine,"  as  denoting  the  intellectual  principle, 
spoken  of  just  above,  n.  5113  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  "  three,"  as  denoting  what  is  complete  and  continuous  even 
to  the  end,  see  n.  2788,  4495  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification 
of  "shoots,"  as  denoting  derivations;  for  when  a  vine  denotes 
the  intellectual  principle,  the  shoots  are  derivations  thence  ;  and 
as  three  signify  what  is  continuous  even  to  the  end,  or  from  the 
first  even  to  the  last,  three  shoots  signify  the  derivations  from 
the  intellectual  principle  even  to  the  last,  which  is  the  sensual ; 
for  the  first  in  order  is  the  intellectual,  and  the  last  is  the  sen- 
sual. The  intellectual  in  general  is  the  visuality  of  the  internal 
man,  which  sees  from  the  light  of  heaven,  which  is  from  the 
Lord,  and  all  that  it  sees  is  spiritual  and  celestial ;  but  the  sen- 
sual principle  in  general  is  of  the  external  man,  in  the  present 
case  the  sensual  of  the  sight,  because  this  corresponds  with  and 
is  subordinate  to  the  intellectual ;  this  sensual  sees  from  the 
light  of  the  world  which  is  from  the  sun,  and  all  that  it  sees  is 
worldly,  corporeal,  and  terrestrial.  In  every  man  there  are 
derivations  from  the  intellectual,  which  is  in  the  light  of  heaven, 
to  the  sensual,  Avhich  is  in  the  light  of  the  world  ;  unless  this 
were  the  case,  the  sensual  could  not  have  any  human  life.  A 
man's  sensual  has  not  life  in  consequence  of  seeing  from  the 
light  of  the  world,  for  the  light  of  the  world  has  no  life  in  it ; 
but  in  consequence  of  seeing  from  the  light  of  heaven,  for  this 
has  life  in  it :  when  this  light  falls  with  man  into  those  things 
which  are  from  the  light  of  the  world,  it  vivifies  them,  and 
causes  him  to  see  objects  intellectually,  thus  as  a  man.  Hence 
a  man,  from  the  scientifics  which  originated  from  the  things 
which  he  had  seen  and  heard  in  the  world,  consequently  from 
those  which  had  entered  by  things  sensual,  has  intelligence  and 
wisdom,  and  from  the  latter  he  has  civil,  moral,  and  spiritual 


5114.] 


GENESIS. 


549 


life.  Derivations,  specifically,  are  of  such  a  sort  with  man, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  explain  them  in  a  few  words :  they  are 
steps  as  of  a  ladder  between  the  intellectual  principle  and  the 
sensual ;  but  no  one  can  comprehend  those  steps,  unless  he 
knows  how  they  are  circumstanced,  viz.,  that  among  themselves 
they  are  most  distinct,  so  much  so,  that  the  interior  can  exist 
and  subsist  without  the  exterior,  but  not  the  exterior  without 
the  interior ;  as  for  example,  a  man's  spirit  can  subsist  without 
the  material  body,  and  also  actually  does  subsist  when  by  death 
it  is  separated  from  the  body ;  a  man's  spirit  is  in  the  interior 
degree,  and  the  body  in  the  exterior:  the  case  is  similar  with  a 
man's  spirit  after  death  ;  if  he  is  among  the  blessed,  he  is  in 
the  last  degree  among  them  when  in  the  first  heaven,  in  an  in- 
terior degree  when  in  the  second,  and  in  the  inmost  when  in 
the  third  ;  and  when  he  is  in  this,  he  is  then  at  the  same  time 
in  the  rest,  but  these  are  quiescent  with  him,  almost  as  the  cor- 
poreal principle  is  quiescent  with  a  man  in  sleep,  but  with  this 
difference,  that  the  interiors  with  the  angels  are  in  such  case  in 
the  highest  wakefulness :  therefore  a  man  has  as  many  distinct 
degrees  as  there  are  heavens,  besides  the  last,  which  is  the 
body  with  its  sensuals.  From  these  considerations  it  may  in 
some  measure  appear  manifest  how  the  case  is  with  derivations 
from  first  to  last,  or  from  the  intellectual  to  the  sensual.  The 
life  of  man,  which  is  from  the  Divine  of  the  Lord,  passes 
through  these  degrees  from  the  inmost  to  the  last,  and  is  every 
where  derived,  and  becomes  more  and  more  common  or  general, 
and  in  the  last  most  common.  The  derivations  in  the  inferior 
degrees  are  only  compositions,  or  more  properly  confirmations 
of  the  singulars  and  particulars  of  the  superior  degrees  succes- 
sively, with  an  addition  of  such  things  from  purer  nature,  and 
afterwards  from  grosser,  as  may  serve  for  containing  vessels ; 
which  vessels  being  dissolved,  the  singulars  and  particulars  of 
the  interior  degrees,  which  were  formed  together  therein,  re- 
turn to  the  next  superior  degree.  And  as  with  man  there  is  a 
connection  with  the  Divine,  and  his  inmost  principle  is  such 
that  he  can  receive  the  Divine,  and  not  only  receive  it,  but 
also  appropriate  it  to  himself  hj  acknowledgment  and  affec- 
tion, thus  by  reciprocation  ;  therefore  a  man,  since  he  is  thus 
implanted  in  the  Divine,  can  never  die ;  for  he  is  in  what  is 
eternal  and  infinite,  not  only  by  influx  thence,  but  also  by  re- 
ception. Hence  it  may  be  seen,  how  unlearnedly  and  frivo- 
lously those  think  concerning  man,  who  compare  him  to  the 
brute  aninals,  and  believe  that  he  will  not  live  after  death  any 
more  than  they,  not  considering  that  with  the  brute  animals 
there  is  no  reception,  and  no  reciprocal  appropriation  of,  and 
consequent  conjunction  with,  the  Divine,  by  any  acknowledg- 
ment and  affection  ;  and  not  considering  that,  since  their  state 
is  such,  the  recipient  forms  of  their  life  must  necessarily  be  dis- 


550 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


sipated ;  for  with  them  the  influx  passes  through  their  organical 
forms  even  into  the  world,  and  there  terminates  and  vanishes, 
and  never  returns. 

5115.  "  And  it  as  it  were  budded." — This  signifies  the  influx 
which  produces  the  re-birth,  as  appears  from  the  signification 
of  "  to  bud,"  or  to  produce  leaves  and  afterwards  flowers,  as 
denoting  the  first  state  of  the  re-birth.  The  reason  why  it 
denotes  influx  is,  because  when  a  man  is  in  the  act  of  being 
re-born,  spiritual  life  flows-in  into  him,  like  life  by  heat  from  the 
sun  into  a  tree,  when  it  is  in  the  act  of  budding.  He  that  is 
born  a  man,  in  the  Word  throughout,  is  compared  to  the  sub- 
jects of  the  vegetable  kingdom,  especially  to  trees,  because 
the  whole  vegetable  kingdom,  and  also  the  animal  kingdom, 
represents  such  things  as  appertain  to  man,  consequently  such 
as  are  in  the  Lord's  kingdom  ;  for  a  man  is  a  heaven  in  the 
least  form,  as  may  appear  evident  from  what  has  been  shown 
at  the  close  of  the  chapters  concerning  the  correspondence  of 
man  with  the  Grand  Man,  or  heaven :  hence  also  the  ancients 
called  man  a  microcosm,  or  little  world  ;  they  might  have 
called  him  likewise  a  little  heaven,  if  they  had  been  better 
acquainted  with  the  state  of  heaven.  That  universal  nature  is 
a  theatre  representative  of  the  Lord's  kingdom,  may  be  seen,  n. 
2758,  3183,  1939.  The  man  who  is  born  anew,  that  is,  who  is 
regenerated  by  the  Lord,  is  especially  called  a  heaven ;  for  in 
this  case  he  is  implanted  in  good  and  truth  divine  which  is  from 
the  Lord,  consequently  he  is  implanted  in  heaven  ;  for  the  man 
who  is  re-born,  in  like  manner  as  a  tree,  begins  from  seed : 
therefore  in  the  Word  seed  signifies  the  truth  which  is  from 
good :  also  in  like  manner  as  a  tree,  he  first  produces  leaves, 
next  flowers,  and  finally  fruit :  for  he  first  produces  such  things 
as  are  of  intelligence,  which  also  in  the  Word  are  signified  by 
leaves,  next  such  things  as  are  of  wisdom,  which  are  signified 
by  flowers,  and  finally  such  things  as  are  of  life — the  goods  of 
love  and  charity  in  act,  which  in  the  Word  are  signified  by 
fruits.  Such  is  the  representative  similitude  between  the  fruit- 
bearing  tree  and  the  man  who  is  regenerated,  that  from  a  tree 
we  may  learn  how  the  case  is  with  regeneration,  if  we  previ- 
ously know  any  thing  concerning  spiritual  good  and  truth. 
Hence  it  may  appear  manifest,  how  in  this  dream  by  the  vine 
is  representatively  described  the  full  process  of  the  re-birth  of 
man  as  to  the  sensual  principle  subject  to  the  intellectual ;  first 
by  the  three  shoots,  then  by  the  budding,  next  by  the  flower, 
afterwards  by  the  ripening  of  the  clusters  into  grapes,  and 
finally  by  his  squeezing  them  into  Pharaoh's  cup,  and  giving  it 
to  him.  The  dreams  also,  which  flow-io  through  heaven  from  the 
Lord,  never  appear  otherwise  than  according  to  representatives. 
He  therefore  who  does  not  know  what  this  thing  or  that  in 
nature  represents,  and  especially  who  is  altogether  ignorant 


5115,  5116.] 


GENESIS. 


551 


that  any  thing  is  representative,  cannot  believe  but  that  they 
are  only  comparisons,  such  as  every  one  uses  in  common  dis- 
course. They  are  also  comparisons,  but  such  as  are  correspond- 
ent, and  which  are  thence  actually  presented  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  when  the  angels,  who  are  in  the  interior  heaven,  are  in 
conversation  respecting  the  spiritual  and  celestial  tilings  of  the 
Lord's  kingdom  ;  concerning  dreams,  see  n.  1122,  1975  to  1981. 

5116.  "And  the  flower  thereof  ascended." — This  signifies 
the  state  near  regeneration,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"  the  flower1'  which  buds  forth  from  the  tree  before  the  fruit, 
as  denoting  the  state  before  regeneration.  The  budding  and 
fructification  of  a  tree  represent,  as  was  said  just  above,  n. 
5115,  the  re-birth  of  man ;  the  growing  green  from  the  leaves 
represents  the  first  state,  the  blossoming  the  second,  or  the  next 
before  regeneration,  and  the  fructification  the  third,  which  is  the 
state  itself  of  the  regenerate :  hence  it  is  that  leaves  signify  the 
things  of  intelligence,  or  the  truths  of  faith,  n.  885 ;  for  these 
are  the  first  things  of  the  re-birth  or  regeneration  ;  but  the 
flowers  are  the  things  of  wisdom,  or  the  goods  of  faith,  because 
these  next  precede  the  re-birth  or  regeneration,  and  the  fruits 
the  things  of  life,  or  the  works  of  charity,  as  these  are  subse- 
quent and  constitute  the  state  itself  of  the  regenerate.  Such 
things  exist  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  from  the  influx  of  the 
spiritual  world  :  this  however  cannot  at  all  be  believed  by  those 
who  attribute  all  things  to  nature,  and  nothing  to  the  Divine  ; 
whereas  those  who  attribute  all  things  to  the  Divine,  and  no- 
thing to  nature,  are  permitted  to  see,  not  only  that  even  the 
minutest  things  are  from  that  source,  but  also  that  they  are  cor- 
respondent, and  in  consequence  of  corresponding  that  they  are 
representative ;  and  finally  they  are  permitted  to  see,  that  uni- 
versal nature  is  a  theatre  representative  of  the  Lord's  kingdom  ; 
thus  that  the  Divine  is  in  the  minutest  things  thereof,  insomuch 
that  it  is  also  a  representation  of  the  eternal  and  the  infinite, — 
of  the  eternal  from  propagation  to  eternity  ;  of  the  infinite  from 
a  multiplication  of  seeds  to  infinity.  Such  tendencies  (conatus) 
could  never  have  existed  in  the  minutest  things  in  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  unless  the  Divine  continually  flowed-in ;  for  from 
influx  comes  conatus,  from  conatus  energy,  and  from  energy 
effect.  Those  who  attribute  all  things  to  nature  say,  that  such 
things  were  implanted  in  fruits  and  seeds  in  the  first  creation, 
and  in  consequence  of  the  energy  thence  received  they  are 
afterwards  carried  of  themselves  to  such  operations ;  but  they 
do  not  consider,  that  subsistence  is  perpetual  existence,  or  what 
is  similar,  that  propagation  is  perpetual  creation  ;  neither  do 
they  consider  that  the  effect  is  the  continuation  of  the  cause, 
and  that  when  the  cause  ceases  the  effect  also  ceases,  and  hence 
that  every  effect,  without  a  continual  influx  of  the  cause,  in- 
stantly perishes ;  they  also  do  not  consider,  that  what  is  uncon* 


552 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xL 


nected  with  the  first  of  all,  consequently  with  the  Divine,  in 
an  instant  falls  into  nothing- ;  for  what  is  prior  must  be  in  what 
re  posterior,  in  order  that  what  is  posterior  may  have  any  being. 
If  those  who  attribute  all  things  to  nature,  and  little  or  nothing 
to  the  Divine,  considered  these  things,  they  might  be  enabled 
also  to  acknowledge,  that  all,  even  the  minutest  things  in  nature 
represent  such  things  as  are  in  the  spiritual  world,  consequently 
such  as  are  in  the  Lord's  kingdom,  where  the  Divine  of  the 
Lord  is  proximately  represented ;  hence  we  said,  there  is  an 
influx  from  the  spiritual  world,  but  we  thereby  mean  that  the 
influx  is  through  the  spiritual  woVld  from  the  Divine  of  the 
Lord.  The  reason  why  natural  men  do  not  consider  such  things 
is,  because  they  are  unwilling  to  acknowledge  them ;  for  they 
are  immersed  in  terrestrial  and  corporeal  things,  and  hence  are 
in  the  life  of  self-love  and  the  love  of  the  world,  consequently 
they  are  in  an  inverted  order  in  respect  to  the  things  of  the 
spiritual  world  or  heaven ;  and  it  is  impossible  to  see  such  things 
from  an  inverted  state  ;  for  they  see  the  things  which  are  below 
as  things  above,  and  the  things  which  are  above  as  things  below ; 
therefore  all  such  in  the  other  life,  when  they  are  seen  in  the 
light  of  heaven,  appear  with  their  head  downwards  and  their 
feet  upwards.  Does  any  of  them,  when  he  sees  the  trees  and 
other  plants  in  blossom,  consider  that  it  is  as  it  were  the  mani- 
festation of  their  gladness,  in  consequence  of  their  producing 
fruits  or  seeds  ?  they  see  that  flowers  precede,  and  are  continued 
even  till  they  have  the  beginning  of  fruit  or  seed  in  their  bosom, 
and  so  convey  their  juice  thereinto.  If  they  knew  any  thing 
concerning  the  re-birth  or  regeneration  of  man,  or  rather  it 
they  were  willing  to  know  it,  they  would  also,  from  the  simili- 
tude, see  in  those  flowers  a  representative  of  the  state  of  man 
before  regeneration,  viz.,  that  at  that  time  he  in  like  manner 
blossoms  from  the  good  of  intelligence  and  wisdom,  that  is,  is 
in  interior  gladness  and  beauty,  because  he  is  then  in  the  en- 
deavour to  implant  the  goods  of  intelligence  and  wisdom  into 
the  life,  that  is,  to  produce  fruits  :  that  it  is  such  a  state,  cannot 
be  known  by  them,  because  the  nature  of  the  interior  gladness 
and  beauty,  which  are  represented,  is  not  at  all  known  by  those 
who  are  only  in  the  gladnesses  of  the  love  of  the  world  and  in 
the  delights  of  self-love  :  those  gladnesses  and  delights  cause 
the  above  things  to  appear  joyless  and  undelightful,  insomuch 
that  they  hold  them  in  aversion ;  and  when  they  hold  them  in 
aversion,  they  also  reject  them  as  somewhat  offensive,  or  of  no 
value,  consequently  they  deny  them,  and  at  the  same  time  deny 
that  there  is  any  thing  spiritual  and  celestial:  hence  arises  the 
insanity  of  the  present  age,  which  is  believed  to  be  wisdom. 

5117.  "  And  the  clusters  thereof  ripened  into  grapes." — This 
signifies  the  conjunction  of  spiritual  truth  with  celestial  good, 
as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  to  ripen,"  as  denoting 


5117.] 


GENESIS. 


553 


the  progress  of  the  re-birth  or  regeneration  even  to  the  con- 
junction of  truth  with  good,  thus  as  denoting  conjunction  ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  clusters,"  as  denoting  the  truth 
of  spiritual  good,  and  (3.)  of  "  grapes,"  as  denoting  the  good  of 
celestial  truth,  in  the  present  case  each  in  the  sensual  which  is 
represented  by  the  butler.  The  conjunction  thereof  in  the  sen- 
sual is  similar  in  its  circumstances  to  the  ripening  of  clusters 
into  grapes ;  for  in  the  re-birth  or  regeneration  all  truth  tends 
to  conjunction  with  good,  not  receiving  life  before  such  con- 
junction, consequently  not  being  fructified.  This  is  represented 
in  the  fruits  of  trees  when  the}'  ripen  :  in  unripe  fruits,  which 
are  here  the  clusters,  is  represented  the  state  when  truth  still 
predominates  ;  but  in  the  ripe  fruits,  which  are  here  the  grapes, 
the  state  when  good  has  the  predominance  :  the  predominance 
of  good  is  also  represented  in  the  flavour  and  sweetness  which 
are  perceived  in  ripe  grapes.  But  concerning  the  conjunction 
of  truth  with  good  in  the  sensual  subject  to  the  intellectual  part, 
further  particulars  cannot  be  given,  they  being  of  too  mysteri- 
ous a  nature  to  be  comprehended ;  therefore  it  is  needful  that 
they  be  preceded  by  knowledges  concerning  the  state  of  the 
celestial  spiritual,  and  concerning  this  sensual,  also  concerning 
the  state  of  the  natural  in  which  that  conjunction  exists.  Grapes 
signify  the  good  of  the  spiritual  man,  thus  charity,  as  may  ap- 
pear manifest  from  several  passages  in  the  Word,  as  in  Isaiah, 
My  beloved  had  a  vineyard  in  the  horn  of  a  son  of  oil.  He 
expected  that  it  would  bring  forth  grapes,  but  it  brought  forth 
wild  grapes,"  v.  1,  2,  4,  where  a  vineyard  denotes  the  spiritual 
church ;  he  expected  that  it  would  bring  forth  grapes,  denotes 
the  goods  of  charity ;  but  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes,  denotes 
the  evils  of  hatred  and  revenge.  Again,  "  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 
As  the  new  wine  is  found  in  the  cluster,  and  he  saith,  Spoil  it 
not,  because  a  blessing  is  in  it,"  lxv.  8 :  the  new  wine  in  the 
cluster  denotes  truth  from  good  in  the  natural  principle.  And 
in  Jeremiah,  "  Gathering,  I  will  gather  them,  saith  Jehovah ; 
there  are  no  grapes  on  the  vine,  and  no  figs  on  the  fig-tree,"  viii. 
13.  jSTo  grapes  on  the  vine,  denotes  that  there  was  no  interior 
or  rational  good  ;  no  figs  on  the  fig-tree,  denotes  that  there  was 
no  exterior  or  natural  good  ;  for  a  vine  is  the  intellectual  prin- 
ciple, as  was  shown  just  above,  n.  5113,  and  when  the  conjunc- 
tion of  truth  and  good  is  therein,  a  vine  is  the  rational,  for 
hence  is  the  rational  principle :  that  a  fig  denotes  the  good  of 
the  natural  or  exterior  man,  see  n.  217.  And  in  Hosea,  "  I 
have  found  Israel  like  grapes  in  the  wilderness ;  I  have  found 
your  fathers  like  the  first  in  the  fig  in  its  beginning,"  ix.  10. 
Grapes  in  the  wilderness  denote  rational  good  not  yet  made 
spiritual ;  the  first  in  the  fig  denotes  natural  good  in  like  man- 
ner :  Israel  denotes  the  ancient  spiritual  church  in  its  begin- 
ning :  fathers  in  this  and  other  passages  are  not  the  sons  of 


554 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xi. 


Jacob,  but  those  with  whom  the  ancient  church  was  first  estab- 
lished anew.  And  in  Micah,  "  There  is  no  cluster  to  eat ;  my 
soul  desired  the  first.  The  holy  one  hath  perished  from  the 
earth,  and  there  is  not  an  upright  one  among  men,"  vii.  1,  2. 
The  cluster  to  eat  denotes  the  good  of  charity  in  its  beginning ; 
the  first  [cluster]  denotes  the  truth  of  faith  also  at  that  time. 
And  in  Amos,  "  Behold  the  days  come,  that  the  plowman  shall 
reach  to  the  reaper,  and  the  treader  of  the  grapes  him  that 
draweth  forth  the  seed  :  the  mountains  shall  drop  new  wine, 
and  the  hills  shall  melt :  and  I  will  bring  back  the  captivity  of 
my  people,  that  they  may  build  the  waste  cities,  and  may  sit 
and  plant  vinexjards,  and  drink  the  wine  thereof,  and  may 
make  clusters,  and  eat  the  fruit  thereof,"  ix.  13,  14.  The  sub- 
ject here  treated  of  is  the  establishment  of  a  spiritual  church, 
which  is  thus  described;  the  conjunction  of  spiritual  good  with 
its  truth,  by  the  plowman  reaching  to  the  reaper,  and  the  con- 
junction of  spiritual  truth  with  its  good,  by  the  treader  of  the 
grapes  reaching  to  him  that  draweth  forth  the  seed  :  the  goods 
of  love  and  charity  thence  derived  are  signified  by  "  the  moun- 
tains shall  drop  new  wine  and  the  hills  shall  melt ;"  to  bring 
back  the  captivity  of  the  people  denotes  to  deliver  from  falses ; 
to  build  the  waste  cities  denotes  to  rectify  the  falsified  doctrines 
of  truth ;  to  sit  and  plant  vineyards  denotes  to  cultivate  the 
things  of  the  spiritual  church  ;  to  drink  the  wine  thereof  denotes 
to  appropriate  the  truths  of  that  church  which  are  the  truths  of 
charity ;  and  to  make  clusters  and  eat  the  fruit  thereof  denotes 
to  appropriate  the  goods  thence  derived.  Every  one  may  see, 
that  to  build  cities,  to  plant  vineyards,  to  drink  wine,  to  make 
clusters  and  eat  the  fruit  thereof,  are  merely  natural  things ; 
and  that  unless  they  contained  a  spiritual  sense,  there  would 
be  nothing  divine  therein.  So  in  Moses,  "  lie  hath  washed 
his  garment  in  wine,  and  his  covering  in  the  blood  of  grapes" 
Genesis  xlix.  11;  speaking  of  the  Lord:  here  wine  denotes 
spiritual  good  from  the  divine  love,  and  the  blood  of  grapes 
denotes  celestial  good  thence  derived.  Again,  "  Butter  of  the 
herd,  and  milk  of  the  flock,  with  the  fat  of  lambs  and  of  the 
rams  of  the  sons  of  Bashan,  and  of  goats  with  the  fat  of  the 
kidneys  of  wheat ;  and  thou  drinkest  the  blood  of  the  grape,  new 
wine,"  Dent,  xxxii.  14  ;  speaking  of  the  ancient  church,  whereof 
the  goods  of  love  and  charity  are  thus  described.  Each  ex- 
pression signifies  some  specific  good ;  the  blood  of  the  grape 
signifies  spiritual  celestial  good,  which  is  the  name  given  to  the 
Divine  in  heaven  proceeding  from  the  Lord:  wine  is  called  the 
blood  of  grapes,  since  each  signifies  holy  truth  proceeding  from 
the  Lord;  wine  however  is  predicated  of  the  spiritual,  and 
blood  of  the  celestial ;  and  this  being  the  case,  wine  was  en- 
joined in  the  Holy  Supper.  Again,  "  Their  vine  is  of  the  vine 
of  Sodom,  and  of  the  fields  of  Gomorrah ;  the  grapes  thereof  are 


5118.] 


GENESIS. 


555 


grapes  of  gall,  their  clusters  are  litter?'1  Deut.  xxxii.  32 ;  speaking 
of  the  Jewish  church:  their  vine  being  of  the  vine  of  Sodom 
and  of  the  fields  of  Gomorrah,  denotes  that  the  intellectual  part 
was  obsessed  by  falses  derived  from  infernal  love  ;  their  grapes 
being  grapes  of  gall,  aud  their  clusters  bitter  to  them,  denotes 
that  the  case  was  similar  with  the  will-principle  therein :  for  a 
grape,  since  in  a  good  sense  it  signifies  charity,  is  predicated  of 
the  will,  but  of  the  will-principle  in  the  intellectual  part,  so 
also  in  the  opposite  sense ;  for  all  truth  is  of  the  understanding, 
and  all  good  of  the  will.  And  in  the  Apocalypse,  "  The  angel 
said,  Send  a  sharp  sickle,  and  vintage  the  clusters  of  the  earth  j 
for  the  grapes  thereof  are  ripe"  sir.  18  ;  to  vintage  the  clusters 
of  the  earth  denotes  to  destroy  all  things  of  charity.  And  in 
Matthew,  "  Ye  shall  know  them  by  their  fruits  ;  do  they  gather 
grapes  from  thorms,  and  figs  from  thistles  ?"  vii.  16.  And  in 
Luke,  "Every  tree  is  known  by  its  own  fruit;  for  they  do  not 
gather  figs  from  thorns,  neither  from  a  bramble  do  they  vintage 
the  grape"  vi.  44.  As  the  subject  treated  of  in  these  passages 
is  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  therefore  it  is  said  that  they 
should  be  known  by  their  fruits,  which  are  the  goods  of  charity  : 
the  internal  goods  of  charity  are  grapes,  and  the  external  are 
figs.  The  law  was  enacted  in  the  Jewish  church,  "  When  thou 
coinest  into  the  vineyard  of  thy  companion,  thou  shalt  eat 
grapes  according  to  thy  soul,  to  thy  satisfying ;  but  thou  shalt 
not  put  any  into  thy  vessel,"  Deut.  xxiii.  24.  This  involves 
that  every  one  associating  with  others,  who  are  of  a  different 
doctrine  and  religion,  may  learn  and  accept  their  goods  of 
charity,  but  not  imbibe  them  and  conjoin  them  to  his  own 
truths.  A  vineyard,  as  it  denotes  the  church,  denotes  where 
there  is  doctrine  or  religion :  grapes  are  the  goods  of  charity ; 
a  vessel  is  the  truth  of  the  church. 

5118.  "  And  Pharaoh's  cup  was  in  my  hand." — This  signi- 
fies the  influx  of  the  interior  natural  into  the  exterior,  and  the 
beginning  of  reception,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation 
of  "  Pharaoh,"  as  denoting  the  interior  natural,  see  above,  n. 
5080,  5095 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  "  the  butler," 
as  denoting  the  exterior  natural,  see  n.  5077,  5082:  "in  my 
hand,"  denotes  appertaining  to  him;  and  (3.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  "  a  cup,"  as  denoting  that  which  contains,  and  also  at  the 
same  time  that  which  is  contained,  see  the  following,  n.  5120. 
Hence,  and  from  the  series  of  things  in  the  internal  sense, 
"  Pharaoh's  cup  was  in  my  hand "  signifies  the  influx  of  the 
interior  natural  into  the  exterior,  and  the  beginning  of  recep- 
tion in  the  latter.  It  has  been  shown  above,  that  the  interior 
natural  is  that  which  communicates  with  the  rational,  and  into 
which  the  rational  flows,  and  the  exterior  natural  is  that  which 
communicates  with  sensual  things,  or  by  them  with  the  world, 
thus  into  which  the  world  flows.    There  is  a  continual  influx 


556 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


from  the  Lord  through  the  rational  into  the  interior  natuial, 
and  through  this  into  the  exterior;  but  the  things  which  flow-in 
are  changed  and  turned  according  to  the  reception  ;  with  the 
unregenerate,  goods  are  there  turned  into  evils,  and  truths  into 
falses ;  but  with  the  regenerate,  goods  and  truths  are  there  pre- 
sented as  in  a  mirror ;  for  the  natural  is  like  a  face  represent- 
ative of  the  spiritual  things  of  the  internal  man,  and  that  face 
becomes  representative,  when  the  exteriors  correspond  to  the 
interiors :  hence  it  may  iii  some  sort  appear  what  is  meant  by 
the  influx  of  the  interior  natural  into  the  exterior,  and  the  be- 
ginning of  reception  therein. 

5119.  "  And  I  took  the  grapes  and  squeezed  them  into 
Pharaoh's  cup." — This  signifies  the  reciprocal  influx  into  the 
goods  from  a  spiritual  origin  there,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  "grapes,"  as  denoting  the  goods  of  charity, 
see  just  above,  n.  5117,  thus  goods  from  a  spiritual  origin, 
for  all  the  goods  of  genuine  charity  are  from  that  origin ;  and 
(2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  squeezing  them  into  Pharaoh's 
cup,"  as  denoting  reciprocal  influx.  By  reciprocal  influx  we  do 
not  mean,  that  the  exterior  natural  principle  flows  into  the  in- 
terior, because  this  is  impossible ;  for  exteriors  cannot  flow  into 
interiors,  or  what  is  the  same  thing,  inferior  or  posterior  things 
into  superior  and  prior ;  but  the  rational  calls  forth  the  things 
which  are  in  the  interior  natural,  and  by  this  the  things  which 
are  in  the  exterior;  not  that  the  very  things  themselves  which 
are  therein  are  called  forth,  but  the  things  which  are  thence  con- 
cluded or  as  it  were  extracted  ;  such  is  the  nature  of  reciprocal 
influx.  It  appears  as  if  the  things  which  are  in  the  world  flow- 
in  through  sensual  things  towards  the  interiors  ;  but  this  is  a 
fallacy  of  the  senses ;  there  is  an  influx  of  interiors  into  exte- 
riors:, and  apperception  by  that  influx.  On  these  subjects  I 
have  occasionally  conversed  with  spirits;  and  it  was  shown  me 
by  living  experience,  that  the  interior  man  sees  and  apperceives 
in  the -exterior  what  is  doing  out  of  the  latter,  and  that  the  sen- 
sual principle  has  life  only  from  this  source,  or  that  the  faculty 
of  being  sensible,  or  sensation,  is  only  from  this  source.  The 
above-mentioned  fallacy  however  is  such  and  so  great,  that  it 
cannot  at  all  be  dissipated  by  the  natural  man,  and  not  even  by 
the  rational,  unless  he  be  able  to  think  abstractedly  from  the 
sensual  principle.  These  observations  are  made  in  order  to 
show  what  is  meant  by  reciprocal  influx. 

5120.  "And  I  gave  the  cup  into  the  palm  of  Pharaoh's 
hand." — This  signifies  appropriation  by  the  interior  natural,  as 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "to  give  the  cup,"  thus 
wine  to  drink,  as  denoting  .to  appropriate ;  that  drinking  de- 
notes the  appropriation  of  truth,  see  n.  3168  ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  "  Pharaoh,"  as  lenoting  the  interior  natural, 
see  n.  5080,  5095,  5118.   The  subject  here  treated  of,  as  is 


5119,  5120.] 


GENESIS. 


557 


manifest  from  what  precedes,  is  the  regeneration  of  the  sensnal 
Bubject  to  the  intellectual  part  of  the  interior  man,  which  is 
signified  by  the  butler,  consequently  the  influx  of  truth  and 
good,  and  its  reception  in  the  exterior  natural ;  but  as  these 
tilings  are  far  removed  from  the  apprehension  of  those  who 
have  not  any  distinct  idea  of  the  rational  and  the  natural,  there- 
fore a  further  explanation  is  omitted.  Moreover,  in  the  Word 
frequent  mention  is  made  of  a  cup,  and  thereby  is  signified  in 
the  genuine  sense,  spiritual  truth,  that  is,  the  truth  of  faith 
which  is  from  the  good  of  charity,  the  same  as  by  wine ;  and 
in  the  opposite  sense  the  false  which  gives  birth  to  evil,  and 
also  the  false  derived  from  evil.  The  reason  why  a  cup  signifies 
the  same  as  wine  is,  because  a  cup  is  what  contains,  and  wine 
is  what  is  contained,  and  hence. they  constitute  a  one,  and  thus 
the  one  is  meant  by  the  other :  that  a  cup  has  this  signification 
in  the  Word,  is  manifest  from  the  following  passages :  "  Jehovah, 
thou  wilt  set  in  order  before  me  a  table  in  the  presence  of  my 
foes,  and  wilt  make  my  head  fat  with  oil ;  my  cup  will  abound,'''' 
Psalm  xxiii.  5.  To  set  in  order  a  table  and  to  make  the  head 
fat  with  oil,  denote  to  be  gifted  with  the  good  of  charity  and 
love ;  my  cup  will  abound,  denotes  that  the  natural  principle 
will  be  thence  filled  with  truth  and  good.  Again,  "  What  shall 
I  render  to  Jehovah?  I  will  take  the  cup  of  salvation,  and  will 
call  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah,"  Psalm  cxvi.  12,  13 :  to  re- 
ceive the  cup  of  salvation  denotes  the  appropriation  of  the 
goods  of  faith.  And  in  Mark,  "  Whosoever  shall  give  you  to 
drink  a  cup  of  water  in  my  name,  because  ye  belong  to  Christ, 
verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  shall  not  lose  his  reward,  ix.  41 :  to 
give  a  cup  of  water  to  drink  in  my  name,  denotes  to  instruct 
in  the  truths  of  faith  from  a  scanty  charity.  And  in  Matthew, 
"  Presently  taking  the  cup,  and  giving  thanks,  he  gave  it  to 
them,  saying,  Drink  ye  all  of  this ;  for  this  is  my  blood,  that 
of  the  New  Testament,"  xxvi.  27,  28  ;  Mark.  xiv.  23,  24  ;  Luke 
xxii.  20  :  it  is  said  the  cup,  and  not  the  wine,  because  wine  ife 
predicated  of  the  spiritual  church,  and  blood  of  the  celestial 
church,  although  each  signifies  the  holy  truth  proceeding  from 
the  Lord :  in  the  spiritual  church  it  is  the  holy  principle  of 
faith  grounded  in  charity  towards  the  neighbour,  whereas  in 
the  celestial  church  it  is  the  holy  principle  of  charity  grounded 
in  love  to  the  Lord.  The  spiritual  church  is  distinguished  from 
the  celestial  in  this,  that  the  former  is  principled  in  charity 
towards  the  neighbour,  and  the  latter  in  love  to  the  Lord ;  and 
the  Holy  Supper  was  instituted  that  it  might  represent  and 
signify  the  Lord's  love  towards  the  whole  human  race,  and  the 
reciprocal  love  of  man  towards  him.  Since  a  cup  signifies 
that  which  contained,  and  wine  that  which  was  contained,  con- 
sequently a  cup  signifies  man's  external  principle,  and  wine  his 
internal,  therefore  the  Lord  said,  "  Wo  unto  you  scribes  and 


558 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xl 


Pharisees,  hypocrites  ;  because  ye  cleanse  the  outside  of  the  cup 
and  platter,  but  the  inside  is  full  of  rapine  and  intemperance. 
Thou  blind  Pharisee,  cleanse  first  the  inside  of  the  cup  and 
platter,  and  the  outside  will  also  become  clean,"  Matt,  xxiii. 
25,  26;  Luke  xi..39:  in  the  internal  sense,  a  cup  here  also 
means  the  truth  of  faith ;  to  cultivate  which  without  the  good 
thereof  is  to  cleanse  the  outside  of  the  cup,  and  especially 
when  the  inside  is  full  of  hypocrisy,  deceit,  hatred,  revenge, 
and  cruelty ;  for  in  such  case  the  truth  of  faith  is  only  in  the 
external  man,  and  nothing  at  all  thereof  in  the  internal ;  and 
to  cultivate  and  imbibe  the  good  of  faith  causes  truths  to  be 
conjoined  to  good  in  the  interior  man,  in  which  case  even  fal- 
lacies are  accepted  for  truths,  which  is  signified  by  cleansing 
first  the  inside  of  the  cup,  and  the  outside  also  becoming  clean. 
In  like  manner  in  Mark,  "There  are  many  other  tilings  which 
the  Pharisees  and  the  Jews  have  received  to  hold,  the- washings 
of  cups  and  pots,  and  brazen  vessels  and  beds.  Forsaking 
the  commandment  of  God,  ye  hold  the  tradition  of  men,  the 
washing  of  pots  and  cups,  and  many  other  like  things  ye  do. 
Ye  reject  the  commandment  of  God,  that  ye  may  keep  your 
own  tradition,"  vii.  4,  8,  9.  That  a  cup  in  the  opposite  sense 
signifies  the  false  which  gives  birth  to  evil,  also  the  false  which 
is  derived  from  evil,  is  manifest  from  the  following  passages : 
"  Thus  said  Jehovah  the  God  of  Israel  to  me,  Take  this  cup  of 
the  wine  of  anger  out  of  my  hand,  and  cause  all  nations  to 
whom  I  send  thee  to  drink  it,  that  they  may  drink  and  stagger, 
and  be  insane  by  reason  of  the  sword  which  I  will  send  upon 
them :  therefore  I  took  the  cup  out  of  the  hand  of  Jehovah, 
and  caused  all  the  nations  to  drink  to  whom  Jehovah  sent  me," 
Jerem.  xxv.  15  to  17,  28 ;  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  anger  denotes 
the  false  which  gives  birth  to  evil.  The  reason  why  the  false 
which  gives  birth  to  evil  is  signified  is,  because,  as  wine  intoxi- 
cates and  makes  insane,  so  does  the  false ;  spiritual  intoxication 
being  nothing  but  insanity  induced  by  reasonings  concerning 
what  is  to  be  believed,  when  nothing  is  believed  which  is  not 
comprehended ;  hence  come  falses,  and  from  falses  evils,  see  n. 
1072  ;  therefore  it  is  said,  that  they  may  drink  and  stagger,  and 
be  insane  by  reason  of  the  sword  which  I  will  send  :  the  sword 
is  the  false  combating  against  truth,  see  n.  2799,  4199.  And  in 
the  Book  of  Lamentations,  "Rejoice  and  be  glad,  O  daughter 
of  Edom,  dwelling  in  the  land  of  Uz ;  even  to  thee  shall  the  cup 
pass  J  thou  shalt  be  intoxicated  and  shalt  be  uncovered,"  iv.  21 ; 
to  be  intoxicated  from  the  cup  denotes  to  be  insane  from  falses; 
to  be  uncovered,  or  to  be  stripped  naked  without  shame,  denotes 
the  evil  thence  derived,  see  n.  213,  214.  And  in  Ezekiel,  "In 
the  way  of  thy  sister  hast  thou  walked ;  therefore  I  -will  give 
her  cup  into  thy  hand.  Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  The  cup 
of  thy  sister  thou  shalt  drink,  deep  and  wide;  thou  shalt  be 


5120.] 


GENESIS. 


559 


for  laughter  and  mockery ;  ample  to  contain,  thou  shalt  be 
filled  with  intoxication  and  grief,  with  the  cup  of  devastation 
and  desolation ;  the  cup  of  thy  sister  Samaria  thou  shalt  both 
drink  and  squeeze  out,  and  shalt  break  in  pieces  the  shreds 
thereof,''  xxiii.  31,  32,  34 ;  speaking  of  Jerusalem,  whereby  is 
signified  the  spiritual  of  the  celestial  church :  the  cup  in  this 
passage  denotes  the  false  derived  from  evil ;  and  as  this  vastates 
and  destroys  the  church,  it  is  called  the  cup  of  devastation  and 
desolation.  And  in  Isaiah,  "Awake,  awake,  arise,  O  Jerusa- 
lem, who  hast  drunk  from  the  hand  of  Jehovah  the  cup  of  his 
anger  :  the  dregs  of  the  cup  of  trembling  hast  thou  drunk,"  li. 
17.  And  in  Habakkuk,  "  Drink  also  thou,  that  thy  foreskin 
may  be  uncovered :  there  shall  come  round  to  thee  the  cup  of 
the  right  hand  of  Jehovah,  and  shameful  vomiting  shall  be  upon 
thy  glory,"  ii.  16.  And  in  David,  "A  cup  is  in  the  hand  of 
Jehovah  J  and  he  hath  mixed  with  wine ;  ne  hath  filled  it  with 
mixture,  and  hath  poured  out  thence ;  but  they  shall  suck  out 
the  dregs  thereof;  all  the  wicked  of  the  earth  shall  drink," 
Psalm  lxxv.  8 :  a  cup  also  in  these  passages  denotes  insanity 
grounded  in  falses  and  in  the  evils  thence  derived ;  it  is  called 
the  cup  of  the  anger  of  Jehovah,  and  also  the  right  hand  of 
Jehovah,  because  the  Jewish  nation,  like  the  vulgar,  believed 
evils,  and  the  punishment  of  evils  and  of  the  falses  thence 
derived,  to  come  from  no  other  source  than  from  Jehovah ; 
whereas  they  are  from  the  man  and  from  the  infernal  crew 
attendant  upon  him.  From  the  appearance  and  the  faith 
grounded  therein,  such  a  mode  of  expression  is  frequently 
adopted ;  but  the  internal  sense  teaches  how  it  is  to  be  under- 
stood, and  what  is  to  be  believed ;  on  which  subject  see  n.  245, 
592,  696, 1093, 1683,  1874,  1875,  2335,  2447,  36*05,  3607,  3014. 
Since  a  cup  and  wine  in  the  opposite  sense  signify  the  falses 
which  give  birth  to  evils,  and  also  the  falses  derived  from  evils, 
therefore  hence  also  a  cup  signifies  temptation,  because  this 
takes  place  when  the  false  fights  against  the  true,  and  hence 
evil  against  good.  A  civp  is  used  to  express  and  describe 
temptation  in  this  passage :  "  Jesus  prayed,  saying,  If  thou  art 
willing,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me ;  nevertheless  not  my  will 
but  thine  be  done,"  Luke  xxii.  42;  Matt.  xxvi.  39,  42,  44; 
Mark  xiv.  36 :  a  cup  in  this  passage  denotes  temptation ;  in 
like  manner  in  John,  "Jesus  said  to  Peter,  Put  thy  sword  into 
the  sheath ;  the  cup  which  my  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  I 
not  drink  it  ?"  xviii.  11 :  and  also  in  Mark,  "  Jesus  said  unto 
James  and  John,  Ye  know  not  what  ye  ask :  are  ye  able  to 
drink  of  the  cup  which  I  drink  of,  and  to  be  baptized  with  the 
baptism  which  I  am  baptized  with  ?  They  said,  We  are  able. 
But  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Y'e  shall  indeed  drink  of  the  cup 
which  I  drink  of  and  with  the  baptism  with  which  I  am  bap- 
tized, shall  ye  be  baptized,"  x.  38,  39  ;  Matt.  xx.  22,  23.  Hence 


560 


GENESIS. 


[ClTAP.  xl. 


it  is  evident  that  a  cup  denotes  temptation,  because  temptation 
exists  through  evils  combating  bj  falses  against  goods  and 
truths ;  for  baptism  signifies  regeneration,  and  tins  is  effected 
by  spiritual  combats :  hence  baptism  at  the  same  time  signifies 
temptation.  A  cup  in  the  directly  opposite  sense  signifies  the 
false  grounded  in  evil  with  those  who  are  profane,  that  is,  who 
inwardly  are  in  the  contraries  to  charity,  and  outwardly  assume 
appearances  of  holiness :  in  this  sense  it  is  used  in  Jeremiah, 
"  Babel  is  a  cup  of  gold  in  the  hand  of  Jehovah,  intoxicating 
the  whole  earth:  all  the  nations  have  drunk  of  her  wine; 
therefore  the  nations  are  insane,"  li.  7 ;  Babel  denotes  those 
who  are  in  external  sanctity,  and  are  inwardly  profane,  n.  1182, 
1326  ;  the  false,  which  they  veil  with  sanctity,  is  the  cup  of 
gold  ;  intoxicating  the  whole  earth  denotes  that  they  lead  those 
who  are  of  the  church,  which  is  the  earth,  into  errors  and  in- 
sanities :  the  profane  things  which  they  hide  under  external 
sanctity  are,  that  they  aim  at  nothing  less  than  to  be  the  great- 
est and  wealthiest  of  all,  and  to  be  worshipped  as  gods,  the  pos- 
sessors of  heaven  and  earth,  by  thus  having  dominion  over  the 
souls  and  bodies  of  men,  and  this  by  the  divine  and  holy  things 
to  which  they  make  pretence ;  hence  as  to  the  external  man 
they  appear  angels,  but  as  to  the  internal  they  are  devils.  In 
like  manner  concerning  Babel  in  the  Apocalypse,  "  There  was 
a  woman  clothed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  and  decked  with  gold, 
and  precious  stones,  and  pearls,  having  a  golden  cup  in  her 
hand,  full  of  the  abominations  and  uncleanness  of  her  whore- 
dom," xvii.  4.  Again,  "  Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen, 
and  is  made  a  habitation  of  demons ;  because  she  hath  made 
all  nations  drink  of  the  cup  of  the  fury  of  her  whoredom,  and 
the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  whoredom  with  her.  I 
heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  Render  unto  her  as  she  has 
rendered  unto  you:  in  the  cup,  in  which  she  mixed,  mix  to  her 
double,"  xviii.  2,  4,  6.  Again,  ''The  great  city  was  made  into 
three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell  together:  the 
memory  of  Babylon  the  great  was  presented  before  God,  to  give 
unto  her  the  cup  of  the  fierceness  of  the  anger  of  God"  xvi.  19. 
Again,  "The  third  angel  said  with  a  great  voice,  If  any  one 
worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  he  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of 
the  anger  of  God  mixed  toith  new  wine  in  the  cup  of  his  anger, 
and  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  a?id  brimstone,   xiv.  9, 10. 

5121.  "And  Joseph  said  to  him,  This  is  the  interpretation 
thereof." — This  signifies  revelation  from  perception  from  the  ce- 
lestial in  the  natural,  what  it  had  in  itself,  as  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  to  say"  in  the  historical  of  the  Word,  as 
denoting  to  perceive,  see  n.  1791,  1S15,  1819,  1822,  189S, 
1919,  2080,  2619,  2862,  3395,  3509  ;  in  the  present  case  as 
denoting  revelation  from  perception,  because  the  subject  treated 
of  is  a  dream  and  its  interpretation  ;  all  revelation  is  either 


6121,  5122.] 


GENESIS. 


56J 


from  discourse  with  the  angels  through  whom  the  Lord  speaks, 
or  from  perception,  of  which  we  shall  treat  presently  ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  representation  of  u  Joseph,"  as  denoting  the  celestial 
in  the  natural,  see  above,  n.  5086,  5087,  5106 ;  and  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  interpretation,"  as  denoting  what  it  had 
in  itself,  see  also  above,  n.  5093,  5105,  5107  ;  hence  it  is  evident, 
that  by  "  Joseph  said  to  him,  This  is  the  interpretation  thereof," 
is  signified  revelation  from  perception  from  the  celestial  in  the 
natural,  what  it  had  in  itself.  In  regard  to  revelations  being 
either  from  perception,  or  from  discourse  with  the  angels 
through  whom  the  Lord  speaks,  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  those  who 
are  in  good  and  thence  in  truth,  especially  those  who  are  in  the 
good  of  love  to  the  Lord,  have  revelation  from  perception  ; 
whereas  those  who  are  not  in  good  and  thence  in  truth,  may  in- 
deed have  revelations,  yet  not  from  perception,  but  by  a  living 
voice  heard  in  them,  thus  by  angels  from  the  Lord  :  this  latter 
revelation  is  external,  whereas  the  former  is  internal.  The 
angels,  especially  the  celestial,  have  revelation  from  perception, 
so  also  had  the  men  of  the  most  ancient  church,  and  some  also 
of  the  ancient  church,  but  scarce  any, one  at  this  day  ;  whereas 
very  many,  even  those  who  have  not  been  principled  in  good, 
have  had  revelations  from  discourse  without  perception,  and 
also  by  visions  or  dreams.  Such  were  most  of  the  revelations 
of  the  prophets  in  the  Jewish  church  ;  they  heard  a  voice,  they 
saw  a  vision,  and  they  dreamed  a  dream ;  but  as  they  had  no 
perception,  they  were  merely  verbal  or  visual  revelations,  with- 
out any  perception  of  what  they  signified ;  for  genuine  percep- 
tion exists  through  heaven  from  the  Lord,  and  affects  the  intel- 
lectual principle  spiritually,  and  leads  it  perceptibly  to  think  as 
the  thing  really  is,  with  an  internal  assent,  the  source  of  which 
it  is  ignorant  of.  li  supposes  that  it  is  in  it,  and  that  it  flows 
from  the  connection  of  things ;  whereas  it  is  a  dictate  through 
heaven  from  the  Lord,  flowing  into  the  interiors  of  the  thought, 
concerning;  such  things  as  are  above  the  natural  and  sensual 
principle,  that  is,  concerning  such  things  as  are  of  the  spiritual 
world,  or  of  heaven.  From  these  considerations  it  may  be 
manifest,  what  is  meant  by  revelation  from  perception.  But 
the  revelation  from  perception,  which  the  Lord  had,  who  is 
here  represented  by  Joseph,  and  which  ie  here  treated  of  in 
the  internal  sense,  was  from  the  Divine  in  himself,  thus  vyas 
from  himself. 

5122.  "The  three  shoots  are  three  days." — This  signifies 
derivations  continued  even  to  the  last,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  "  three,"  as  denoting  one  period  and  its  con- 
tinuation from  beginning  to  end,  see  n.  2788,  4495  ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  "shoots,"  as  denoting  derivations,  see 
n.  5114  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  signification  of  "  days,"  as  denoting 
states,  see  n.  23,  487,  488,  493,  893,  2788,  3462,  3785,  4850 : 
voi-.  v.  3« 


562 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  x] 


hence  it  follows,  that  by  "  the  three  shoots  are  three  days,"  is 
signified  the  state  of  the  re-birth  of  this  sensual,  which  is  repre- 
sented by  the  butler,  from  first  to  last,  its  successive  derivations 
being  signified  by  shoots.  The  states  of  the  re-birth  of  every 
sensual,  and  of  every  thing  in  the  natural,  and  also  in  the 
rational,  have  their  progressions  from  beginning  to  end ;  and 
Avhen  they  come  to  the  end,  they  then  commence  from  a  kind 
cf  new  beginning,  viz.,  from  that  end  to  which  they  tended  in 
the  former  state,  to  a  further  end,  and  so  forth  ;  and  at  length 
the  order  is  inverted,  and  what  was  last  becomes  first ;  as  whilo 
a  man  is  regenerating  as  to  both  the  rational  and  the  natural, 
the  periods  of  the  first  state  are  from  the  truths  which  are  of 
faith  to  the  goods  which  are  of  charity;  and  in  this  case- the 
truths  of  faith  apparently  act  the  first  part,  and  the  goods  of 
charity  the  second,  for  the  truths  of  faith  respect  the  good  of 
charity  as  an  end  ;  these  periods  continue  until  the  man  is  regen- 
erated. Afterwards  charity,  which  was  the  end,  becomes  the 
beginning,  and  from  it  new  states  commence,  which  proceed 
both  towards  more  interior  things,  and  also  towards  exterior, 
— towards  interior  things  to  love  to  the  Lord,  and  towards  ex- 
terior to  the  truths  of  faith,  and  further  to  natural  truths,  and 
also  to  sensual  truths,  which  are  then  successively  reduced  to 
correspondence  with  the  goods  of  charity  and  love  in  the  ra- 
tional, and  thus  into  heavenly  order.  These  are  the  things 
which  are  meant  by  progressions  and  derivations  continued  even 
to  the  last.  Such  progressions  and  derivations  are  perpetual 
with  the  man  who  is  regenerating,  from  his  infancy  even  to  the 
last  hour  of  his  life  in  the  world,  and  also  afterwards  even  to 
eternity ;  and  yet  he  can  never  be  so  regenerated,  as  that  in 
any  measure  he  may  be  said  to  be  perfect ;  for  there  are  things 
innumerable,  yea,  indefinite  in  number,  which  are  to  be  regen- 
erated, as  well  in  the  rational  as  in  the  natural,  and  every 
one  of  them  has  an  indefinite  number  of  shoots,  that  is,  pro- 
gressions and  derivations  towards  things  interior  and  tilings 
exterior.  Man  is  altogether  ignorant  of  this  ;  but  the  Lord 
knows  all  things,  and  provides  for  them  every  moment:  if  he 
were  to  intermit  his  providence  for  the  smallest  instant  of  time, 
all  the  progressions  would  be  disturbed ;  for  what  is  prior  re- 
spects what  follows  in  a  continual  series,  and  produces  serieses 
of  consequences  to  eternity.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  divine 
foresight  and  providence  are  in  every  thing  even  the  most  mi- 
nute ;  and  unless  this  were  the  case,  or  if  it  were  only  universal, 
the  human  race  would  perish. 

5123.  "  Yet  within  three  days." — This  signifies  that  in  this 
case  there  would  be  a  new  state,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signi- 
fication of  "three,"  as  denoting  what  is  continued  even  to  the 
end,  thus  also  what  is  complete,  see  n.  2788,  4495 ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  "  days,"  as  denoting  states,  see  above, 


5123—5125.] 


GENESIS. 


563 


n.  5122  :  hence  it  is  evident,  that  three  days  signify  a  complete 
state ;  consequently  "  within  three  days,"  or  after  three  days, 
denotes  a  new  state,  n.  4901  ;  for  after  a  complete  state  a  new 
one  begins. 

5124.  "  Pharaoh  will  lift  thy  head." — This  signifies  what  is 
provided,  and  hence  what  is  concluded,  as  appears  from  the 
signification  of  "  to  lift  the  head,"  as  denoting  to  conclude,  and 
in  the  supreme  sense  to  provide  ;  for  the  divine  conclusion  and 
the  execution  of  a  thing  concluded,  is  providence.  To  lift  the 
head  was  a  customary  form  of  judgment  among  the  ancients, 
when  the  hound,  or  those  who  were  in  prison,  were  judged 
either  to  life  or  death ;  when  to  life,  it  w*as  expressed  by  lifting 
the  head,  as  in  the  second  book  of  Kings,  "  Evil-merodach,  king 
of  Babel,  in  the  year  in  which  he  was  made  king,  lifted  the  head 
of  Jehoial'in  ,  king  of  Judah,  out  of  the  prison-ho  use,  and  spake 
good  with  him,  and  set  his  throne  above  the  throne  of  the  kings 
who  were  with  him  in  Babel,"  xxv.  27,  28 :  in  like  manner  in 
Jeremiah,  "  Evil-merodach,  king  of  Babel,  in  the  year  of  his 
kingdom,  lifted  the  head  of  Jehoiakin,  king  of  Judah,  and 
brought  him  forth  out  of  the  prison-house"  lii.  31 :  but  when 
they  were  judged  to  death,  it  was  expressed  by  lifting  the  head 
from  upon  him,  as  in  what  follows  concerning  the  baker,  "Yet 
within  three  days  Pharaoh  will  lift  thy  head  from  tipon  thee" 
verse  19.  This  form  of  judgment  originated  with  the  ancients, 
who  were  in  representatives,  from  the  representation  of  those 
who  were  bound  in  prison  or  in  a  pit ;  and  as  these  represented 
thoso  who  are  in  vastation  under  the  lower  earth,  n.  472S,  4744, 
5038,  therefore  by  lifting  the  head  was  signified  their  liberation  ; 
for  in  such  case  they  are  elevated  or  lifted  out  of  vastation  to 
the  heavenly  societies,  see  n.  2699,  2701,  2704.  To  be  lifted 
or  to  be  elevated  is  to  advance  towards  interiors ;  for  what  is 
elevated  or  high  is  predicated  of  interiors,  n.  2148,  4210 ;  and 
as  it  denotes  advancement  towards  interiors,  it  denotes  advance- 
ment towards  heaven,  for  heaven  is  in  interiors  ;  this  was  signi- 
fied by  lifting  the  head ;  but  to  lift  the  head  from  upon  any 
one,  signified  to  judge  him  to  death,  because  in  such  case  those 
who  were  above  others  in  the  pit  or  vastation,  were  elevated  to 
heaven,  while  the  others  were  let  down  to  lower  things  ;  and 
as  these  things  were  signified  by  this  form  of  judgment,  there- 
fore it  was  received  in  the  Word.  That  lifting  the  head  signi- 
fies what  is  concluded,  is  hence  evident ;  and  as  it  signifies  what 
is  concluded,  in  the  supreme  sense  it  signifies  what  is  provided ; 
for  what  the  Divine  concludes,  this  it  provides. 

5125.  "  And  will  bring  thee  back  to  thy  station." — This  sig- 
nifies that  the  things  of  the  sensual  subject  to  the  intellectual 
part,  would  be  reduced  into  order,  that  they  may  be  in  the  last 
place,  as  is  evident  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  "  the  butler," 
of  whom  these  things  are  said,  as  denoting  the  sensual  subject 


564 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


to  the  intellectual  part,  see  n.  5077,  5082 ;  consequently  as  de- 
noting the  things  which  are  of  that  sensual  in  the  external  nat- 
ural ;  for  the  sensual  itself  is  not  reduced  into  order,  but  those 
things  which  have  entered  through  the  sensual  into  the  man's 
phantasy ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  to  bring  back  to 
his  station,"  as  denoting  to  reduce  into  order ;  and  as  sensual 
things,  that  is,  those  thing?  which  have  entered  from  the  world 
through  the  external  sensories,  are  in  the  last  place,  and  are  then 
in  the  last  place  when  they  minister  and  are  subservient  to 
interiors,  therefore  these  things  are  at  the  same  time  signified  : 
with  the  regenerate  those  sensual  things  are  also  in  the  last 
place,  but  with  the  unregenerate  they  are  in  the  first  place,  .see 
n.  5077,  5081,  5084,  5089,  5094.  A  man,  if  he  attends,  may 
easily  apperceive  whether  sensual  things  are  in  the  first  place 
or  in  the  last ;  if  he  affirms  every  thing  which  the  sensual 
advises  or  appetites,  and  endeavours  to  invalidate  every  thing 
which  the  intellectual  dictates,  in  this  case  sensual  things  are  in 
the  first  place,  and  the  man  is  carried  away  by  his  appetites, 
and  is  altogether  sensual :  but  such  a  man  is  not  far  removed 
from  the  condition  of  the  irrational  animals,  which  are  carried 
away  exactly  in  the  same  manner ;  yea,  he  is  in  a  worse  condi- 
tion, if  he  abuses  the  intellectual  or  rational  faculty  to  confirm 
the  evils  and  falses  which  sensual  things  advise  and  appetite ; 
but  if  he  does  not  affirm  them,  but  interiorly  sees  the  deviations 
thereof  into  falses,  and  the  excitations  thereof  to  evils,  and  en- 
deavours to  correct  those  things,  and  thereby  to  reduce  them 
to  compliance,  that  is,  to  subject  them  to  the  intellectual  and 
will-part  of  the  interior  man,  in  this  case  sensual  things  are  re- 
duced into  order,  so  that  they  are  in  the  last  place  :  and  when 
they  are  in  the  last  place,  there  flows  a  happy  and  blessed  prin- 
c'\y>\e  from  the  interior  man  into  the  delights  of  things  sensual, 
and  causes  the  delights  thereof  a  thousand  times  to  exceed  the 
former  delights  :  the  sensual  man  does  not  believe  that  this  is 
the  case,  because  he  does  not  comprehend  it ;  and  as  he  is  sen- 
sible of  no  other  delight  than  the  sensual,  and  thinks  that  there 
is  no  higher  delight,  he  regards  as  of  no  account  the  happy  and 
blessed  principle  which  is  within  the  delights  of  sensual  things; 
for  what  is  unknown  to  any  one,  is  believed  not  to  be. 

5126.  "  And  thou  shalt  give  Pharaoh's  cup  into  his  hand." 
— This  signifies  that  hence  they  may  serve  the  interior  natural, 
as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  to  give  a  cup  to 
drink, '  as  denoting  to  appropriate,  see  above,  n.  5120;  that  it 
denotes  also  to  be  subservient,  is  evident ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  "  Pharaoh,"  as  denoting  the  interior  natural, 
see  n.  5080,  5095,  5118.  There  are  an  interior  natural  and  an 
exterior  natural,  and  the  exterior  natural  is  constituted  of  those 
things  which  enter  immediately  through  things  sensual  out  of 
the  world  into  the  natural  mind,  viz.,  into  its  memory,  and 


5126.] 


GENESIS. 


565 


thence  into  the  imagination,  as  may  be  seen,  n.  5118.  For  the 
better  comprehending  what  is  meant  by  the  exterior  natural  and 
what  by  the  interior  which  are  of  the  exterior  man,  and  hence 
what  is  meant  by  the  rational  which  is  of  the  interior  man,  it 
may  be  expedient  to  say  a  few  words  on  the  subject.  A  man, 
from  his  infancy  even  to  childhood,  is  merely  sensual ;  for  at 
that  time  he  only  receives  earthly,  corporeal,  and  worldly  things 
through  the  sensual  things  of  the  body,  and  from  those  things 
also  his  ideas  and  thoughts  are  then  formed  ;  the  communica- 
tion with  the  interior  man  is  not  as  yet  open,  or  only  so  far  that 
he  can  comprehend  and  retain  those  things.  The  innocence, 
which  he  then  has,  is  only  external,  but  not  internal ;  for  true 
innocence  dwells  in  wisdom.  By  external  innocence,  the  Lord 
reduces  into  order  whatever  enters  through  sensual  things ;  and 
without  an  influx  of  innocence  from  the  Lord  in  that  first  age, 
it  would  be  impossible  for  any  foundation  to  exist,  upon  which 
the  intellectual  or  rational,  which  is  proper  to  man,  might  be 
built :  from  childhood  to  youth  a  communication  is  opened  to 
the  interior  natural,  by  learning  what  is  becoming,  civil,  and 
honest,  as  well  by  instruction  from  parents  and  masters,  as  by 
studies  ;  but  from  youth  to  juvenile  age  a  communication  is 
opened  between  the  natural  and  the  rational,  by  learning  at 
that  time  the  truths  and  goods  of  civil  and  moral  life,  and 
especially  the  truths  and  goods  of  spiritual  life  by  hearing  and 
reading  the  Word :  but  so  far  as  on  this  occasion  he  imbibes 
goods  by  truths,  that  is,  so  far  as  he  does  the  truths  which  he 
learns,  so  far  the  rational  is  opened,  whereas  so  far  as  he  does 
not  imbibe  goods  by  truths,  or  so  far  as  he  does  not  do  truths, 
so  far  the  rational  is  not  opened,  but  the  knowledges  still 
remain  in  the  natural,  that  is,  in  its  memory,  thus  as  it  were  out 
of  the  house  in  the  threshold  ;  but  so  far  as  at  that  time  and  in 
the  subsequent  age  he  invalidates  those  truths  and  goods,  denies 
and  does  against  them,  that  is,  instead  thereof  believes  falses 
and  practises  evils,  so  far  the  rational  is  closed,  and  also  the 
interior  natural ;  nevertheless,  by  the  divine  providence  of  the 
Lord,  so  much  communication  still  remains,  as  to  enable  him 
with  some  degree  of  imderstanding  to  apprehend  those  things, 
but  yet  not  to  appropriate  them  to  himself,  unless  he  seriously 
does  the  work  of  repentance,  and  for  a  long  while  afterwards 
struggles  with  falses  and  evils.  With  those,  however,  who 
sutler  themselves  to  be  regenerated,  the  contrary  comes  to  pass  ; 
for  by  degrees,  or  successively,  the  rational  is  opened  with  them, 
and  the  interior  natural  is  made  subordinate  thereto,  and  the 
exterior  natural  to  the  interior :  this  is  especially  the  case  in 
juvenile  age  even  to  adult,  and  progressively  to  the  last  age  of 
their  life,  and  afterwards  in  heaven  to  eternity.  Hence  it  may 
be  known  what  is  meant  by  the  interior  natural  and  the  exte 
rior  appertaining  to  man. 


566 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  xl, 


5127.  "  After  the  former  manner." — This  signifies  from  the 
law  of  order,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  the  former 
manner,"  as  denoting  the  law  of  order ;  for  it  is  a  law  of  order, 
that  exteriors  should  be  subject  to  interiors,  or  what  is  the  same, 
inferiors  to  superiors,  and  should  serve  as  servants ;  for  exte- 
riors or  inferiors  are  merely  subservient,  whereas  interiors  or 
superiors  bear  rule.  The  i*eason  why  these  things  are  signified 
by  the  expression  "  after  the  former  manner,"  is,  because  the 
butler,  as  a  servant,  had  before  served  Pharaoh  as  his  lord, 
from  the  law  of  subordination,  thus  the  sensual,  which  is  repre- 
sented by  the  butler,  had  served  the  interior  natural,  which  is 
represented  by  Pharaoh,  from  the  law  of  order.  That  it  is  the 
law  of  order,  that  inferiors  Or  exteriors  ought  to  serve  superiors 
or  interiors,  is  altogether  unknown  to  the  sensual  man ;  for  lie 
that  is  merely  sensual,  does  not  know  what  interior  is,  thus 
neither  what  is  respectively  exterior.  He  knows  that  he  thinks 
and  speaks,  and  that  he  wills  and  acts ;  hence  he  conjectures 
that  to  think  and  to  will  are  somewhat  interior,  and  that  to 
speak  and  to  act  are  exterior ;  but  he  does  not  know  that  to 
think  from  tilings  sensual  only,  and  to  act  from  appetite,  is  of 
the  external  man,  and  thus  that  his  thinking  and  willing  are 
only  of  the  exterior  natural,  and  still  more  so  when  he  thinks 
falses  and  wills  evils  ;  and  as  in  such  case  communication  with 
interiors  is  closed,  he  is  hence  ignorant  what  interior  thought 
and  will  are.  If  he  is  told,  that  interior  thought  is  to  think  from 
truth,  and  interior  will  is  to  act  from  good,  he  does  not  at  all 
comprehend  it ;  still  less  that  the  interior  man  is  distinct  from 
the  exterior,  and  so  distinct,  that  the  interior  man  can  see  as 
from  a  higher  place  what  is  transacting  in  the  exterior,  and 
that  the  interior  man  is  in  the  faculty  and  ability  of  correcting 
the  exterior,  and  of  not  willing  and  thinking  what  the  exterior 
man  sees  from  phantasy  and  appetites  from  cupidity.  These 
things,  so  long  as  his  external  man  is  in  dominion  and  rules, 
he  does  not  see ;  but  out  of  that  state,  as  when  he  is  in  any 
grief  arising  from  misfortunes  or  sickness,  he  can  see  and  com- 
prehend them ;  for  in  this  case  the  dominion  of  the  external 
man  ceases  :  for  the  faculty  or  ability  of  understanding  is  always 
preserved  to  man  by  the  Lord,  but  is  most  obscure  with  those 
who  are  in  falses  and  evils,  and  always  clearer  as  the  falses  and 
evils  are  laid  asleep ;  the  Lord's  Divine  continually  flows-iii 
with  man,  and  illustrates  him ;  but  where  there  are  falses  and 
evils,  that  is,  the  contraries  of  truths  and  goods,  there  the 
divine  light  is  either  reflected,  or  suffocated,  or  perverted,  and 
only  so  much  of  it  is  received,  as  it  were  through  chinks,  as  to 
communicate  to  him  the  faculty  of  thinking  and  speaking  from 
fcensual  things,  also  concerning  spiritual  things  from  formulas 
impressed  on  the  natural  or  corporeal  memory. 

5128.  "  When  thou  wast  his  butler." — This  signifies  as  is 


5127,  5128.] 


GENESIS. 


567 


usual  with  sensual  things  of  that  kind,  as  appears  from  the  sig- 
nification of  "  a  bntler,"  as  denoting  sensual  things,  or  those 
sensual  things  which  are  subject  to  the  intellectual  part,  see  n. 
5077,  5082 ;  that  it  denotes  as  is  usual  with  them,  is  signified 
by  the  expression,  "  when  thou  wast."  That  sensual  things 
ought  to  be  subject  and  subordinate  to  rational  things,  has  been 
already  treated  of  in  what  precedes  ;  and  as  that  subjection  and 
subordination  are  here  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense,  it  may 
be  expedient  to  say  something  yet  further  on  the  subject  in  the 
way  of  explaining  how  the  case  herein  is.  The  man  with  whom 
sensual  tilings  are  in  subjection,  is  called  rational,  but  he  with 
whom  they  are  not  in  subjection,  is  called  sensual :  neverthe- 
less, whether  a  man  be  rational,  or  whether  he  be  sensual,  can 
hardly  be  discerned  by  others  ;  but  it  may  be  discerned  by 
himself,  if  he  explore  his  interiors,  that  is,  the  tendency  of  his 
will  and  of  his  thought.  Whether  a  man  be  sensual  or  rational 
cannot  be  known  by  others  from  his  speech  or  from  his  actions  ; 
for  the  life  of  the  thought  which  is  in  the  speech,  and  the  life 
of  the  will  which  is  in  the  actions,  do  not  appear  to  any  bodily 
sense.  The  tone  of  the  voice  is  all  that  is  heard,  and  the  bodily 
gesture  with  the  affection  all  that  is  seen  ;  but  it  is  not  thereby 
distinguished  whether  the  affection  is  pretended  or  true  :  how- 
ever, in  the  other  life,  those  who  are  principled  in  good  dis- 
tinctly perceive  both  what  is  in  the  speech  and  what  is  in  the 
actions,  thus  what  is  the  quality  of  the  life,  and  also  whence  the 
life  therein  is  derived.  In  the  world  also  there  are  some  tokens, 
from  which  it  may  in  part  be  concluded  whether  sensual  things 
are  subject  to  the  rational  principle,  or  the  rational  to  sensual 
things,  or  what  is  the  same,  whether  the  man  is  rational,  or  only 
sensual.  Such  tokens  are  these  :  if  it  be  observed  that  a  man 
is  in  principles  of  the  false,  and  does  not  suffer  himself  to  be 
illustrated,  but  entirely  rejects  truths,  and  without  reason  ob- 
stinately defends  falses,  it  is  a  token  that  he  is  a  sensual  and  not 
a  rational  man,  the  rational  principle  being  closed  in  him,  so  as 
not  to  admit  the  light  of  heaven.  Still  more  sensual  are  those" 
who  are  in  the  persuasion  of  the  false,  for  the  persuasion  of  the 
false  totally  closes  the  rational.  It  is  one  thing  to  be  in  prin- 
ciples of  the  false,  and  another  thing  to  be  in  the  persuasion  of 
the  false  :  those  who  are  in  the  persuasion  of  the  false,  have  in 
their  natural  principle  some  light,  but  then  it  is  like  the  light  of 
winter ;  this  light  in  the  other  life  appears  with  them  like  the 
light  of  snow,  but  as  soon  as  the  heavenly  light  falls  upon  it,  it 
is  obscured,  and  according  to  the  degree  and  quality  of  the  per- 
suasion it  becomes  opaque  like  night.  This  is  also  evident  from 
them  while  they  live  in  the  world ;  for  at  that  time  they  cannot 
see  an\r  truth  ;  yea,  in  consequence  of  the  obscure  or  nocturnal 
[influence]  of  their  false,  truths  to  them  are  of  no  account,  and 
they  also  make  a  mock  at  them.    Such  before  the  simple  some- 


668 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


times  appear  as  if  they  were  rational :  for  by  means  of  that  snowy 
wintry  light  they  can  by  reasonings  dexterously  confirm  falses, 
so  that  they  appear  as  truths :  this  persuasion  has  infected 
several  of  the  learned  more  than  the  rest  of  mankind  ;  for  they 
have  confirmed  falses  with  themselves  by  logical  and  philosoph- 
ical reasonings,  and  at  length  by  various  scientifics.  Amongst 
the  ancients  such  were  called  serpents  of  the  tree  of  knowledge, 
see  n.  195  to  197  ;  but  at  this  day  they  may  be  called  interiorly 
sensual  and  irrational.  The  principal  token  whether  a  man  be 
only  sensual,  or  whether  he  be  rational,  is  from  his  life  ;  not  his 
life  such  as  it  appears  in  his  conversation  and  his  actions,  but 
such  as  it  is  in  his  conversation  and  his  actions  ;  for  the  life  of 
conversation  is  from  the  thought,  and  the  life  of  actions  is  from 
the  will,  each  from  the  intention  or  end  proposed  :  such  there- 
fore as  the  intention  or  end  proposed  is  in  the  conversation  and 
in  the  actions,  such  is  the  life:  for  conversation  without  interior 
life  is  mere  sound,  and  actions  without  interior  life  are  mere 
motions.  This  is  what  we  mean  when  we  say  that  the  life  re- 
mains after  death.  If  a  man  is  rational,  he  speaks  from  good- 
ness of  thought,  and  acts  from  goodness  of  will ;  that  is,  he 
speaks  from  faith,  and  acts  from  charity :  but  if  a  man  is  not 
rational,  in  this  case  indeed  he  can  act  pretendedly  as  a  rational 
man,  and  speak  in  like  manner ;  still  there  is  nothing  of  life 
therein  from  the  rational  principle  ;  for  the  life  of  evil  closes  \ip 
every  way  or  communication  with  the  rational,  and  causes  the 
man  to  be  merely  natural  and  sensual.  There  ai*e  two  things, 
which  not  only  close  up  the  way  of  communication,  but  also 
deprive  a  man  of  the  faculty  of  ever  becoming  rational ;  these 
are  deceit  and  profanation.  Deceit  is  like  a  subtle  poison  which 
infects  the  interiors  ;  and  profanation  is  what  mixes  falses  with 
truths,  and  evils  witli  goods  ;  by  these  two  the  rational  is  de- 
stroyed. There  are  with  every  man  goods  and  truths  from  the 
Lord  stored  up  from  infancy ;  in  the  Word  these  goods  and 
truths  are  called  remains,  concerning  which  see  n.  168,  530, 
560,  561,  661,  1050,1738,  1906,  1281;  these  remains  are 
infected  by  deceit,  and  are  mixed  together  by  profanation; 
what  profanation  is,  may  be  seen,  593,  1008,  1010,  1059,  1327, 
132S,  2051,  2126,  3398,  3402,  3189,  3S98,  42S9,  1601.  From 
those  tokens  it  may  in  some  measure  be  known,  who  is  a  rational 
man,  and  who  a  sensual.  When  sensual  things  are  subject  to 
the  rational,  then  the  sensual  things,  from  which  a  man's  first 
imagination  is  formed,  are  illustrated  by  the  light  which  comes 
through  heaven  from  the  Lord  ;  and  in  this  case  sensual  things 
are  also  arranged  into  order,  that  they  may  receive  light,  and 
may  be  correspondent.  When  sensual  things  are  in  that  state, 
they  no  longer  oppose  the  acknowledgment  and  sight  of  truths, 
those  which  disagree  being  instantly  removed,  and  those  which 
agree  being  accepted.    In  this  case  those  which  agree  are  as  it 


5129,  5130.] 


GENESIS. 


569 


were  in  the  centres,  and  those  which  disagree  in  the  circumfer- 
ences :  those  in  the  centres  are  as  it  were  raised  towards  heaven, 
and  those  in  the  circumferences  as  it  were  hang  downwards: 
those  which  are  in  the  centres  receive  light  through  the  ra- 
tional ;  and  when  they  are  presented  thus  visible  iu  the  other 
life,  they  appear  like  little  stars  which  glitter,  and  disperse  their 
light  around  even  to  the  circumference,  with  a  diminution  of 
the  light  according  to  decrees.  Into  such  a  form  are  natural 
and  sensual  tilings  arranged,  when  the  rational  has  the  dominion, 
and  sensual  things  are  in  subjection  :  this  takes  place  while  a 
man  is  regenerating :  hence  he  is  in  a  state  of  seeing  and  ac- 
knowledging; truths  in  their  full  extent.  But  when  the  rational 
is  subject  to  things  sensual,  the  contrary  comes  to  pass  ;  tor  in 
this  case  falses  are  in  the  middle,  or  in  the  centre,  and  truths  in 
the  circumferences :  the  things  which  are  in  the  centre,  are  in 
a  certain  deceitful  lumen,  such  as  arises  from  a  coal-fire  ;  into 
that  lumen  there  flows  a  lumen  on  all  sides  from  hell.  It  is  this 
lumen  which  is  called  darkness  ;  for  as  soon  as  any  light  from 
heaven  flows  into  it,  it  is  turned  into  darkness. 

5129.  Verses  14,  15.  But  remember  me  with  thee,  when  it  is 
well  with  thee,  and  do  mercy,  I  pray,  loith  me,  and  cause  me 
to  be  remembered  to  Pharaoh,  and  bring  me  out  of  this  house. 
Because' in  being  taken  away  by  theft,  I  was  taken  away  from 
the  land  of  the  Hebrews,  and  also  here  I  have  not  done  any 
thing  that  they  should  put  me  into  the  pit.  But  remember  me 
with  thee,  signifies  the  reception  of  faith  :  when  it  is  well  with 
thee,  signifies  when  there  is  correspondence :  and  do  mercy,  I 
pray,  with  me,  signifies  the  reception  of  charity:  and  cause  me 
to  be  remembered  to  Pharaoh,  signifies  communication  with  the 
interior  natural :  and  bring  me  out  of  this  house,  signifies  libera- 
tion from  evils  :  because  in  being  taken  away  by  theft,  I  was 
taken  away,  signifies  that  celestial  things  were  alienated  by  evil : 
from  the  land  of  the  Hebrews,  signifies  from  the  church :  and 
also  here  I  have  not  done  any  thing,  signifies  innocence :  that 
they  should  put  me  into  the  pit,  signifies  rejection  among  falses. 

5130.  "  But  remember  me  with  thee." — This  signifies  the 
reception  of  faith,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of 
"  Joseph,"  who  says  these  things  of  himself,  as  denoting  the 
Lord  as  to  the  celestial  in  the  natural,  see  n.  5086,  5087,  5106 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  remember  me  with  thee,"  as 
denoting  the  reception  of  faith  ;  for  to  remember  and  recollect 
the  Lord  is  from  no  other  source  than  from  faith ;  hence 
"  remember  me  with  thee"  denotes  that  he  may  receive  faith. 
The  case  with  faith  is  this  :  he  that  receives  it,  and  that  has  it, 
is  continually  in  the  remembrance  of  the  Lord,  even  when  he 
is  thinking  and  conversing  on  other  subjects,  and  likewise 
when  he  is  engaged  in  his  public,  private,  or  domestic  duties, 
and  although  he  is  ignorant  at  the  time  that  he  remembers  tho 


570 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


Lord ;  for  the  remembrance  of  the  Lord,  on  the  part  of  those 
who  are  in  faith,  reigns  universally,  and  what  reigns  univer- 
sally is  only  apperceived  at  such  times  as  the  thought  is  deter- 
mined to  that  particular  object.  This  may  be  illustrated  by 
several  cases  in  respect  to  man :  he  that  is  in  any  love,  what- 
ever it  may  be,  is  continually  thinking  of  the  things  which 
are  connected  with  that  love ;  and  this  notwithstanding  his 
being  engaged  in  thought,  in  speech,  and  in  action  about  other 
things.  In  the  other  life  this  is  clearly  manifested  from  the 
spiritual  spheres  with  which  every  one  is  encompassed  ;  it  being 
there  known  from  those  spheres  alone,  in  what  faith  and  love 
every  one  is  principled,  and  this  although  they  are  thinking  and 
talking  of  something  entirely  foreign  to  the  subject,  see  n. 
1048,  1053,  1316,  1504  to  1520,  2489,  4464  :  for  whatever  uni- 
versally reigns  with  any  one,  produces  that  sphere,  and  man- 
ifests his  life  before  others ;  hence  it  may  be  evident  what  is 
meant  by  the  obligation  to  be  continually  thinking  about  the 
Lord,  salvation,  and  the  life  after  death :  all,  who  are  princi- 
pled in  faith  grounded  in  charity,  do  this ;  hence  they  do  not 
think  ill  of  their  neighbour,  and  they  have  justice  and  equity 
in  all  their  thoughts,  words,  and  actions ;  for  whatever  reigns 
universally  flows  into  even  the  minutest  things,  and  guides  and 
governs  them  ;  for  the  Lord  keeps  the  mind  in  such  things  as 
are  of  charity  and  consequent  faith,  and  thereby  gives  them  all 
a  suitable  arrangement.  The  sphere  of  faith  grounded  in  char- 
ity is  the  sphere  which  reigns  in  heaven  ;  for  the  Lord  flows-in 
with  love,  and  by  love  with  charity,  consequently  with  the 
truths  which  are  of  faith :  hence  those  who  are  in  heaven,  are 
said  to  be  in  the  Lord.  The  subject  treated  of  in  what  now 
follows  is  the  re-birth  of  the  sensual  subject  to  the  intellectual 
part,  which  is  represented  by  the  butler ;  and  as  its  re-birth  is 
treated  of,  the  reception  of  faith  is  also  treated  of ;  for  the  sen- 
sual, like  the  rational,  is  re-born  by  faith,  but  by  that  faith  into 
which  charity  flows ;  for  unless  charity  flows  into  faith,  and 
gives  it  life,  faith  cannot  universally  reign  ;  since  that  principle 
reigns  which  a  man  loves,  but  not  that  which  he  only  knows 
and  keeps  in  his  memory. 

5131.  "  When  it  is  well  with  thee." — This  signifies  when 
there  is  correspondence,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"its  being  well  with  thee,"  when  the  re-birth  or  regeneration 
of  the  exterior  natural  or  sensual  is  treated  of,  as  denoting  cor- 
respondence ;  for  it  is  not  well  with  it  before  it  corresponds. 
What  correspondence  is  may  be  seen  at  the  close  of  the  several 
chapters.  There  is  a  correspondence  of  sensual  tilings  with 
natural,  of  natural  with  spiritual,  and  of  spiritual  with  celestial, 
and  Anally  there  is  a  correspondence  of  celestial  things  with  the 
Divine  of  the  Lord  ;  thus  there  is  a  succession  of  correspond- 
ences from  the  Divine  to  the  last  natural.    As  an  idea  con- 


•  5131.] 


GENESIS. 


571 


cerning  the  nature  and  quality  of  correspondences  can  hardly 
be  formed  by  those  who  have  heretofore  been  unaccustomed 
to  think  on  the  subject,  it  may  be  expedient  to  say  a  few  words 
concerning  them.  It  is  known  from  philosophy,  that  the  end 
is  the  first  of  the  cause,  and  the  cause  is  the  first  of  the  effect 
To  the  intent  that  the  end,  the  cause,  and  the  effect  may  follow 
in  order,  and  act  in  unity,  it  is  needful  that  the  effect  should 
correspond  to  the  cause,  and  the  cause  to  the  end  ;  nevertheless 
the  end  does  not  appear  as  the  cause,  nor  the  cause  as  the  effect : 
for  to  the  intent  that  the  end  may  produce  the  cause,  it  must 
call  in  administering  means  from  the  region  where  the  cause 
is,  by  which  means  the  end  may  make  the  cause ;  and  to  the 
intent  that  the  cause  may  produce  the  effect,  it  must  call  also 
in  administering  means  from  the  region  where  the  effect  is,  by 
which  means  the  cause  may  make  the  effect :  these  admister- 
ing  means  are  the  things  which  correspond';  and  since  they 
correspond,  the  end  may  be  in  the  cause  and  act  the  cause, 
and  the  cause  may  be  in  the  effect  and  act  the  effect,  conse- 
quently the  end  by  the  cause  may  act  the  effect.  It  is  other- 
wise when  there  is  not  correspondence ;  for  then  the  end  has 
not  a  cause  in  which  it  may  be,  still  less  an  effect  in  which  it 
may  be,  but  is  changed  and  varied  in  the  cause,  and  finally  in 
the  effect,  according  to  the  form  made  by  the  administering 
means.  AH  and  singular  the  things  in  man,  yea,  all  and  sin- 
gular the  things  in  nature,  succeed  each  other  like  end,  cause, 
and  effect ;  and  when  they  thus  correspond  to  each  other,  the}T 
act  in  unity,  for  then  the  end  is  the  all  in  all  things  of  the  cause, 
and  by  the  cause  is  the  all  in  all  thiugs  of  the  effect :  as  for 
example ;  when  heavenly  love  is  the  end,  the  will  the  cause, 
and  action  the  effect,  if  there  be  correspondence,  then  heavenly 
love  flows  into  the  will,  and  the  will  into  the  action,  and  they 
so  act  in  unity,  that  the  action  by  correspondence  is  as  it  were 
the  love ;  or  as  when  the  faith  of  charity  is  the  end,  thought 
the  cause,  and  discourse  the  effect,  if  there  be  correspondence, 
then  faith  grounded  in  charity  flows  into  the  thought,  and  the 
thought  into  the  discourse,  and  they  so  act  in  unity,  that  the 
discourse  by  correspondence  is  as  it  were  the  end :  but  to  the 
intent  that  the  end,  which  is  love  or  faith,  may  produce  the 
cause,  which  is  will  and  thought,  it  must  call  in  administering 
means  in  the  rational  mind,  which  must  correspond  ;  fur  with- 
out administering  means  which  correspond,  the  end,  which  is 
love  or  faith,  cannot  be  received,  however  it  may  flow-in  from 
the  Lord  through  heaven.  Hence  it  is  manifest  that  the  inte- 
rior and  exterior  things  of  man,  that  is,  his  rational,  natural, 
and  sensual  things,  must  be  reduced  into  correspondence,  to  the 
intent  that  they  may  receive  the  divine  influx,  consequently 
that  he  may  be  re-born  ;  and  that  it  is  not  well  with  him  until 
this  is  effected.    Hence  now  it  is  that  in  the  present  passage, 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


the  expression,  "  when  it  is  well  with  thee,"  signifies  corre- 
spondence. 

5132.  "  And  do  mercy,  I  pray,  with  me." — This  signifies  the 
reception  of  charity,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  mer- 
cy," as  denoting  love,  see  n.  3063,  3073,  3120,  5012  ;  in  the 
present  case  love  towards  the  neighbour,  or  charity,  because 
the  reception  of  faith  was  spoken  of  above,  n.  5130 ;  for  faith 
and  charity  will  make  a  one  in  the  sensual  principle,  when  this 
is  re-born.  The  reason  why  mercy  signifies  charity  is,  because 
all  who  are  in  charity,  are  in  mercy,  or,  all  who  love  the  neigh- 
bour, are  merciful  to  him  ;  therefore  the  practice  of  charity  is 
described  in  the  Word  by  works  of  mercy,  as  in  Matthew,  "  I 
was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  me  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  }-e 
gave  me  to  drink;  I  was  a  sojourner,  and  ye  gathered  me; 
naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  ;  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me  ;  I  was 
in  prison,  and  ye  came  to  me,"  xxv.  35,  36  ;  and  in  other  places 
by  doing  good  to  the  poor,  the  afflicted,  the  w  idows,  and  the 
fatherless.  Charity  in  its  essence  is  to  will  well  to  the  neigh- 
bour, and  to  be  affected  with  good,  and  to  acknowledge  good 
for  the  neighbour,  consequently  those  who  are  principled  in 
good,  with  a  difference  according  to  their  advancement  in  good  : 
hence  charity,  inasmuch  as  it  is  affected  with  good,  is  affected 
with  mercy  towards  those  who  are  in  miseries  :  the  good  of 
charity  has  this  in  it,  because  it  descends  from  the  Lord's  love 
towards  the  whole  human  race  ;  and  this  love  is  mercy,  because 
all  the  human  race  is  constituted  in  miseries.  There  is  an  ap- 
pearance of  mercy  occasionally  with  the  wicked  who  are  in  no 
charity :  it  is  however  grief  on  account  of  what  themselves 
suffer ;  for  it  is  shown  towards  their  friends  who  make  one  with 
themselves,  and  when  their  friends  suffer,  they  sutler:  this  is 
not  the  mercy  of  charity,  but  the  mercy  of  friendship  for  the 
sake  of  self,  which  viewed  in  itself  is  unmercifulness ;  for  it 
despises  or  hates  all  others  except  itself,  thus  except  the  friends 
who  act  in  unity  with  itself. 

5133.  "  And  cause  me  to  be  remembered  to  Pharaoh." — 
This  signifies  communication  with  the  interior  natural,  as  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "causing  to  be  remembered 
to  any  one,"  as  denoting  to  communicate  ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  "  Pharaoh,"  as  denoting  the  interior  natural, 
see  n.  5080,  5095  :  by  communication  witli  the  interior  natural 
is  meant  conj unction  by  correspondence.  The  interior  natural 
is  that  which  receives  the  ideas  of  truth  and  good  from  the 
rational,  and  stores  them  up  for  use,  consequently  which  imme- 
diately communicates  with  the  rational  ;  but  the  exterior  natural 
is  that  which  receives  the  images  and  Mience  the  ideas  of  things 
from  the  world  through  sensual  things.  These  ideas,  unlesa 
illustrated  by  those  which  are  in  the  interior  natural,  present 
fallacies,  which  are  called  the  fallacies  of  the  senses.    When  a 


5132—5135.] 


GENESIS. 


573 


man  is  in  these  fallacies,  lie  believes  nothing  but  what  is  in 
agreement  with  them,  and  what  they  confirm,  as  is  the  case  if 
there  is  not  correspondence  :  and  there  is  not  correspondence, 
unless  the  man  be  imbued  with  charity ;  for  charity  is  the 
uniting  medium,  because  in  the  good  thereof  there  is  life  from 
the  Lord,  which  life  arranges  truths  into  order,  so  that  the 
form  or  image  of  charity  may  exist.  This  form  appears  visible 
in  the  other  life,  and  is  the  very  angelic  life  itself;  hence  all 
the  angels  are  forms  of  charity,  the  beauty  whereof  is  from  the 
truths  which  are  of  faith,  and  the  life  of  the  beauty  is  from 
the  good  which  is  of  charity. 

5134.  "  And  bring  me  out  of  this  house." — This  signifies 
liberation  from  evils,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
"  bringing  out,"  as  denoting  liberation ;  and  (2.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  "  a  house,"  as  denoting  good,  see  n.  710,  1708, 
2048,  2233,  3128,  3652,  3720,  4982,  therefore  in  the  opposite 
sense  it  denotes  evil :  hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  expression, 
"  bring  me  out  of  this  house,"  signifies  liberation  from  evils. 
This  also  follows  in  its  order  from  the  things  which  precede. 
When  faith  is  received  in  the  exterior  natural,  which  is  here 
treated  of,  n.  5130,  correspondence  is  effected,  n.  5131,  and 
charity  is  received,  n.  5132,  and  thereby  communication  is 
opened  with  the  interior  natural,  n.  5133,  which  in  this  case 
is  liberated  from  the  evils  whereby  the  celestial,  represented  by 
Joseph,  n.  5086,  5087,  5106,  was  alienated  ;  which  alienation 
is  signified  by  his  being  taken  away  by  theft,  as  presently 
follows :  and  also  when  the  natural  is  regenerated  by  charity 
and  faith,  it  is  liberated  from  evils  ;  for  evils  in  this  case  are 
separated,  and  are  cast  out  from  the  centre,  where  they  had 
heretofore  been,  to  the  circumferences,  whither  the  light  of 
truth  from  good  does  not  reach :  with  man  evils  are  thus  sepa- 
rated, but  still  they  are  retained,  for  they  cannot  be  altogether 
blotted  out ;  but  with  the  Lord,  who  made  the  natural  in  him- 
self Divine,  evils  and  falses  were  altogether  ejected  and  blotted 
out ;  for  the  Divine  can  have  nothing  in  common  with  evils 
and  falses,  neither  can  it  terminate  therein,  as  is  the  case  with 
man  ;  for  the  Divine  is  the  very  esse  of  good  and  truth,  which 
is  alienated  to  an  infinite  distance  from  what  is  evil  and  false. 

5135.  "  Because  in  being  taken  away  by  theft,  I  was  taken 
away." — This  signifies  that  celestial  things  were  alienated  by 
evil,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  "  Joseph,"  who 
says  these  things  of  himself,  as  denoting  the  celestial  in  the 
natural,  see  n.  5086,  5087,  5106,  consequently  as  denoting  ce- 
lestial things  therein  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  being 
taken  away  by  theft,"  as  denoting  to  be  alienated  by  evil ;  for 
to  steal  is  to  alienate,  and  theft  is  the  evil  which  alienates,  and 
also  theft  is  the  evil  which  claims  to  itself  the  things  which  are 
therein.    Theft  signifies  alienation  in  respect  to  the  habitation 


574 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


which  it  occupies,  from  which  it  ejects  goods  and  truths,  and 
which  it  fills  with  evils  and  falses  ;  it  also  signifies  the  claiming 
of  the  things  of  others,  when  it  attributes  to  itself,  and  makes 
its  own,  the  goods  and  truths  which  are  in  that  habitation,  and 
also  when  it  applies  them  to  evils  and  falses.  To  the  intent 
that  it  may  be  known  what  theft  is  in  the  spiritual  sense,  it  may 
be  expedient  to  show  how  the  case  is  with  evils  and  falses  when 
they  enter  and  occupy  the  habitation,  and  also  when  they  claim 
to  themselves  the  goods  and  truths  which  are  there.  A  man 
from  infancy  even  to  childhood,  and  in  some  cases  to  early 
youth,  imbibes  goods  and  truths  by  instruction  from  parents 
and  masters ;  for  at  that  time  he  eagerly  seizes  upon  those 
things  and  simply  believes  them :  the  state  of  innocence  helps 
them  forward,  fits  them  in  the  memory,  and  places  them  in  the 
first  threshold ;  for  infantile  and  puerile  innocence  is  not  the 
internal  innocence  which  affects  the  rational,  but  is  the  external 
innocence  which  only  affects  the  exterior  natural,  n.  2306,  3183, 
3494,  4503,  4797  ;  but  when  a  man  advances  in  age,  and  begins 
to  think,  not  as  heretofore  from  parents  and  masters,  but  from 
himself,  he  then  resumes  and  as  it  were  ruminates  upon  the 
things  which  he  had  before  learned  and  believed,  and  either 
confirms  them,  or  doubts  about  them,  or  denies  them  :  if  he 
confirms  them,  it  is  a  token  that  he  is  in  good ;  if  he  denies 
them,  it  is  a  token  that  he  is  in  evil ;  but  if  he  doubts  about 
them,  it  is  a  token  that  in  succeeding  a<*e  he  will  accede  either 
to  the  affirmative  or  to  the  negative.  The  things  which  a  man, 
like  an  infant  in  its  earliest  age,  eagerly  seizes  upon  or  believes, 
and  which  he  afterwards  either  confirms,  or  doubts  about,  or 
denies,  are  principally  these, — that  there  is  a  God,  and  that  he 
is  one ;  that  he  has  created  all  things  ;  that  he  rewards  those 
who  do  well,  and  punishes  those  who  do  evils ;  that  there  is  a 
life  after  death,  and  that  the  wicked  go  into  hell,  and  the  good 
into  heaven  ;  thus  that  there  are  a  hell  and  a  heaven ;  that  the 
life  after  death  is  eternal ;  also  that  we  ought  to  pray  daily,  and 
this  witli  humility,  that  the  sabbath  day  is  to  be  accounted  holy, 
that  parents  are  to  be  honoured,  and  that  we  are  not  to  commit 
adultery,  to  kill,  or  to  steal,  and  several  like  things.  These 
tilings  a  man  receives  and  imbibes  from  his  infancy  ;  but  when 
he  begins  to  think  from  himself,  and  to  lead  himself,  if  he  con- 
firms them  in  himself,  and  adds  to  them  things  of  a  still  more 
interior  nature,  and  lives  according  to  them,  it  is  then  well  with 
him ;  but  if  he  begins  to  infringe  upon  those  things,  and  at 
length  to  deny  them,  however  he  may  live  according  to  them  in 
externals  for  the  sake  of  civil  laws,  and  for  the  sake  of  society, 
he  is  then  in  evil.  This  is  the  evil  which  is  signified  by  theft, 
so  far  as,  like  a  thief,  it  occupies  the  habitation  where  good 
previously  was,  and  in  several  instances  so  far  as  it  takes  away 
the  goods  and  truths  which  had  previously  been  there,  and 


5135.] 


GENESIS. 


575 


applies  them  to  confirm  evils  and  falses.  The  Lord,  as  far  as  is 
possible,  in  snch  case  removes  the  goods  and  truths  from  that 
Habitation,  and  withdraws  them  towards  the  interiors,  and  stores 
them  up  for  use  in  the  interior  natural.  These  goods  and  truths 
stored  up  in  the  interior  natural  are  signified  in  the  Word  by 
"  remains,"  concerning  which  see  n.  468,  530,  560,  561,  660, 
661,  1050,  1738,  1906,  2284.  But  if  evil  steals  those  goods 
and  truths,  and  applies  them  to  confirm  evils  and  false-,  espe- 
cially if  it  does  this  from  deceit,  then  it  consumes  those  remains  ; 
for  in  such  case  it  mixes  together  evils  with  goods,  and  falses 
with  truths,  so  that  they  cannot  be  separated,  and  then  the 
man  is  totally  lost.  That  such  things  are  signified  by  theft, 
may  be  manifest  from  the  application  of  theft  to  the  things 
which  are  of  spiritual  life.  In  spiritual  life  there  are  no  other 
riches  than  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  and  no  other 
possessions  and  inheritances  than  the  happiness  of  life  derived 
I'rni n  goods  and  consequent  truths.  To  steal  those  things,  as 
was  said  above,  is  theft  in  the  spiritual  sense ;  wherefore  by 
thefts  in  the  Word  nothing  else  is  signified  in  the  internal  sense  ; 
as  in  Zechariah,  "  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes  and  looked,  when 
behold !  a  flying  roll.  Then  he  said  to  me,  This  is  the  curse 
going  forth  over  the  faces  of  the  whole  earth  :  for  every  one  that 
stealeth  hence,  like  it,  is  innocent ;  and  every  one  that  for- 
sweareth  himself,  like  it,  is  innocent.  I  have  cast  it  forth,  that 
it  may  enter  into  the  house  of  the  thief,  and  into  the  house  of 
him  that  forsweareth  himself  by  my  name  for  a  lie:  and  it  shall 
pass  the  night  in  his  house,  and  shall  consume  it,  and  the  wood 
thereof,  and  the  stones  thereof,"  v.  1,  3,  4.  The  evil,  which 
takes  away  the  remains  of  good,  is  signified  by  him  that  steals 
and  by  the  house  of  the  thief ;  and  the  false,  which  takes  away 
the  remains  of  truth,  is  signified  by  him  that  forswears  himself 
and  by  his  house.  The  faces  of  the  whole  earth  denote  the 
tmiversal  church ;  therefore  it  is  said  that  that  curse  shall  con- 
sume the  house,  and  the  wood  thereof,  and  the  stones  thereof. 
A  house  denotes  the  natural  mind,  or  the  man  in  respect 
thereto,  n.  3128,  3538,  4973,  5023 ;  wood  denotes  goods  in  that 
mind,  n.  2784,  2812,  3720,  4943;  and  stones  denote  truths, 
n.  643,  1298,  3720.  The  profanation  and  consequent  taking 
away  of  good  and  truth  in  the  spiritual  sense  is  signified  by  the 
deed  of  Achan,  who  took  of  the  accursed  things  a  cloak  of 
Shinar,  two  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  and  a  tongue  of  gold, 
and  hid  them  beneath  the  earth  in  the  midst  of  his  tent ;  on 
which  account  he  was  stoned,  and  all  the  things  were  burned  ; 
respecting  which,  it  is  thus  written  in  Joshua,  "  Jehovah  said 
ttnto  Joshua,  Israel  hath  sinned ;  they  have  transgressed  my 
covenant  which  I  commanded  them,  and  they  have  taken  of  the 
accursed  thing;  they  have  committed  theft  /  they  have  dissem- 
bled, and  they  have  put  it  among  their  vessels."  vii.  10,  11,  21, 


576 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


25.  Accursed  things  signified  falses  and  evils,  which  were  in 
no  wise  to  be  mixed  with  holy  things :  the  cloak  of  Shinar,  the 
shekels  of  silver,  and  the  tongue  of  gold,  in  the  spiritual 
sense,  denote  species  of  the  false :  to  hide  them  beneath  the 
earth  in  the  midst  of  the  tent,  signified  commixture  with  holy 
things :  a  tent  denotes  what  is  holy,  see  n.  414,  1102,  1566, 
2145,  2152,  3312,  4128,  4391,  4599.  These  things  were  sig- 
nified by  Israel's  committing  theft,  dissembling,  and  putting 
them  among  their  vessels  ;  for  vessels  are  holy  truths,  n.  3068, 
3079,  3316,  3318.  And  in  Jeremiah,  "  I  will"  bring  the  calam 
ity  of  Esau  upon  him,  the  time  I  will  visit  him.  If  grape- 
gatherers  should  come  to  thee,  will  they  not  leave  gleaning 
grapes  ?  If  thieves  in  the  night,  will  they  not  spoil  the  suffi- 
ciency ?  I  will  make  Esau  bare ;  I  will  uncover  his  hidden 
things,  and  he  shall  not  be  able  to  hide  himself ;  his  seed  is 
devastated,  and  his  brethren,  and  his  neigbours,  and  he  is 
not,"  xlix.  8  to  10  ;  where  Esau  denotes  the  love  of  evil  to  which 
falses  are  adjoined,  n.  3322  ;  that  this  evil  consumes  the  remains 
of  good  and  truth,  is  signified  by  thieves  spoiling  the  sufficiency 
in  the  night,  and  by  his  seed,  his  brethren,  and  his  neighbours 
being  devastated,  and  he  being  not :  seed  denotes  the  truths 
which  are  of  faith  derived  from  charity,  n.  1025,  1447,  1610, 
1940,  2848,  3038,  3310,  3373;  brethren  denote  the  goods  of 
charity,  n.  367,  2360,  2508,  2524,  3160,  3303,  3459,  3815, 
4121,  4191  ;  neighbours  denote  his  adjoined  and  adjacent  truths 
and  goods.  In  like  manner  it  is  written  of  Esau  in  Obadiah, 
"  If thieves  should  come  to  thee,  if  destroyers  by  night,  how  wilt 
thou  be  cut  off!  will  they  not  steal  what  is  enough  for  them?  if 
grape-gatherers  should  come  to  thee,  will  they  not  leave  some 
clusters?"  verse  5.  Grape-gatherers  denote  falses  which  are 
not  from  evil ;  by  those  falses  the  goods  and  truths  stored  up 
by  the  Lord  in  a  man's  interior  natural,  that  is,  the  remains, 
are  not  consumed,  but  by  falses  derived  from  evils,  which  steal 
truths  and  goods,  and  also  employ  them  to  confirm  evils  and 
falses  by  sinister  applications.  So  in  Joel,  "A  people  great 
and  strong;  they  shall  run  like  mighty  men,  they  shall  climb 
the  wall  like  men  of  war ;  and  every  one  shall  proceed  in  his 
ways.  They  shall  run  to  and  fro  in  the  city ;  they  shall  run 
upon  the  wall ;  they  shall  come  up  into  the  houses  ;  they  shall 
enter  in  through  the  icindows  like  a  thief''  ii.  2,  7,  9.  A 
people  great  and  strong  denotes  falses  fighting  against  truths, 
n.  1259,  1260;  and  because  they  fight  strongly  in  destroying 
truths,  they  are  said  to  be  like  mighty  men  and  men  of  war ; 
the  citv,  through  which  thev  are  said  to  run  to  and  fro,  de- 
notes the  doctrinals  of  truth",  n.  402,  2268,  2449,  2712,  2943, 
3216  ;  the  houses,  into  which  they  shall  come  up,  denote  the 
goods  which  they  destroy,  n.  710,  1708,  2048,  2233,  3128,  3652. 
3720,  49S2 ;  the  windows,  through  which  they  shall  enter  in. 


5136.] 


GENESIS. 


577 


denote  things  intellectual  and  thence  reasonings,  n.  655,  658, 
3391 ;  hence  they  are  compared  to  a  thief,  because  they  seize 
upon  the  habitation  previously  occupied  by  truths  and  goods. 
So  in  David,  "  Since  thou  hatest  discipline,  and  castest  my 
words  behind  thee  ;  if  thou  seest  a  thief  thou  runnest  with  him, 
and  thy  part  is  with  the  adulterers  ;  thou  openest  thy  mouth 
for  evil,  and  with  thy  tongue  thou  framest  deceit,"  Psalm  1. 
17  to  19  ;  speaking  of  a  wicked  person  :  here  to  run  with  a  thief 
denotes  to  alienate  truth  from  himself  by  what  is  false.  And 
in  the  Apocalypse,  "  They  repented  not  of  their  murders,  or 
of  their  incantations,  or  of  their  whoredoms,  or  of  c heir  thefts," 
ix.  21.  Murders  denote  the  evils  which  destroy  goods  ;  incan- 
tations denote  the  falses  thence  derived  which  destroy  truths ; 
whoredoms  denote  truths  falsified  ;  thefts  denote  goods  thereby 
alienated.  And  in  John,  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  yon,  He 
that  entereth  not  by  the  door  into  the  sheep-fold,  but  climbeth 
up  some  other  way,  he  is  a  thief  and  a  robber  ;  but  he  that 
entereth  by  the  door,  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep.  I  am  the 
door ;  by  me  if  any  jne  enter,  he  shall  be  saved,  and  shall  go 
in  and  out,  and  find  pasture.  The  thief  cometh  only  to  steal, 
and  to  kill,  and  to  dostroy,"  x.  1,  2,  9,  10.  In  this  passage  a 
thief  denotes  the  eviJ  of  merit ;  for  he  that  takes  away  from  the 
Lord  what  is  hia.  and  claims  it  to  himself,  is  called  a  thief ;  as 
this  evil  closes  the.  way,  and  prevents  good,  and  truth  from  the 
Lord  from  flowing-in,  it  is  said  to  kill  and  to  destroy  :  the  like 
is  signified  by  the  commandment  in  the  Decalogue,  "Thou 
shalt  not  steal,"  Dent.  v.  19,  n.  1174.  From  these  considera- 
tions it  may  be  evident,  what  is  signified  by  the  laws  enacted 
in  the  Jewish  church  concerning  thefts,  as  in  Exod.  xxi.  16  ; 
chap.  xxii.  1  to  4  ;  Deut.  xxiv.  7 ;  for  all  the  laws  in  that  church, 
as  they  derived  their  origin  from  the  spiritual  world,  correspond 
to  the  laws  of  order  which  are  in  heaven. 

5136.  "  From  the  land  of  the  Hebrews." — This  signifies 
from  the  church,  viz.,  that  heavenly  things  were  alienated  by 
evil,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  the  land  of  the 
Hebrews,  as  denoting  the  church  :  the  land  of  the  Hebrews  is 
here  the  land  of  Canaan,  for  Joseph  was  taken  away  thence. 
The  reason  why  the  land  of  Canaan  in  the  Word  signifies  the 
church,  is,  because  the  church  had  been  in  that  land  from  the 
most  ancient  time ;  first  the  most  ancient  church  which  ^ras 
before  the  fiood,  next  the  ancient  church  which  was  after  the 
flood,  afterwards  the  other  ancient  church  which  was  called  the 
Hebrew  church,  and  at  length  the  Jewish  church  :  and  in  order 
thac  the  Jewish  church  might  be  there  instituted,  Abram  was 
commanded  to  betake  himself  thither  out  of  Syria,  and  it  was 
there  promised  him  that  that  land  should  be  given  to  his  pos 
terity  for  an  inheritance ;  hence  it  is  that  land  [or  earth]  in  the 
Word  signifies  the  church ;  and  the  whole  earth,  mentioned 
vol.  v.  37 


£78 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


throughout  the  "Word,  signifies  the  universal  church ;  and  the 
new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  also  signify  a  new  church  inter- 
nal and  external.  The  reason  why  the  church  was  continued 
there  from  the  most  ancient  time  was,  because  the  man  of  the 
most  ancient  church,  who  was  celestial,  was  such,  that  in  all 
and  singular  things  which  were  in  the  world  and  upon  the 
earth,  he  saw  a  representative  of  the  Lord's  kingdom ;  the  ob- 
jects of  the  world  and  of  the  earth  being  to  him  the  mediums 
of  thinking  about  heavenly  things.  Hence'all  the  representa- 
tives and  significatives,  which  were  afterwards  known  in  the 
ancient  church,  took  their  rise  ;  for  they  were  collected  by  those 
who  are  understood  by  Enoch,  and  were  preserved  for  the  use 
of  posterity,  n.  519,  521,  2896 ;  from  this  circumstance  it  came 
to  pass,  that  all  the  places,  and  also  all  the  mountains  and  rivers 
in  the  land  of  Canaan,  where  the  most  ancient  people  dwelt, 
were  made  representative,  and  also  all  the  kingdoms  round 
about ;  and  as  the  Word  could  not  be  written  otherwise  than 
by  representatives  and  significatives,  even  those  of  places, 
therefore  for  the  sake  of  that  end  the  church  was  successively 
preserved  in  the  land  of  Canaan;  but  after  the  coming  of  the 
Lord  it  was  translated  elsewhere,  because  then  representatives 
were  abolished:  from  these  considerations  it  is  evident,  that  the 
land  of  Canaan,  which  is  here  called  the  land  of  the  Hebrews, 
signifies  the  church.  But  see  what  has  been  previously  ad- 
duced on  these  subjects,  viz.,  that  the  most  ancient  church, 
which  was  before  the  flood,  was  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  n.  567, 
.'!i>86,  4147,  4454 :  that  part  of  the  ancient  church,  which  was 
after  the  flood,  was  there,  n.  3686,  4447 :  also  that  another  an- 
cient church,  which  was  called  the  Hebrew  church,  was  there, 
n.  4516,  4517 :  that  Abram  on  that  account  was  ordered  to  go 
thither,  and  the  land  was  given  to  his  posterity,  n.  3686,  4447 : 
that  from  this  circumstance  the  land  of  Canaan  represented  the 
Lord's  kingdom,  n.  1607,  3038,  34S1,  3705,  4240,  4447  :  and 
that  hence  earth  [or  land]  in  the  Word  signifies  the  church,  n. 
566,  662.  1(»66,  1068,  1262,  1413, 1607, 1733,  1850,  2117,  2118, 
3355,  4447,  4535. 

5137.  "  And  also  here  I  have  not  done  any  thing." — This 
signilies  innocence,  as  may  appear  without  explanation  ;  for  not 
to  do  any  evil,  is  a  token  of  innocence. 

513S.  "  That  they  should  put  me  into  the  pit." — This  signi- 
fies rejection  among  falses,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"  a  pit,"  as  denoting  the  false,  see  n.  4728,  4744,  5038.  The 
subject  treated  of  above  was  evil,  in  that  celestial  things  were 
alienated  by  evil,  n.  5134,  5135;  the  subject  here  treated  of  is 
the  false ;  for  where  the  one  is  mentioned  in  the  Word,  so 
also  is  the  other;  thus  where  evil  is  mentioned,  so  also  is  the 
false ;  because  where  good  is  treated  of,  there  also  truth  is 
treated  of,  to  the  intent  that  there  may  be  a  marriage  ii?.  tha 


5137—5140.] 


GENESIS. 


579 


minutest  things  of  the  Word  ;  for  the  heavenly  marriage  is 
that  of  good  and  truth,  whereas  the  infernal  marriage  is  that 
of  evil  and  the  false ;  for  where  there  is  evil,  there  also  is  the 
false,  adjoining  itself  to  evil  like  a  wife  to  a  husband  ;  and 
where  there  is  good,  there  also  is  truth,  because  truth  conjoins 
itself  to  good,  like  a  wife  to  a  husband  :  hence  from  the  life  it 
may  be  known  what  is  the  quality  of  the  faith  ;  for  good  is  of 
the  life  and  truth  is  of  the  faith,  and  on  the  other  hand  evil  and 
the  false.  That  there  is  a  marriage  in  the  minutest  things  of 
the  Word,  may  be  seen,  n.  683,  793,  801,  2173,  2516,  2712,  4137. 

5139.  Verses  16  to  19.  And  the  prince  of  the  bakers  saw 
that  he  interpreted  good,  and  he  said  to  Joseph,  I  also  icas  in 
rn y  dream,  and  behold  there  were  three  baskets  perforated  upon 
my  head.  And  in  the  highest  basket  there  ivas  of  all  PharaolCs 
meat,  the  work  of  the  baker  :  and  the  fowls  did  eat  them  out  of 
the  basket  from  upon  my  head.  And  Joseph  ansivered,  and 
said,  This  is  the  interpretation  thereof.  The  three  baskets  fire 
three  days.  Yet  xoithin  three  days  Pharaoh  will  lift  thy  head 
from  upon  thee,  and  will  hang  thee  upon  wood,  and  the  fowls 
will  eat  thy  flesh  from  upon  thee.  And  the  prince  of  the 
bakers  saw,  signifies  apperception  of  the  sensual  subject  to  the 
will-part :  that  he  interpreted  good,  signifies  what  should  hap- 
pen :  and  he  said  to  Joseph,  signifies  the  perception  of  the 
celestial  in  the  natural :  I  also  was  in  my  dream,  signifies  pre- 
diction :  and  behold  there  were  three  baskets,  signifies  the  suc- 
cessions of  the  things  of  the  will :  perforated  upon  my  head, 
signifies  without  termination  any  where  in  the  middle :  and  in 
the  highest  basket,  signifies  the  inmost  of  the  will :  there  was 
of  all  Pharaoh's  meat,  signifies  full  of  celestial  good  for  the 
nourishment  of  the  natural :  the  work  of  the  baker,  signifies 
according  to  all  the  use  of  the  sensual :  and  the  fowls  did  eat 
them  out  of  the  basket  from  upon  my  head,  signifies  that  the 
false  grounded  in  evil  consumed  it :  and  Joseph  answered  and 
said,  signifies  revelation  from  perception  from  the  celestial  in 
the  natural :  this  is  the  interpretation  thereof,  signifies  what  it 
had  in  it :  the  three  baskets,  signifies  the  successions  of  things 
of  the  will :  are  three  days,  signifies  even  to  the  last :  yet 
within  three  clays,  signifies  what  is  in  the  last :  Pharaoh  will 
lift  thy  head  from  upon  thee,  signifies  what  is  concluded  from 
what  is  foreseen :  and  will  hang  thee  upon  wood,  signifies  re- 
jection and  damnation :  and  the  fowls  will  eat  thy  flesh  from 
upon  thee,  signifies  that  the  false  of  evil  will  consume  the  things 
which  are  of  those  sensual  things. 

5140.  "  And  the  prince  of  the  bakers  saw." — This  signifies 
apperception  of  the  sensual  subject  to  the  will-part,  as  appears 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  to  see,"  as  denoting  to  under- 
stand and  apperceive,  see  n.  2150,  2807,  3764,  4723  ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  "  the  prince  of  the  bakers,"  as  denoting 


580 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xL 


in  general  the  sensual  subject  to  the  will-part,  thus  those  sen- 
sual things,  see  n.  5078,  5082. 

5141.  "That  he  interpreted  good." — This  signifies  what 
should  happen,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  interpret- 
ing, as  denoting  what  it  had  in  it,  or  what  was  in  it,  see  above, 
n.  5093,  5105,  5107,  5121;  thus  also  what  should  happen: 
that  good  would  happen,  is  an  apperception  grounded  in  the 
sensual,  which  apperception  is  respectively  obscure :  there  are 
actually  apperception  from  the  sensual  or  exterior  natural,  ap- 
perception from  the  interior  natural,  and  apperception  from  the 
rational ;  for  when  a  man  is  in  interior  thought  from  affection, 
and  withdraws  his  mind  from  sensual  things  and  from  the  body, 
he  is  then  in  rational  apperception :  for  in  such  case  the  things 
which  are  beneath,  or  those  of  the  external  man,  are  at  rest,  and 
the  man  is  then  almost  in  his  spirit :  but  when  a  man  is  in  ex- 
terior thought,  grounded  in  causes  which  exist  in  the  world,  in 
this  case  his  apperception  is  from  the  interior  natural ;  the 
rational  indeed  flows-in,  but  not  with  any  life  of  affection ;  but 
when  a  man  is  in  pleasures,  and  in  the  delights  of  the  love  of 
the  world,  and  also  of  self-love,  in  this  case  the  apperception  is 
from  the  sensual ;  his  life  is  in  things  external  or  in  the  body, 
and  admits  no  more  from  interior  things  than  may  suffice  to 
moderate  and  check  his  sallies  into  what  is  dishonourable  and 
unbecoming.  The  more  external,  however,  the  apperception  is, 
so  much  the  more  obscure  it  is ;  for  exterior  things  are  respect- 
ively general,  since  innumerable  interior  things  appear  as  a  one 
in  what  is  exterior. 

5142.  "And  he  said  to  Joseph." — This  signifies  the  percep- 
tion of  the  celestial  in  the  natural,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  "saying"  in  the  historicals  of  the  Word,  as  de 
noting  perception,  which  lias  been  frequently  mentioned  before; 
and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  "  Joseph,"  as  denoting  the 
celestial  in  the  natural,  see  n.  5086,  5087,  5106. 

5143.  "I  also  was  in  my  dream." — This  signifies  prediction, 
as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  a  dream,"  as  denoting  pre- 
diction concerning  an  event,  see  n.  5092,  5104,  5112. 

5144.  "  And  behold  there  were  three  baskets." — This  signi- 
fies the  successions  of  the  things  of  the  will,  as  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  "  three,"  as  denoting  what  is  complete  ' 
and  continuous  even  to  the  end,  see  n.  2788,  4495,  5114,  5122 ; 
thus  what  is  successive ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of 

"  baskets,"  as  denoting  the  things  of  the  will.  The  reason  why 
baskets  denote  the  things  of  the  will  is,  because  they  are  ves- 
sels to  contain  meats,  and  because  meats  signify  celestial  and 
spiritual  goods,  and  these  are  of  the  will ;  for  all  good  apper- 
tains to  the  will,  and  all  truth  to  the  understanding:  as  soon 
as  any  thing  proceeds  from  the  will,  it  is  perceived  as  a  good. 
That  which  is  treated  of  in  what  goes  before  was  the  sensual 


5141- -51 M.] 


GENESIS. 


581 


subject  to  the  intellectual  part,  which  was  represented  by  the 
butler ;  that  which  is  now  treated  of  is  the  sensual  subject  to 
the  will-part,  which  is  represented  by  the  baker,  see  n.  5077, 
507S,  5082  ;  what  is  successive  or  continuous  in  intellectual 
things,  was  represented  by  the  vine,  its  three  shoots,  flowers, 
clusters,  and  grapes,  and  at  length  the  truth,  which  is  of  the 
intellectual,  was  represented  by  the  cup,  n.  5120  ;  but  what  is 
successive  in  the  things  of  the  will  is  represented  by  three 
baskets  upon  the  head,  in  the  highest  of  which  there  was  of  all 
Pharaoh's  meat,  the  work  of  the  baker :-  by  what  is  successive 
in  things  of  the  will  we  mean  what  is  successive  from  the  inmost 
of  a  man  even  to  his  outermost,  in  which  is  the  sensual ;  for 
there  are  degrees  or  steps  as  of  a  ladder  from  the  inmost  to  the 
outermost,  n.  5114;  into  the  inmost  there  flows-in  good  from 
the  Lord,  and  this  through  the  rational  into  the  interior  natural, 
and  thence  into  the  exterior  natural  or  sensual  distinctly,  as  it 
were  by  the  steps  of  a  ladder  ;  and  in  every  step  it  is  qualified 
according  to  reception :  but  how  the  case  is  further  with  this 
influx  and  its  succession,  will  be  shown  in  what  follows.  Bas- 
kets signify  things  of  the  will,  so  far  as  goods  are  therein,  also 
in  other  passages  of  the  Word,  as  in  Jeremiah,  "  Jehovah 
showed  me,  when  lo !  two  baskets  of  Jigs  were  set  before  the 
temple  of  Jehovah.   In  the  one  basket  the  figs  were  very  good, 
like  the  figs  of  [trees]  bearing  the  first  fruits  ;  but  in  the  other 
basket  the  figs  were  very  evil,  which  could  not  be  eaten,  they 
were  so  bad,"  xxiv.  1,  2.    In  this  passage  "a  basket"  is  ex- 
pressed by  another  term  (corbis)  in  the  original,  signifying  the 
will  (voluntarium)  in  the  natural ;  the  figs  which  were  in  one 
basket  are  natural  goods,  but  those  in  the  other  are  natural 
evils.    And  in  Moses,  "  When  thou  shalt  come  into  the  land 
which  Jehovah  thy  God  shall  give  thee,  thou  shalt  take  of  the 
first-fruits  of  all  the  fruit  of  the  land,  and  shalt  bring  them  out 
of  thy  land,  and  shalt  put  them  in  a  basket,  and  shalt  go  to  the 
place  which  Jehovah  shall  choose :  then  the  priest  shall  take 
the  basket  out  of  thy  hand,  and  shall  set  it  before  the  altar  of 
Jehovah  thy  God,"  Deut.  xxvi.  1,  2,  4;  in  this  passage  also, 
"  a  basket"  is  expressed  by  another  term  (calathus),  signifying 
the  new  will  in  the  intellectual  part ;  the  first-fruits  of  the 
fruit  of  the  earth  are  the  goods  which  are  thence  derived. 
Again,  to  sanctify  Aaron  and  his  sons,  Moses  was  to  take  un- 
leavened bread  and  cakes  unleavened  mixed  with  oil,  and 
wafers  unleavened  anointed  with  oil,  and  to  make  them  flour 
of  wheat ;  and  was  to  place  them  upon  one  basket,  and  bring 
them  near  in  the  basket.    Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  eat  of  the 
flesh  of  the  ram  and  the  bread  in  the  basket  at  the  door  of  the 
tent  of  the  assembly,  Exod.  xxix.  2,  3,  32.    In  this  passage  "  a 
basket"  is  expressed  by  the  same  term  (canistrum)  as  in  this 
chapter,  signifying  the  will,  in  which  are  the  goods  signified  by 


582 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


bread,  cakes,  oil,  wafers,  flour,  and  wheat :  by  the  will  (volxcn- 
tarium)  is  understood  what  contains,  for  goods  from  the  Lord 
flow  into  man's  interior  forms  as  into  its  vessels,  which  forms, 
if  they  are  disposed  for  reception,  are  the  baskets  wherein  those 
goods  are  dejiosited.  Again,  when  a  Nazarite  was  inaugurated, 
he  shall  take  "«  basket  of  unleavened  of  fine  flour,  cakes  mixed 
with  oil,  and  wafers  unleavened  anointed  with  oil,  with  theii 
meat-offering  and  their  drink-offerings  :  he  shall  also  make  a 
ram  a  sacrifice  of  peace-offerings  to  Jehovah,  besides  a  basket 
of  unleavened  ;  and  the  priest  shall  take  a  boiled  shoulder  of 
the  ram,  and  one  unleavened  cake  out  of  the  basket,  and  one 
wafer  unleavened,  and  shall  give  them  upon  the  hand  of  the 
Nazarite,  and  he  shall  wave  them  with  waving  before  Jevovah," 
Numb.  vi.  15,  17,  19.  In  this  passage  also  "a  basket"  (canis- 
trum),  as  that  which  contains,  denotes  the  will ;  the  cakes, 
wafers,  oil,  meat-offering,  and  boiled  shoulder  of  the  ram,  are 
the  celestial  goods  which  were  represented ;  for  the  Nazarito 
represented  the  celestial  man,  n.  3301.  At  that  time  similar 
tilings,  which  were  for  worship,  were  carried  in  baskets  (canis- 
tris  sen  calathis)  /  so  also  was  the  kid  of  the  goats  by  Gideon, 
which  he  brought  forth  to  the  angel  under  the  oak,  Judges  vi. 
19,  and  this  because  baskets  (canistri  et  calaihi)  represented 
both  the  containing  vessels  and  their  contents. 

5145.  "  Perforated  upon  my  head." — This  signifies  without 
termination  any  where  in  the  middle,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the 
signification  of  "perforated,"  as  denoting  what  is  open  from 
the  highest  to  the  lowest,  thus  what  is  not  closed,  consequently 
what  is  without  termination  any  where  in  the  middle  ;  and  (2.) 
from  the  signification  of  "  the  head,"  as  denoting  the  interiors, 
especially  those  of  the  will ;  for  in  the  head  are  all  substances 
and  forms  in  their  beginnings,  therefore  all  sensations  thither 
tend  and  there  present  themselves,  and  thence  all  acts  descend 
and  have  their  derivations  :  that  the  faculties  of  the  mind  are 
there,  viz.,  the  things  of  the  understanding  and  the  will,  is  evi- 
dent ;  therefore  the  head  signifies  the  interiors ;  those  baskets 
represented  the  things  which  are  in  the  head.  The  subject  now 
treated  of  is  the  sensual  things  subject  to  the  will-part,  and 
"  the  baskets  perforated  upon  tlie  head,"  signifies  that  the  inte- 
riors were  without  termination  any  where  in  the  middle,  where- 
fore also  those  sensual  things  were  rejected  and  damned,  as  it 
follows  :  but  it  may  be  expedient  to  say  what  we  mean  by  their 
being  without  termination  any  where  in  the  middle.  A  man's 
interiors  are  distinguished  into  degrees,  and  in  every  degree 
are  terminated,  and  by  termination  separated  from  the  inferior 
degree,  thus  from  the  inmost  to  the  outermost:  the  interior 
rational  constitutes  the  first  degree,  in  which  are  the  celestial 
angels,  or  in  which  is  the  inmost  or  third  heaven  ;  the  exterior 
rational  constitutes  another  degree,  in  which  are  the  spiritual 


5145.] 


GENESIS. 


583 


angels,  or  in  which  is  the  middle  or  second  heaven  ;  the  interior 
natural  constitutes  a  third  degree,  in  which  are  good  spirits,  or 
the  ultimate  or  iirst  heaven  ;  the  exterior  natural,  or  the  sen- 
sual, constitutes  a  fourth  degree,  in  which  man  is.  These 
degrees  with  man  are  most  distinct;  hence  a  man,  as  to  his 
interiors,  it'  he  lives  in  good,  is  a  heaven  in  its  least  form,  or  his 
interiors  correspond  to  the  three  heavens  ;  and  hence  if  a  man 
has  lived  the  life  of  charity  and  love,  he  can  after  death  be 
translated  even  into  the  third  heaven:  but  in  order  to  acquire 
such  a  capacity,  it  is  necessary  that  all  his  degrees  be  well  ter- 
minated, ami  thus  by  terminations  be  distinct  one  amongst 
another  ;  and  when  they  are  terminated,  or  by  terminations  are 
made  distinct  one  amongst  another,  every  degree  is  a  plane,  in 
which  the  good  flowing-in  from  the  Lord  rests  and  is  received  : 
without  those  degrees  as  planes,  good  cannot  be  received,  but 
flows  through,  as  through  a  sieve  or  a  perforated  basket,  even 
to  the  sensual,  and  in  that,  since  it  is  without  any  direction  in 
the  way,  it  is  changed  into  what  is  filthy,  which  appears  to 
those  who  are  in  it  as  good,  viz.,  into  the  delight  of  self-love  and 
the  love  of  the  world,  consecpiently  into  the  delight  of  hatred, 
revenge,  cruelty,  adultery,  avarice,  or  into  mere  voluptuousness 
and  luxuriousness :  this  is  the  case  if  the  things  of  the  man's 
will  are  without  termination  any  where  in  the  middle,  or  if  they 
are  perforated.  It  may  also  be  known  whether  there  are  ter- 
minations and  consequent  planes,  they  being  indicated  by  the 
perceptions  of  good  and  truth,  and  of  conscience  :  with  those 
who,  like  the  celestial  angels,  have  perceptions  of  good  and 
truth,  the  terminations  are  from  the  first  degree  to  the  last,  as 
without  the  terminations  of  each  degree,  they  cannot  have  such 
perceptions:  concerning  those  perceptions,  see  n.  125,  202, 
495,  503,  511,  536,  597,  607,  784,  865,  895,  1121,  13S3,  1384, 
1387, 1919,  2144,  2145,  2171,  2515,  2831  :  with  those  who,  like 
the  spiritual  angels,  have  conscience,  there  are  also  termina- 
tions, but  from  the  second  degree,  or  from  the  third  to  the 
last,  the  first  degree  being  closed  to  them.  We  say  from  the 
second  degree,  or  the  third,  because  conscience  is  twofold,  inte- 
rior and  exterior ;  interior  conscience  is  that  of  spiritual  good 
and  truth,  exterior  conscience  is  that  of  justice  and  equity. 
Conscience  itself  is  an  interior  plane,  in  which  the  influx  of  the 
divine  good  terminates ;  but  those  who  have  no  conscience, 
have  not  any  interior  plane  which  receives  influx ;  and  with 
them  good  flows  through  even  to  the  exterior  natural  or  natural 
sensual,  and  there,  as  we  said,  is  turned  into  filthy  delights. 
Sometimes  they  appear  to  have  a  pain  as  it  were  of  conscience  ; 
bat  it  is  not  conscience :  it  is  a  pain  arising  from  the  privation 
of  their  delight,  as  of  honour,  gain,  reputation,  life,  pleasures,  or 
the  friendship  of  such  as  themselves  ;  and  this  is  in  consequence 
of  the  terminations  being  in  such  delights  :  from  these  consider 


584 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


ations  it  may  be  evident  what  is  signified  in  the  spiritual  sense 
by  the  perforated  baskets.  In  the  other  life  especially  it  is  dis- 
covered whether  the  things  of  a  man's  will  have  been  termi- 
nated or  not :  with  those  in  whom  they  have  been  terminated, 
there  is  a  zeal  for  spiritual  good  and  truth,  or  for  what  is  just- 
and  equitable  ;  for  they  had  done  good  for  the  sake  of  good  or 
of  truth,  and  had  acted  justly  for  the  sake  of  what  is  just  or 
equitable,  not  for  the  sake  of  gain,  honour,  and  the  like.  All 
those  with  whom  the  interiors  of  the  will  have  been  terminated, 
are  elevated  to  heaven,  for  the  Divine  flowing-in  can  lead  them; 
but  all  those  with  whom  the  interiors  of  the  will  have  not  been 
terminated,  betake  themselves  into  hell,  for  the  Divine  flows 
through,  and  is  turned  into  what  is  infernal,  as  when  the  heat 
of  the  sun  falls  upon  filthy  excrements,  whence  comes  an  offen- 
sive stench :  consequently  all  who  have  had  conscience,  are 
saved,  but  those  who  have  not,  cannot  be  saved.  The  things  of 
the  will  are  said  to  be  perforated  or  not  terminated,  when  the 
man  has  no  affection  of  good  and  truth,  or  of  what  is  just  and 
equitable,  but  when  these  things  are  held  respectively  as  vile  or 
as  nought,  or  are  esteemed  only  for  the  sake  of  securing  gain  01 
honour.  It  is  the  affections  that  terminate  and  close,  therefore 
also  they  are  called  bonds — the  affections  of  good  and  truth 
internal  bonds,  and  those  of  evil  and  the  false  external  bonds, 
n.  3835' ;  unless  the  affections  of  evil  and  the  false  were  bonds, 
the  man  would  be  insane,  n.  4217  ;  for  insanities  are  nothing 
else  but  the  loosenings  of  such  bonds,  thus  they  are  non-termi- 
nations therein  ;  but  as  in  these  bonds  there  are  no  internal 
bonds,  therefore  there  is  insanity  within  as  to  the  thoughts  and 
affections,  which  is  prevented  from  bursting  forth  by  the  govern- 
ment of  external  bonds,  such  as  the  affections  of  gain,  honour, 
or  reputation  for  the  sake  thereof,  and  the  consequent  fear  of 
the  law  and  of  the  loss  of  life.  This  was  represented  in  the 
Jewish  church  by  the  declaration,  "Every  open  vessel  in  the 
house  of  a  dead  person,  over  which  there  was  not  a  piece  of 
cloth  for  a  covering,  should  be  unclean,"  Numb.  xix.  15  :  simi- 
lar things  are  also  signified  by  works  "full  of  holes"  in  Isaiah, 
"Those  who  make  thread  of  silk,  and  who  weave  works  full  of 
holes,  shall  be  ashamed ;  and  the  foundations  thereof  shall  be 
bruised ;  all  that  make  the  ponds  of  the  soul  a  reward,"  xix.  9, 
-10:  and  by  "holes"  in  Ezekiel,  "The  spirit  introduced  the 
prophet  to  the  gate  of  the  court,  where  he  looked,  and  behold 
one  hole  in  the  wall ;  and  he  said  to  him,  Come,  bore  through 
the  wall  ;  therefore  he  bored  through  the  wall,  and  behold  one 
door.  Then  the  spirit  said  to  him,  Go  in  and  see  the  abomina- 
tions which  they  do  here  :  when  he  went  in  and  saw,  behold 
every  form  of  creeping  thing  and  beast,  an  abomination,  and  all 
the  idols  of  the  house  of  Israel  painted  upon  the  wall  round 
about,"  viii.  7  to  10. 


5146,  5147.] 


GENESIS. 


585 


5146.  "And  in  the  highest  basket." — This  signifies  the 
inmost  of  the  will,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "a 
basket,"  as  denoting  the  will,  see  above,  n.  5144;  and  (2.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  the  highest,"  as  denoting  the  inmost,  see 
n.  2148,  3084,  4599.  The  highest  denotes  the  inmost,  because 
interiors,  with  man  who  is  in  space,  appear  as  superiors,  and 
exteriors  as  inferiors  ;  but  when  the  idea  of  space  is  put  off,  as 
is  the  case  in  heaven,  and  also  in  our  interior  thought,  then  is 
put  off  the  idea  of  what  is  high  and  deep  ;  for  height  and  depth 
come  from  the  idea  of  space  :  yea,  in  the  interior  heaven  nei- 
ther have  they  the  idea  of  interiors  and  exteriors,  because  to 
this  idea  there  also  adheres  somewhat  of  space,  but  they  have 
the  idea  of  more  perfect  or  more  imperfect  states  ;  for  interiors 
are  in  a  more  perfect  state  than  exteriors,,  because  interiors  are 
nearer  to  the  Divine,  and  exteriors  are  more  remote  thence : 
this  is  the  reason  why  what  is  highest  signifies  what  is  inmost. 
Nevertheless  no  one  can  comprehend  what  the  interior  is  in 
respect  to  the  exterior,  unless  he  knows  how  the  case  is  with 
degrees;  concerning  which,  see  n.  3691,  4154,  5114,  5145.  A 
man  has  no  other  conception  concerning  what  is  interior  and 
thence  more  perfect,  than  as  concerning  what  is  purer  in  con- 
tinual diminution ;  but  what  is  purer  and  what  is  grosser  may 
exist  in  one  and  the  same  degree,  as  well  according  to  exten- 
sion and  compression,  as  according  to  determinations,  and  also 
according  to  the  insertions  of  things  homogeneous  or  hetero- 
geneous. As  such  is  the  idea  concerning  the  interior  things  of 
man,  it  cannot  be  otherwise  apprehended  than  that  exteriors 
cohere  with  interiors  by  continuance,  and  thereby  act  altoge- 
ther in  unity  ;  but  if  a  genuine  idea  be  formed  concerning 
degrees,  it  may  then  be  comprehended  how  interiors  and  exte- 
riors are  distinct  one  amongst  another,  and  that  they  are  so 
distinct,  that  interiors  can  exist  and  subsist  without  exteriors,  but 
exteriors  in  no  wise  without  interiors :  it  may  also  be  compre- 
hended, how  the  case  is  with  the  correspondence  of  interiors  in 
exteriors,  and  likewise  how  exteriors  can  represent  interiors. 
The  above  is  the  reason  why  the  learned  can  form  nothing  but 
mere  hypotheses  in  their  dissertations  concerning  the  inter- 
course of  the  soul  and  the  body,  and  why  also  several  of  them 
believe  that  the  life  is  in  the  body,  and  thus,  that  when  their 
body  dies,  they  shall  die  also  as  to  interiors  by  reason  of  their 
coherence  ;  when  yet  it  is  only  the  exterior  degree  which  dies, 
the  interior  degree  in  this  case  surviving  and  living. 

5117.  "There  was  of  all  Pharaoh's  meat." — This  signifies 
full  of  celestial  good  for  the  nourishment  of  the  natural,  as 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  meat,"  as  denoting  celes- 
tial good,  of  which  we  shall  speak  presently  ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  "  Pharaoh,"  as  denoting  the  interior  natural, 
concerning  which,  see  n.  5080,  5095,  and  also  the  natural  prin- 


586 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


ciple  in  common  ;  for  the  interior  natural  and  the  exterior  make 
a  one  when  they  correspond  ;  and  since  meat  is  for  nourish- 
ment, therefore  "  there  was  of  all  Pharaoh's  meat,"  signifies 
full  of  celestial  good  for  the  nourishment  of  the  natural.  It  is 
said  that  the  meat  was  in  the  highest  basket,  and  this  signifies 
that  the  inmost  of  the  will  was  full  of  celestial  good  ;  for  good 
from  the  Lord  flows-in  through  a  man's  inmost  principle,  and 
thence  by  steps  as  of  a  ladder  to  exteriors  :  for  the  inmost 
principle  is  respectively  in  the  most  perfect  state,  therefore  it 
can  immediately  receive  good  from  the  Lord,  but  not  so  inferior 
principles  :  if  inferior  principles  received  good  from  the  Lord 
immediately,  they  would  either  obscure  it  or  pervert  it,  for  they 
are  respectively  more  imperfect.  As  to  the  influx  of  celestial 
good  from  the  Lord,  and  its  reception,  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  a 
man's  will  receives  good,  and  his  intellectual  principle  receives 
truth,  and  that  the  intellectual  principle  cannot  in  any  wise 
receive  truth,  so  as  to  appropriate  it,  unless  at  the  same  time 
the  will  receives  good,  so  also  vice  versa  f  for  the  one  flows-in 
thereby  into  the  other,  and  disposes  the  other  to  receive.  In- 
tellectual things  may  be  compared  to  forms  which  are  continu- 
ally varying,  and  the  things  of  the  will  to  the  harmonies  result- 
ing from  the  variation  ;  consequently  truths  may  be  compared 
to  variations,  and  goods  to  the  delights  thence  derived ;  and  as 
this  is  eminently  the  case  with  truths  and  goods,  it  may  be 
manifest  that  the  one  cannot  exist  without  the  other,  also  that 
one  cannot  be  produced  but  by  the  other.  The  reason  why 
meat  signifles  celestial  good  is,  because  the  meats  of  the  angels 
are  no  other  than  the  goods  of  love  and  charity,  by  which  they 
are  not  only  vivified  but  also  recreated.  Those  goods  in  act,  or 
the  exercise  thereof,  serve  especially  for  their  recreation  ;  for 
they  are  their  desires,  and  it  is  well  known  that  desires  when 
they  are  actually  obtained,  afford  recreation  and  life.  That 
such  things  yield  nourishment  to  a  man's  spirit,  when  material 
meats  yield  nourishment  to  his  body,  may  also  be  manifest  from 
this  consideration,  that  meats  without  delights  conduce  little  to 
nourishment,  but  with  delights  they  nourish,  since  delights  are 
what  open  the  passages  or  ducts  which  receive  and  convey  into 
the  blood,  whereas  things  undelightful  close  them.  With  the 
angels  those  delights  are  the  goods  of  love  and  charity ;  and 
hence  it  may  be  concluded  that  the  goods  of  love  and  charity 
are  spiritual  meats,  which  correspond  to  earthly  meats  :  as 
goods  are  meats,  so  truths  are  drinks.  In  the  Word  we  fre- 
quently read  of  meats :  he  that  is  not  acquainted  with  the  in- 
ternal sense,  cannot  know  but  that  common  meats  are  there 
meant,  whereas  they  are  spiritual  meats,  as  in  Jeremiah,  "All 
the  people  sigh;  they  seek  bread,'  they  have  given  their  desir- 
able things  for  food  to  recreate  the  soul,"  Lam.  i.  11.  And  in 
Isaiah,  "  Every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters ;  aud 


5148.] 


GENESIS. 


587 


he  that  hath  no  money,  come  ye,  buy,  and  eat ;  and  come  ye, 
buy  tome  and  milk  without  silver  and  without  price,"  lv.  1. 
And  in  Joel,  "  The  clay  of  Jehovah  is  near,  and  as  a  devastation 
from  the  thunderer  it  shall  come.  Is  not  the  meat  cut  off  before 
our  eyes  I  gladness  and  joy  from  the  house  of  our  God?  The 
grains  are  rotten  under  their  clods,  the  garners  are  wasted,  the 
granaries  are  destroyed,  because  the  corn  is  withered,"  i.  15  to 
17.  And  in  David,  "  Our  garners  are  full,  yielding/zwrt,  meat 
to  meat  J  our  flocks  are  thousands  and  ten  thousands  in  our 
streets  ;  there  is  no  cry  in  our  villages  :  blessed  is  the  people  to 
whom  it  is  thus,"  Psalm  cxliv.  13  to  15.  Again,  "All  things  wait 
for  thee,  that  thou  mayest  give  them  their  meat  in  their  season; 
thou  givest  them,  they  gather;  thou  openest  thy  hand,  they  are 
satisfied  with  good,"  Psalm  civ.  27,  28.  In  these  passages  celes- 
tial and  spiritual  meat  is  meant  in  the  internal  sense,  when 
material  meat  is  meant  in  the  sense  of  the  letter ;  hence  it  is 
evident,  how  the  interiors  and  the  exteriors  of  the  Word,  or  the 
things  which  are  of  the  spirit  therein  and  those  which  are  of  the 
letter,  correspond  to  each  other ;  so  that  while  a  man  under- 
stands them  according  to  the  sense  of  the  letter,  the  attendant 
angels  understand  the  same  according  to  the  spiritual  sense : 
thus  the  Word  was  written,  so  as  to  be  serviceable  not  oidy  to 
the  human  race,  but  also  to  heaven :  on  which  account  all  the 
expressions  therein  are  significative  of  heavenly  things,  and  all 
the  things  are  representative  thereof,  and  this  even  to  the  least 
tittle.  That  meat  in  the  spiritual  sense  denotes  good,  the  Lord 
also  teaches  manifestly  in  John,  "Labour  not  for  the  meat  which 
perisheth,  but  for  the  meat  which  remaineth  unto  everlasting 
life,  which  the  Son  of  man  will  give  unto  you,"  vi.  27.  Again, 
"  My  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed,"  John 
vi.  55  ;  flesh  is  divine  good,  n.  3813,  and  blood  is  divine  truth, 
n.  4735.  Again,  "  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples,  I  have  meat  to  eat 
which  ye  know  not  of.  The  disciples  said  one  to  another,  Hath 
any  one  brought  him  any  thing  to  eat?  Jesus  said  unto  them, 
My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  and  to  finish  his 
work,"  iv.  32  to  34 :  to  do  the  will  of  the  Father,  and  to  finish 
his  work,  is  the  divine  good  in  act  or  exercise,  which  in  the 
genuine  sense  is  meat,  as  was  said  above. 

5148.  "  The  work  of  the  baker." — This  signifies  according 
to  all  the  use  of  the  sensual,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  "  work,"  as  denoting  according  to  all  use,  of  which  we 
shall  speak  presently  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a 
baker,"  as  denoting  the  sensual  subject  to  the  will-part,  see  n. 
5078,  5082.  The  reason  why  work  denotes  use  is,  because  it  is 
predicated  of  the  will,  or  of  the  sensual  subject  to  the  will-part, 
and  whatever  is  done  thereby,  and  may  be  called  work,  must 
be  use :  all  works  of  charity  are  nothing  else,  for  they  are 
"works  from  the  will,  which  are  uses. 


588 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


5149.  "And  the  fowls  did  eat  them  out  of  the  basket  from 
upon  my  head." — This  signifies  that  the  false  grounded  in  evil 
consumed  it,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  fowls," 
as  denoting  things  intellectual,  and  also  thoughts,  consequently 
the  things  which  are  thence  derived ;  in  tlie  genuine  sense 
truths  of  every  kind,  and  in  the  opposite  sense  falses,  see  n.  40, 
745,  776,  778,  866,  988,  3219 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification 
of  "to  eat,"  as  denoting  to  consume;  the  expression  also  in  the 
original  here  rendered  did  eat  denotes  to  consume  ;  and  (3.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  a  basket,"  as  denoting  the  will,  see  n. 
5144,  5146,  in  the  present  case  evil  from  the  will,  because  the 
basket  was  perforated,  n.  5145 ;  hence  it  follows,  that  the  fowl 
eating  out  of  the  basket  from  above  the  head  signifies,  that  the 
false  grounded  in  evil  consumed.  The  false  is  of  a  twofold 
origin,  the  false  of  doctrine,  and  the  false  of  evil :  the  false  of 
doctrine  does  not  consume  goods,  for  a  man  may  be  in  the  false 
of  doctrine,  and  yet  in  good  ;  hence  even  the  Gentiles  are  saved 
in  all  sorts  of  doctrine ;  but  the  lalse  of  evil  consumes  goods, 
evil  itself  being  opposite  to  good  :  yet  by  itself  it  does  not  con- 
sume goods,  but  by  means  of  the  false ;  for  the  false  assaults 
the  truths  which  are  of  good,  truths  being  as  it  were  the  out- 
works within  which  is  good,  and  by  the  false  the  out-works  are 
attacked  and  overthrown,  and  when  these  are  overthrown,  good 
is  given  to  the  curse.  He  who  does  not  know  that  fowls  signify 
things  intellectual,  cannot  know  but  that  when  fowls  are  named 
in  the  Word,  either  fowls  are  meant  thereby,  or  the  term  is 
used  in  the  way  of  comparison  as  in  common  discourse.  That 
fowls  denote  the  things  of  the  understanding,  as  the  thoughts, 
ideas,  reasonings,  principles,  consecpiently  truths  or  falses,  no 
one  can  know  but  from  the  internal  sense ;  as  in  Luke,  "  The 
kingdom  of  God  is  like  unto  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which  a 
man  took  and  cast  into  his  garden ;  and  it  grew,  and  became  a 
great  tree,  so  that  the  fowls  of  heaven  dwelt  in  the  branches 
thereof''  xiii.  19 ;  the  fowls  of  heaven  denote  truths.  And  in 
Ezekiel,  "  It  shall  become  a  stately  cedar,  and  under  it  shall 
dwell  all  fowl  of  every  wing  ;  in  the  shade  of  the  branches 
thereof  shall  they  dwell,"  xvii.  23;  where  fowl  of  every  wing 
denotes  truths  of  every  kind.  Again,  "Ashur  is  a  cedar  in 
Lebanon ;  in  his  branches  all  the  fowls  of  the  heavens  built 
their  nests,  and  beneath  his  branches  every  beast  of  the  field 
brought  forth,  and  in  his  shade  dwelt  all  great  nations,"  xxxi. 
3,  6 :  fowls  of  the  heavens  in  like  manner  denote  truths.  Again, 
"Upon  his  ruin  shall  dwell  every  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  upon 
his  branches  shall  be  every  wild  beast  of  the  field,"  xxxi.  13; 
where  fowl  of  the  heavens  denotes  falses.  And  in  Daniel, 
Nebuchadnezzar  saw  in  a  dream,  "  Behold  a  tree  in  the  midst 
of  the  earth,  under  it  the  beast  of  the  field  had  shade,  and  in 
the  branches  thereof  dwelt  the  fowls  of  heaven"  iv.  10  to  12 : 


5149-  -5152.J 


GENESIS. 


589 


in  this  passage  also  the  fowls  of  heaven  denote  falses.  And  in 
Jeremiah,  "I  saw,  when  lo  !  there  was  no  man,  and  all  the 
fowls  of  heaven  had  flown  away,"  iv.  25 :  "  no  man"  denotes 
there  was  no  good,  n.  4287 ;  the  fowls  of  heaven  having  flown 
away,  denote  that  truths  were  dissipated.  Again,  "  From  the 
fowl  of  the  heavens  even  to  the  beast,  they  have  flown  away, 
they  have  gone  away,"  ix.  10 ;  where  the  meaning  is  the  same. 
And  in  Matthew,  "A  sower  went  forth  to  sow,  and  some  fell 
upon  the  hard  way;  and  the  fowls  came  and  devoured  it"  xiii. 
3,  4 ;  where  fowls  denote  reasonings,  and  also  falses  :  in  like 
manner  in  several  other  passages. 

5150.  "And  Joseph  answered  and  said." — This  signifies 
revelation  from  perception  from  the  celestial  in  the  natural,  as 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  answering  and  saying," 
as  denoting  revelation  from  perception,  see  above,  n.  5121 ; 
and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  "  Joseph,"  as  denoting  the 
celestial  in  the  natural,  see  n.  5086,  5087,  5106.  The  reason 
why  Joseph  here  denotes  the  celestial  in  the  natural  is,  because 
the  natural  is  treated  of.  With  respect  to  the  celestial  and  the 
spiritual,  the  case  is  this :  the  celestial  itself  and  the  spiritual 
itself,  which  flows  into  heaven  from  the  Divine  of  the  Lord, 
dwells  principally  in  the  interior  rational ;  for  in  that  the  forms 
are  more  perfect  and  accommodated  to  reception  ;  nevertheless 
the  celestial  and  spiritual  from  the  Lord's  Divine  flow  also  into 
the  exterior  rational,  and  likewise  into  the  natural,  both  medi- 
ately and  immediately;  mediately  through  the  interior  rational, 
and  immediately  from  the  Lord's  Divine  itself ;  what  flows-in 
immediately  is  that  which  arranges,  and  what  flows-in  mediately 
is  that  which  is  arranged  ;  thus  it  is  in  the  exterior  rational,  and 
also  in  the  natural :  hence  may  be  manifest  what  is  meant  by 
the  celestial  in  the  natural.  The  celestial  is  from  the  divine 
good,  and  the  spiritual  from  the  divine  truth,  each  from  the 
Lord,  which,  when  they  are  in  the  rational,  are  called  the 
celestial  and  spiritual  in  the  rational,  and  when  in  the  natural, 
are  called  the  celestial  and  spiritual  in  the  natural.  The 
rational  and  the  natural  mean  the  man  himself,  so  far  as  he  is 
formed  to  receive  the  celestial  and  the  spiritual,  but  the  rational 
means  his  internal  and  the  natural  his  external.  By  influx  and 
according  to  reception  a  man  is  called  celestial  or  spiritual ; 
celestial,  if  he  receives  the  Lord's  divine  good  in  the  will-part, 
spiritual,  if  in  the  intellectual  part. 

5151.  "This  is  the  interpretation  thereof."— This  signifies 
what  it  had  in  it,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  inter- 
pretation," as  denoting  what  it  has  in  it,  or  what  is  therein,  see 
above,  n.  5093,  5105,  5107. 

5152.  "  The  three  baskets." — This  signifies  the  successions 
of  the  things  of  the  will,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 


590 


GEXESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


"  three  baskets,"  as  denoting  the  successions  of  the  things  of 
the  will,  see  above,  n.  5141. 

5153.  "Are  three  clays." — This  signifies  even  to  the  last,  as 
appears  from  the  signification  of  "  three,"  as  denoting  one  period 
and  what  is  continuous  thereof  from  beginning  to  end,  thus 
even  to  the  last,  see  n.  2788,  4495,  5122. 

5154.  "  Yet  within  three  days." — This  signifies  what  is  in 
the  last,  as  appears  from  what  was  said  just  above,  n.  5152, 
concerning  the  signification  of  three. 

5155.  "  Pharaoh  will  lift  thy  head  from  upon  thee." — This 
signifies  what  is  concluded  from  what  is  foreseen,  as  appears 
from  the  signification  of  "  lifting  the  head,"  as  denoting  what 
is  provided  and  thence  concluded,  or  what  is  concluded  from 
what  is  provided,  see  above,  n.  5124 ;  but  in  the  present  case 
from  what  is  foreseen,  because  it  follows  that  he  should  be 
hanged  on  wood,  which  signifies  rejection  and  damnation.  The 
reason  why  it  signifies  what  is  concluded  from  what  is  foreseen, 
but  not  from  what  is  provided,  is,  because  providence  is  predi- 
cated of  good,  but  foresight  of  evil ;  for  all  good  flows-ill  from 
the  Lord,  therefore  it  is  provided ;  but  all  evil  is  from  hell  or 
from  man's  proprium,  which  makes  one  with  hell,  therefore  it 
is  foreseen.  Providence  in  respect  to  evil  is  nothing  else  but 
the  direction  or  determination  of  evil  to  what  is  less  evil,  and 
as  much  as  possible  to  good ;  but  the  evil  itself  is  foreseen :  in 
the  present  case  therefore,  as  the  subject  treated  of  is  the  sensual 
which  is  subject  to  the  will-part,  and  its  rejection  on  account  of 
evil,  it  is  foresight  which  is  signified. 

5156.  "And  will  hang  thee  upon  wood." — This  signifies  re- 
jection and  damnation,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"being  hanged  upon  wood,"  as  denoting  rejection  and  damna- 
tion ;  for  hanging  upon  wood  was  a  corse,  and  a  curse  is  re- 
jection from  the  Divine,  consequently  it  is  damnation.  That 
hanging  upon  wood  was  a  curse,  is  evident  from  Moses,  "When 
there  shall  be  in  a  man  the  crime  of  the  judgment  of  death, 
and  he  shall  be  slain,  so  that  thou  hang  him  upon  wood,  his 
carcase  shall  not  be  all  night  upon  the  wood,  but  burying  thou 
shalt  bury  him  on  the  same  day ;  for  he  that  is  hanged  is  the 
curse  of  God ;  because  thou  shalt  not  pollute  the  earth,  which 
Jehovah  thy  God  will  give  thee  for  an  inheritance,"  Dent.  xxi. 
22,  23.  His  not  being  all  night  upon  the  wood,  signified  per- 
petual rejection,  for  in  the  evening  the  day  commenced  anew; 
therefore  unless  those  who  were  hanged  had  been  rejected  be- 
fore the  evening,  it  would  have  represented  that  evil  was  not 
rejected,  consequently  that  the  earth  was  not  freed  from  it,  but 
that  it  was  polluted;  therefore  it  is  added,  "Thou  shalt  not 
pollute  the  earth  which  Jehovah  thy  God  will  give  thee  for  an 
inheritance  :"  that  those  who  were  hanged  remained  to  the 


5153—5157.] 


GENESIS. 


591 


evening  and  no  longer,  may  be  seen,  Josh/ia  viii.  29;  chap.  x. 
26.  With  the  Jewish  nation  there  were  two  principal  punish- 
ments, stoning  and  hanging ;  stoning  was  on  account  of  the 
false,  and  hanging  on  wood  was  on  account  of  evil ;  and  this 
was  because  a  stone  denotes  truth,  n.  643,  1298,  3720,  and  in 
the  opposite  sense  the  false ;  and  wood  denotes  good,  n.  2784, 
2812,  3720,  and  in  the  opposite  sense  evil ;  therefore  in  the 
prophetic  Word,  mention  is  occasionally  made  of  committing 
whoredom  with  stone  and  wood,  and  thereby  is  signified  the 
perversion  of  truth,  or  the  false,  and  the  adulteration  of  good, 
or  evil. 

5157.  "  And  the  fowls  will  eat  thy  flesh  from  upon  thee." — 
This  signifies  that  the  false  of  evil  will  consume  the  things 
which  are  of  those  sensual  things,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  sig- 
nification of  "  to  eat,"  as  denoting  to  consume,  see  above,  n. 
5149 ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  fowls,"  as  denoting 
the  false,  see  also  above,  n.  5149  ;  and  (3.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  "flesh,"  as  denoting  good,  see  n.  3812,  3813,  hence 
in  the  opposite  sense  denoting  evil :  several  expressions  in  the 
Word  have  also  an  opposite  sense,  which  is  known  from  their 
signification  in  the  genuine  sense ;  and  (4.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  "  from  upon  thee,"  as  denoting  from  the  sensual  things 
subject  to  the  will-part,  which  are  represented  by  the  baker,  n. 
5078,  50S2 ;  and  that  these  were  evil,  and  therefore  to  be  re- 
jected, is  evident  from  what  goes  before.  How  the  case  is  in 
this  respect,  viz.,  that  the  sensual  things  subject  to  the  intel- 
lectual part,  which  are  represented  by  the  butler,  were  retained, 
and  the  sensual  things  subject  to  the  will-part,  which  are  repre- 
sented by  the  baker,  were  rejected,  is  an  arcanum,  which  can- 
not be  comprehended  without  illustration ;  but  the  following- 
observations  may  serve  in  some  ways  for  its  elucidation.  Sen- 
sual things  mean  those  scientifics  and  delights  which  have  been 
insinuated,  through  the  five  external  or  bodily  senses,  into  a 
man's  memory  and  its  concupiscences,  and  which  together  con- 
stitute his  exterior  natural,  from  which  he  is  called  a  sensual 
man.  Those  scientifics  are  subject  to  the  intellectual  part,  but 
the  delights  to  the  will-part ;  the  scientifics  also  have  reference 
to  truths  which  are  of  the  understanding,  and  the  delights  to 
goods  which  are  of  the  will ;  the  former  are  what  are  repre- 
sented by  the  butler  and  were  retained,  but  the  latter  are  what 
are  represented  by  the  baker  and  were  rejected.  The  reason 
why  the  former  were  retained  is,  because  for  a  time  they  could 
agree  with  intellectual  things,  and  the  reason  why  the  latter 
were  rejected  is,  because  they  could  not  in  any  wise  agree 
together ;  for  the  will-principle  in  the  Lord,  who  is  treated  of 
in  the  supreme  sense,  was  divine  from  conception,  and  was  the 
divine  good  itself;  but  the  will-principle  by  nativity  from  the 
mother  was  evil,  and  was  therefore  to  be  rejected,  and  a  new 


592 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xL 


one  to  be  procured  in  its  place  from  the  divine  will-principle 
by  the  intellectual,  or  from  the  divine  good  by  the  divine  truth, 
thus  from  his  own  proper  ability  :  this  is  the  arcanum,  which  in 
the  internal  sense  is  here  described. 

5158.  Yerses  20  to  23.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day, 
PharaoKs  birthday,  that  he  made  a  feast  for  all  his  servants, 
and  lifted  up  the  head  of  the  prince  of  the  hitlers,  and  the  head 
of  the  prince  of  the  bakers,  in  the  midst  of  his  servants.  And 
he  brought  back  the  prince  of  the  butlers  upon  his  butlership, 
and  he  gave  the  cup  into  the  palm  of  Pharaoh' 's  hand.  And 
he  hanged  the  prince  of  the  bakers,  as  Joseph  had  interpreted  to 
them.  And  the  prince  of  the  butlers  did  not  remember  Joseph, 
and  forgot  him.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day,  signi- 
fies in  the  last :  Pharaoh's  birthday,  signifies  when  the  natural 
was  regenerated :  he  made  a  feast  for  all  his  servants,  signifies 
initiation  and  conjunction  with  the  exterior  natnral  :  and  lifted 
up  the  head,  signifies  according  to  what  was  provided  and  fore- 
seen :  of  the  prince  of  the  butlers  and  the  head  of  the  prince 
of  the  bakers,  signifies  concerning  the  sensual  things  subject 
to  each  part,  the  intellectual  and  the  will-part:  in  the  midst 
of  his  servants,  signifies  which  are  among  those  things  that  are 
in  the  exterior  natural :  and  he  brought  back  the  prince  of 
the  butlers  upon  his  butlership,  signifies  that  the  sensual  things 
of  the  intellectual  part  were  received  and  made  subordinate: 
and  he  gave  the  cup  into  the  palm  of  Pharaoh's  hand,  signi- 
fies that  they  were  made  subservient  to  the  interior  natural : 
and  he  hanged  the  prince  of  the  bakers,  signifies  that  the  sen- 
sual things  of  the  will-part  were  rejected  :  as  Joseph  had  inter- 
preted to  them,  signifies  prediction  from  the  celestial  in  the 
natural:  and  the  prince  of  the  butlers  did  not  remember  Jo- 
seph, signifies  that  there  was  not  as  yet  conjunction  in  every 
way  with  the  celestial  of  the  natural:  and  forgot  him,  signi- 
fies removal. 

5159.  "  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day." — This  signi- 
fies in  the  last,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  the  third 
day,"  as  denoting  the  last  of  a  state  ;  for  day  denotes  state,  n. 
23,  487,  488,  493,  893,  2788,  3462,  3785,  4850,  and  the  third 
denotes  what  is  complete,  thus  the  last,  n.  1825,  27SS,  4495 ; 
by  the  last  of  a  state  is  meant  when  a  prior  state  ceases,  and  a 
new  one  commences.  "With  the  man  who  is  regenerating  a 
new  state  commences  when  the  order  is  changed,  as  is  the  case 
when  interiors  acquire  dominion  over  exteriors,  and  exteriors 
begin  to  serve  interiors,  as  well  as  to  intellectual  things  as  to 
the  things  of  the  will.  This  is  apperceived  with  those  who  are 
regenerating  from  this  circumstance,  that  somewhat  inwardly 
dictates  a  caution  lest  sensual  delights  and  corporeal  or  terres- 
trial pleasures  should  have  rule,  and  should  draw  intellectual 
things  over  to  their  party  to  confirm  such  rule  ;  and  when  this 


5158—5160.] 


GENESIS. 


593 


is  the  case,  the  prior  state  is  in  its  last,  and  the  new  state  is  in 
its  first :  this  is  what  is  signified  by  "  on  the  third  day."  With 
every  man,  whether  he  be  regenerating  or  not,  there  exist 
changes  and  also  inversions  of  state,  bnt  in  one  way  with  those 
who  are  regenerating,  and  in  another  with  those  who  are  not : 
with  those  who  are  not  regenerating,  those  changes  or  inver- 
sions are  effected  from  causes  in  the  body,  and  on  account  of 
causes  in  civil  life.  The  causes  in  the  body  are  the  lusts  which 
come  with  age,  and  depart  with  it,  also  reflections  upon  the 
health  of  the  body  and  long  life  in  the  world :  the  causes  in 
civil  life  are  apparent  external  restraints  of  the  lusts,  principally 
with  a  view  to  acquire  reputation  and  to  be  accounted  wise  and 
lovers  of  what  is  just  and  good,  but  for  the  end  of  securing 
honours  and  gain  ;  whereas  with  those  who  are  regenerating,  the 
above  changes  or  inversions  are  effected  for  the  sake  of  spirit- 
ual causes,  which  proceed  from  what  is  essentially  gcod  and 
just.  When  a  man  begins  to  be  affected  with  these,  he  is  in 
the  end  of  a  prior  state,  and  in  the  beginning  of  a  new  one. 
But  since  few  persons  are  capable  of  knowing  how  the  case 
herein  is,  it  may  be  expedient  to  illustrate  it  by  an  example  : 
he  that  does  not  suffer  himself  to  be  regenerated,  loves  the 
things  of  the  body  for  the  sake  of  the  body,  but  not  for  any 
other  end,  and  also  the  world  for  the  sake  of  the  world,  and  he 
goes  no  higher,  because  the  things  which  are  higher  or  interior, 
he  denies  in  his  heart :  but  he  that  is  regenerating,  loves  also 
the  things  of  the  body,  and  likewise  those  of  the  world,  but  for  the 
sake  of  a  higher  or  interior  end  ;  for  he  loves  the  things  of  the 
body  for  the  sake  of  the  end  that  he  may  have  a  sound  mind 
in  a  sound  body,  and  he  loves  his  mind  and  its  soundness  for 
the  sake  of  an  end  still  more  inward,  viz.,  that  he  may  relish 
good  and  understand  truth  :  he  also  loves  the  things  of  the  world, 
like  others,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  end,  that  by  means  of  the 
world,  its  wealth,  possessions,  and  honours,  he  may  be  in  the  way 
of  practising  good  and  truth,  justice  and  equity :  from  this 
example  may  be  known  the  quality  of  each,  and  that  in  the 
external  form  they  appear  alike,  while  in  the  internal  they  are 
altogether  different;  from  these  considerations  may  also  be 
manifest  the  nature  and  quality  of  the  causes  which  produce 
the  changes  and  inversions  of  state  with  those  who  are  not  re- 
generating, and  with  those  who  are ;  and  hence  likewise  it  may 
be  known,  that  with  the  regenerate  interiors  have  rule  over  ex- 
teriors, whereas  with  the  unregenerate  exteriors  have  rule  over 
interiors.  It  is  the  ends  which  a  man  regards  that  have  rule : 
for  the  ends  regarded  bring  all  things  in  him  into  subordina- 
tion and  subjection  to  themselves :  a  man's  most  essential  life 
is  from  no  other  source  than  from  the  end  regarded,  because 
the  end  regarded  is  always  what  he  loves. 

5160.  "  Pharaoh's  birthday." — This  signifies  when  the  nat- 
vol.  v.  38 


59* 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xh 


ural  vas  regenerated,  as  appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of 
"to  'ie  born,"  as  denoting  to  be  regenerated,  of  which  we  shall 
speak  presently ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  "  Pharaoh," 
as  denoting  the  interior  natural,  see  n.  5080,  5095,  in  the  present 
case  the  natural  in  general,  because,  with  the  regenerate,  the 
interior  natural  and  the  exterior  act  in  unity  by  correspondence. 
The  reason  why  "  to  be  born"  denotes  to  be  regenerated  is,  be- 
cause in  the  internal  sense  spiritual  things  are  meant,  and 
spiritual  birth  is  regeneration,  which  is  also  called  re-birth  ; 
wherefore  when  mention  is  made  in  the  Word  of  nativity,  no 
other  nativity  is  understood  in  heaven  than  what  is  effected  by 
water  and  the  spirit,  that  is,  by  faith  and  charity  ;  for  by  being 
re-born  or  regenerated,  a  man  is  made  a  man,  and  is  altogether 
distinguished  from  the  brutes,  for  he  then  becomes  a  son  and 
heir  of  the  Lord's  kingdom  :  that  the  nativities  which  are  men- 
tioned in  the  Word  signify  spiritual  nativities,  may  be  seen,  n. 
1145,  1255,  3860,  3868,  4070,  4668. 

5161.  "He  made  a  feast  for  all  his  servants." — This  signifies 
initiation  and  conjunction  with  the  exterior  natural,  as  appeal's 
(1.)  from  the  signification  of  "  a  feast,"  as  denoting  initiation, 
to  conjunction,  see  n.  3832,  and  as  denoting  also  conjunction 
by  love  and  appropriation,  n.  3596  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  significa- 
tion of  "  servants,"  as  denoting  those  things  which  are  of  the 
exterior  natural ;  for  when  a  man  is  regenerating,  inferiors  are 
made  subordinate  and  subject  to  superiors,  or  exteriors  to  inte- 
riors, in  which  case  exteriors  become  servants,  and  interiors 
lords :  such  things  are  signified  by  servants  in  the  Word,  as  may 
be  seen,  n.  2541,  3019,  3020;  but  they  become  servants  of  a 
quality  agreeable  to  the  love  wherewith  they  arc  loved  by  the 
Lord  ;  for  it  is  mutual  love  which  conjoins,  causing  it  not  to  be 
apperceived  as  service,  but  as  compliancelrom  the  heart ;  for 
good  flows-in  from  within,  which  causes  such  delight  therein. 
Feasts  were  formerly  made  for  various  reasons,  and  they  sig- 
nified initiation  into  mutual  love,  and  thereby  conjunction; 
they  were  also  made  on  birthdays,  and  then  they  represented 
the  new  birth  or  regeneration,  which  is  the  conjunction  of  inte- 
riors with  exteriors  in  man  by  love,  consequently  the  conjunc- 
tion of  heaven  with  the  world  in  him ;  for  what  is  worldly  or 
natural  with  man  is  in  such  case  conjoined  with  what  is  spiritual 
and  celestial. 

5162.  "  And  lifted  up  the  head." — This  signifies  what  is 
provided  and  foreseen,  as  appears  from  the  signification  of 
"  lifting  up  the  head,"  as  denoting  what  is  concluded  from 
what  is  provided,  and  also  from  what  is  foreseen,  see  above,  n. 
5124,  5155  ;  what  is  provided  in  respect  to  the  sensual  subject 
to  the  intellectual  part,  and  retained  as  good,  which  is  repre- 
sented by  the  butler,  and  what  is  foreseen  in  respect  to  the  sen- 
sual subject  to  the  will-part,  and  rejected  as  evil,  which  is  repre* 


5161—5164.] 


GENESIS. 


595 


sented  by  the  baker  ;  for  good  is  provided,  and  evil  is  foreseen, 
because  all  good  is  from  the  Lord,  and  all  evil  is  from  hell,  oi 
from  man's  proprktm  ;  that  a  man's  proprium  is  nothing  but 
evil,  see  n.  210,  215,  694,  874  to  876,  987,  1023,  1044,  1047, 
1581,  3812,  4328. 

5163.  "  Of  the  prince  of  the  butlers,  and  the  head  of  the 
prince  of  the  bakers." — This  signifies  concerning  the  sensual 
things  subject  to  each  part,  the  intellectual  and  the  will-part, 
as  appeal's  (1.)  from  the  representation  of  "  the  butler,"  as  de- 
noting the  sensual  subject  to  the  intellectual  part,  n.  5077, 
5082  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  representation  of  "  the  baker,"  as  de- 
noting the  sensual  subject  to  the  will-part,  see  n.  5078,  5082. 

5164.  "  In  the  midst  of  his  servants." — This  signifies  which 
are  among  those  things  which  are  in  the  exterior  natural,  as 
appears  (1.)  from  the  signification  of  "in  the  midst,"  as  denot- 
ing among  them  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signification  of  "  servants," 
as  denoting  those  things  which  are  in  the  exterior  natural,  see 
just  above  n.  5161.  In  the  Word  all  things  are  called  servants 
which  are  beneath,  and  thence  subordinate  and  subject  to  supe- 
riors, as  those  things  are  which  are  of  the  exterior  natural,  or 
the  sensual  things  therein,  in  respect  to  the  interior  natural ; 
those  things  also,  which  are  of  this  latter  natural,  are  said  to  be 
servants  in  respect  to  the  rational ;  and  consequently  all  things 
appertaining  to  man,  his  inmost  principles  equally  with  the 
outermost,  are  called  servants  in  respect  to  the  Divine,  for  this 
is  the  supreme.  The  servants  in  this  case,  in  the  midst  of  whom 
king  Pharaoh  executed  judgment  over  the  butler  and  the 
baker,  were  the  princes  and  the  grandees  of  the  palace  :  the 
reason  why  these,  in  like  manner  as  the  other  subjects  of  what- 
ever condition,  are  called  servants  in  respect  to  the  king,  as  is 
the  case  in  every  kingdom  also  at  this  day,  is,  because  royalty 
represents  the  Lord  as  to  the  divine  truth,  n.  2015,  2069, 
3009,  3670,  4581,  4966,  5068,  in  respect  to  whom,  all  are 
equally  servants,  of  whatever  condition  they  be ;  yea,  in  the 
Lord's  kingdom  or  heaven,  those  who  are  the  greatest,  that  is, 
who  are  the  inmost,  are  servants  more  than  others,  because  they 
are  in  the  greatest  obedience,  and  in  humiliation  more  than  the 
rest ;  for  these  are  those  who  are  meant  by  the  least  that  are 
the  greatest,  and  by  the  last  that  are  first,  where  it  is  written, 
"  The  first  shall  be  last,  and  the  last  shall  he  first"  Matt.  xix. 
30 ;  chap.  xx.  16  ;  Mark  x.  31 ;  Luke  xiii.  30.  "  He  that  is 
least  among  you,  he  shall  be  great,"  Luke  ix.  48  ;  also  by  the 
great  who  are  ministers,  and  the  first  who  are  servants,  "Who- 
soever would  be  great  among  you,  shall  be  your  minister ;  and 
whosoever  would  be  first  of  you,  shall  be  the  servant  of  all," 
Mark  x.  44  ;  Matt.  xx.  26,  27.  They  are  called  servants  in  re- 
spect to  the  divine  truth  which  is  from  the  Lord,  and  ministers 
in  respect  to  the  divine  good  which  is  from  him.    The  reason 


596 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


why  the  last  who  are  the  first  are  servants  more  than  others  is, 
because  they  know,  acknowledge,  and  perceive,  that  all  the 
life,  consequently  all  the  power  which  they  have,  is  from  the 
Lord,  and  not  at  all  from  themselves  ;  but  those  who  do  not 
perceive  this,  because  they  do  not.  so  acknowledge  it,  are  also 
servants,  yet  more  in  the  acknowledgment  of  the  mouth  than 
of  the  heart :  but  those  who  are  in  the  contrary,  also  call  them- 
selves servants  in  respect  to  the  Diviue,  yet  still  they  desire  to 
be  lords,  for  they  are  indignant  and  angry  if  the  Divine  does 
not  favour  them  and  as  it  were  obey  them,  and  at  length  they 
are  against  the  Divine,  and  in  this  case  they  derogate  from  the 
Diviue  all  power,  and  attribute  all  things  to  themselves.  There 
are  several  of  this  character  within  the  church,  who  deny  the 
Lord,  and  say  they  acknowledge  one  supreme  being. 

5165.  "  And  he  brought  back  the  prince  of  the  butlers  unto 
his  butlership." — This  signifies  that  the  sensual  things  of  the 
intellectual  part  were  received  and  made  subordinate,  as  ap- 
pears (1.)  from  the  representation  of  "  the  prince  of  the  but- 
lers," as  denoting  in  general  the  sensual  things  subject  to  the 
intellectual  part,  as  was  shown  above  ;  and  (2.)  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  "bringing  back  unto  his  butlership,"  as  denoting  to 
reduce  them  into  order  beneath  the  intellectual  principle  :  that 
to  bring  back  upon  a  station  denotes  to  reduce  into  order  that 
they  may  be  in  the  last  place,  may  be  seen,  n.  5125  :  it  is  here 
said  "  unto  the  butlership,"  because  the  butlership  and  the 
things  relating  thereto,  as  wine,  new  wine,  strong  drink,  and 
water,  are  predicated  of  the  things  of  the  understanding,  as  also 
a  drinking  entertainment  and  the  act  of  drinking,  see  n.  3069, 
3168,  3772,  4017.  Hence  it  is  manifest,  that  bringing  back 
the  prince  of  the  butlers  unto  his  butlership,  signifies  to  reduce 
the  sensual  things  of  the  intellectual  part  into  order,  thus  to 
receive  them  and  make  them  subordinate.  Those  sensual  things 
are  received  and  made  subordinate,  when  they  minister  and 
serve  as  means  to  things  interior,  as  well  to  produce  them  into 
act,  as  to  see  them  within  :  for  a  man,  in  the  sensual  things 
which  are  of  the  exterior  natural,  sees  interior  things,  almost  as 
he  sees  affections  in  the  face,  and  still  more  inward  affections 
in  the  eyes.  Without  such  an  interior  face,  or  such  a  plane,  a 
man  in  the  body  cannot  at  all  think  of  the  things  which  are 
above  things  sensual ;  for  he  sees  them  there,  as  when  a  man 
sees  affections  and  thoughts  in  another's  face,  not  attending  to 
the  face  itself;  and  also  as  when  he  hears  another  speaking, 
not  attending  to  the  expressions  but  to  the  meaning  of  the 
speech  :  the  speech  itself  consisting  of  expressions  in  the  plane 
in  which  that  meaning  is.  The  case  is  similar  with  the  exte- 
rior natural,  and  unless  it  served  interior  things  for  a  plane,  in 
which,  as  in  a  mirror,  interior  things  might  see  themselves,  a 
man  would  not  be  able  to  think  at  all ;  therefore  this  plane  is 


5165—5168.] 


GENESIS. 


59T 


first  formed,  even  from  infancy  ;  but  these  things  are  unknown, 
because  the  things  which  exist  interiorly  with  man,  are  not 
made  manifest  without  interior  reflection.  The  quality  of  the 
exterior  natural  principle  appears  evidently  in  the  other  life ; 
for  the  faces  of  spirits  and  angels  are  formed  from  and  accord- 
ing thereto  :  in  the  light  of  heaven  interiors,  especially  the  in- 
tentions or  ends,  shine  forth  through  that  face.  If  love  to  the 
Lord  and  charity  towards  the  neighbour  had  formed  the  inte- 
riors, in  such  case  there  is  a  splendor  thence  derived  in  the  face, 
and  the  face  itself  is  a  form  of  love  and  charity ;  but  if  self- 
love  and  the  love  of  the  world,  and  consequent  hatred,  revenge, 
cruelty,  and  the  like,  had  formed  the  interiors,  in  such  case  there 
is  a  diabolical  expression  thence  derived  in  the  face,  and  the 
face  itself  is  a  form  of  hatred,  revenge,  and  cruelty :  hence  it 
may  be  manifest,  what  and  of  what  use  the  exterior  natural  is, 
and  what  its  quality  is  when  it  is  subject  to  interiors,  and  what 
when  interiors  are  subject  to  it. 

5166.  "  And  he  gave  the  cup  into  the  palm  of  Pharaoh's 
hand." — This  signifies  that  they  were  made  subservient  to  the 
interior  natural,  as  appears  from  what  was  said  above,  n.  5126, 
where  similar  words  occur. 

5167.  "And  he  hanged  the  prince  of  the  bakers." — This  sig- 
nifies that  the  sensual  things  of  the  will-part  were  rejected,  as 
appears  also  from  what  was  explained  above,  n.  5156,  where 
also  similar  words  occur. 

5168.  "As  Joseph  had  interpreted  to  them." — This  signifies 
prediction  from  the  celestial  in  the  natural,  as  appears  (1.)  from 
the  signification  of  "  to  interpret,"  as  denoting  to  say  what  it 
has  in  it,  or  what  is  therein,  also  what  would  happen,  seen  n. 
5093,  5105,  5107,  5141,  thus  to  predict ;  and  (2.)  from  the 
representation  of  "  Joseph,"  as  denoting  the  celestial  in  the 
natural,  see  n.  5086,  5087,  5106.  How  it  happens  that  the 
sensual  things  of  the  intellectual  part  were  retained,  and  those 
of  the  will-part  rejected,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  5157.  The 
subject  treated  of  in  this  chapter  in  the  internal  sense  is  the 
subordination  of  the  exterior  natural,  which  is  to  be  made  sub- 
ordinate, in  order  that  it  may  serve  the  interior  natural  for  a 
plane,  n.  5165;  for  unless  it  be  made  subordinate,  interior  truths 
and  goods  have  nothing  in  which  they  can  be  represented,  con- 
sequently the  interior  thoughts,  which  have  in  them  a  spiritual 
and  celestial  principle,  have  nothing  in  which  they  can  be 
represented  ;  for  interior  truths  and  goods  are  exhibited  in  the 
exterior  natural  as  in  their  face,  or  as  in  a  mirror ;  therefore 
when  there  is  no  subordination,  a  man  cannot  have  any  interior 
thought ;  yea,  neither  can  he  have  any  faith,  for  there  is  no 
comprehension  either  remote  or  present,  and  consequently  no 
perception  of  such  things.  That  which  makes  the  natural  sub- 
ordinate, and  reduees  it  to  correspondence,  is  good  alone  in 


598 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


which  there  is  innocence,  which  good  in  the  "Word  is  called 
charity :  sensual  things  and  scientifics  are  only  mediums  into 
which  that  good  may  flow,  and  present  itself  in  a  form,  and 
unfold  itself  for  every  use ;  but  scientitics,  even  if  they  were  the 
very  truths  of  faith  themselves,  and  had  not  that  good  in  them, 
are  nothing  but  mere  husks  among  filth,  which  fall  off :  but  in 
what  manner  exteriors  are  reduced  to  order,  and  to  corre- 
spondence with  interiors  by  good,  through  the  means  of  scien- 
titics and  the  truths  of  faith,  is  a  subject  that  is  less  understood 
at  this  day  than  it  was  formerly.  This  happens  from  several 
reasons,  but  especially  because  at  this  day  there  is  no  longer 
any  charity  within  the  church,  for  it  is  the  last  time  of  the 
church,  consequently  neither  is  there  any  affection  of  knowing 
such  things ;  therefore  somewhat  of  aversion  is  instantly  excited, 
when  any  thing  is  said  which  is  within  or  above  sensual  things, 
consequently  when  any  thing  is  brought  forth  to  view  from  such 
things  as  are  of  angelic  wisdom ;  but  as  such  things  are  in  the 
internal  sense  of  the  Word  (for  the  things  contained  in  the 
internal  sense  are  adequate  to  angelic  wisdom),  and  as  the  "Word 
is  now  unfolded  as  to  the  internal  sense,  therefore  they  are  still 
to  be  declared,  however  remote  they  may  appear  from  what  is 
sensual. 

5169.  "  And  the  prince  of  the  butlers  did  not  remember 
Joseph." — This  signifies  that  there  was  not  as  yet  conjunction 
in  every  way  with  the  celestial  of  the  natural,  as  appears  (1.) 
from  the  signification  of  "  remembering  Joseph,"  as  denoting 
the  reception  of  faith,  see  above,  n.  5130,  consequently  also 
conjunction,  because  conjunction  is  effected  by  means  of  faith; 
in  the  present  case  therefore  "he  did  not  remember,"  denotes 
that  there  was  not  yet  conjunction  in  every  way  ;  and  (2.)  from 
the  representation  of  "  the  prince  of  the  butlers,"  as  denoting 
the  sensual  of  the  intellectual  part ;  and  (3.)  from  the  represent- 
ation of  "  Joseph,"  as  denoting  the  celestial  of  the  natural ;  con- 
cerning which  representations  see  above. 

5170.  "And  forgot  him." — This  signifies  removal,  as  appears 
from  the  signification  of  "  forgetting,"  as  denoting  removal, 
when  not  remembering  denotes  non-conjunction,  for  removal  is 
according  to  non-conjunction  ;  that  which  is  given  to  oblivion, 
is  also  removed.  This  is  likewise  the  case  with  the  sensual 
tilings  subject  to  the  intellectual  part ;  those  which  are  retained 
are  not  on  that  account  conjoined,  for  they  are  not  as  yet  puri- 
fied from  fallacies,  but  as  they  become  purified  so  they  are  con- 
joined. On  this  subject  more  will  be  said  in  the  following 
chapter,  where  it  is  related  of  the  butler  that  he  remembered 
Joseph. 


5169—5173.] 


GENESIS. 


A  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  SUBJECT  OF  CORRESPONDENCE  WITrt 
THE  GRAND  MAN;  IN  THE  PRESENT  CASE  OF  THE  CORRESPOND- 
ENCE  OF  THE  INTERIOR  VISCERA  THEREWITH. 

5171.  TO  what  'provinces  the  angelic  societies  belong,  may  bt 
known  in  the  other  life  from  their  situation  in  respect  to  the  hu- 
man body,  and  also  from  their  operation  and  influx  /  for  they 
flow-in  and  operate  upon  that  organ  and  member  in  wh  ich  they 
are  ;  but  their  influx  and  operation  can  only  be  perceived  by 
those  who  are  in  the  other  life,  and  not  by  any  man,  unless  his 
interiors  be  so  far  opened,  and  not  even  in  this  case,  tinlesss  he 
have  sensitive  reflection  given  him  from  the  Lord,  together  with 
perception. 

5172.  There  are  certain  well-disposed  spirits,  who  think 
without  meditation,  and  hence  they  quickly,  and  as  it  were 
without  premeditation,  utter  whatever  occurs  to  their  thought. 
They  have  interior  perception,  which  is  not  rendered  so  visual 
by  meditations  and  thoughts  as  with  others  :  for  in  the  progress 
of  life  they  have  been  instructed  as  from  themselves  concerning 
the  goodness  of  things,  and  not  so  concerning  their  truth.  I 
have  been  told,  that  such  spirits  belong  to  the  province  of  the 
Thymous  Gland.  This  gland  is  principally  serviceable  to 
infants,  and  in  that  age  is  soft.  With  such  sjnrits  also  there 
remains  a  soft  infantile  principle,  into  which  the  perception  of 
good  flows,  from  which  perception  truth  in  its  general  jirinciple 
shines  forth :  these  may  be  in  large  groups,  and  yet  not  be 
disturbed,  as  is  also  the  case  with  that  gland. 

5173.  In  the  other  life  there  are  several  modes  of  agitations, 
and  also  of  inaugurations  in  to  gyres.  The  purifications  of  the 
blood,  also  of  the  serum  or  lymph,  and  likewise  of  the  chyle  in 
the  body,  represent  those  agitations,  which  purifications  are  also 
effected  by  various  castigations  /  and  the  introductions  of  those 
fluids  af  terwards  to  uses  represent  those  inaugurations  into  gyres. 
It  is  very  common  in  the  other  life,  that  after  spirits  have  been 
agitated,  they  should  next  be  let  into  a  tranquil  and  delightful 
state,  consequen  tly  into  the  societies  into  which  they  are  to  be  in- 
augurated,  and  to  which  they  are  to  be  adjoined.  That  the  cas- 
tigations and  purifications  of  the  blood,  serum,  and  chyle,  and 
likewise  of  the  aliments  in  the  stomach,  correspond  to  such  things 
in  the  spiritual  world,  must  needs  appear  strange  to  those  who 
think  only  of  what  is  natural  in  natural  things,  and  especially 
to  those  to  ho  believe  in  nothing  else,  thus  denying  that  any  active 
and  ruling  spiritual  principle  is,  or  can  be  therein  •  when  yet 
the  real  case  is,  that  in  even  the  minutest  things  in  nature  and 
her  three  kingdoms,  the  intrinsic  agent  is  from  the  spiritual 
world,  and  unless  such  an  active  principle  from  that  world  was 


600 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


therein,  nothing  at  all  in  the  natural  world  could  act  as  cause 
and  effect,  consequently  nothing  could  he  produced.  That  prin- 
ciple from  the  spiritual  world,  which  is  in  natural  things,  is 
called  the  force  implanted  at  the  first  creation  ;  but  it  is  a  cona- 
tus,  on  the  cessation  of  which,  all  action  or  motion  ceases  :  hence 
the  universal  visible  world  is  a  theatre  representative  of  the  spir- 
itual world.  The  case  herein  is  similar  to  that  of  the  motion 
of  the  muscles,  whence  comes  action  ;  which  motion  would  in- 
stantly cease,  unless  there  was  in  it  a  conatus  from  the  man's 
thought  and  will ;  for  it  is  according  to  rules  known  in  the 
learned  world,  that  on  the  ceasing  of  conatus,  motion  ceases,  also 
that  the  conatus  contains  every  thing  relating  to  determination, 
and  likewise  that  in  motion  there  exists  nothing  real  but  the 
conatus.  That  that  force,  or  that  conatus,  in  action  or  motion 
is  a  spiritual  principle  in  what  is  natural,  is  clear  /  for  to  think 
and  to  will  are  spiritual,  but  to  act  and  to  be  moved  are  natural. 
Those  who  do  not  thi?ik  beyond  nature,  do  not  indeed  comprehend 
this  j  but  still  they  cannot  deny  it.  However,  that  which  is  the 
producing  principle  in  the  will  and  thence  in  the  thought,  dif- 
fers in  form  from  the  action  which  is  produced  ;  for  the  act 
only  represents  that  which  the  mind  wills  and  thinks. 

5174.  It  is  well  known  that  aliments  or  meats  in  the  stomach 
are  agitated  by  various  methods,  so  that  their  interior  principles 
may  be  extracted,  and  turned  to  use,  passing  off  into  tlie  chyle, 
and  next  into  the  blood,  and  also  that  the  same  operation  after- 
wards takes  place  in  the  intestines.  These  agitations  are  repre- 
sented by  the  first  agitations  of  spirits,  all  which  are  effected 
according  to  their  life  in  the  world  in  order  that  evils  may  be 
separated,  and  goods  be  collected  together,  and  may  turn  to  use  ; 
therefore  it  may  be  said  of  souls  or  spirits,  some  time  after  their 
decease  or  being  set  loose  from  the  body,  that  they  come  as  it  were 
first  into  the  region  of  the  stomach,  and  are  there  agitated  and 
purified ;  in  this  case  those  with  whom  evils  have  predominated, 
after  they  have  been  agitated  to  no  purpose,  are  conveyed  through 
the  stomach  into  the  intestines,  even  to  the  last,  to  the  colon  and 
the  rectum,  and  are  thence  voided  forth  into  the  draught,  that 
is,  into  hell:  but  those  with  whom  goods  have  predominated, 
after  some  agitations  and  purifications,  become  chyle,  and  pass 
off  into  the  blood,  some  by  a  longer  way,  some  by  a  shorter  f  some 
are  agitated  severely,  some  gently,  and  some  scarcely  at  all:  these, 
who  are  scarcely  agitated  at  all,  are  represented  in  the  juices  of 
meats,  which  are  immediately  imbibed  by  the  veins,  and  conveyed 
into  the  circulation,  even  into  the  brain,  and  so  forth. 

5175.  For  when  a  man  dies,  and  enters  into  the  other  life,  his 
life  is  circumstanced  like  food,  which  is  received  softly  by  the 
lips,  and  next  through  the  mouth,  the  fauces,  and  the  oesophagus^ 
is  let  down  into  the  stomach,  according  to  a  habit  acquired  by  r& 


5174—5178.] 


GENESIS. 


601 


peated  acts,  during  the  life  of  the  body.  The  generality  in  the 
beginning  are  treated  with  gentleness,  being  kept  in  the  company 
of  angels  and  good  spirits,  which  is  represented  in  meats  by  their 
being  first  softly  touched  by  the  lips,  and  next  tasted  by  the 
tongue  to  discover  their  quality.  The  meats  which  are  soft, 
and  in  which  there  is  a  sweet,  oily,  and  spirituous  principle, 
are  immediately  received  by  the  veins,  and  conveyed  into  the  cir- 
culation f  but  those  which  are  hard,  in  vjhich  there  is  a  bitter 
and  impure  principle,  and-  little  nutrition,  are  subdued  with 
greater  difficulty,  being  letdown  through  the  oesophagus  into  the 
stomach,  where  by  various  methods  and  tortures  they  are  cor- 
rected: those  which  are  still  harder,  more  impure,  and  more 
barren,  are  pushed  down  into  the  intestines,  and  at  length  into 
the  rectum,  where  the  first  hell  is,  and  lastly  they  are  cast  out 
and  become  excrements.  The  life  of  man  is  similarly  circum- 
stanced after  death  :  he  is  first  kept  in  externals  y  and  as  in 
externals  he  had  led  a  civil  and  moral  life,  he  is  associated  with 
angels  and  well-disposed  spirits  y  but  after  that  externals  are 
taken  away  from  him,  it  is  manifested  what  his  internal 
quality  had  been  as  to  his  thoughts  and  affections,  and  at 
length  as  to  the  ends  of  life  he  had  regarded,  and  according  to 
those  ends  his  life  remains. 

5176.  So  long  as  they  are  in  that  state,  in  which  they  are 
like  aliments  or  meats  in  the  stomach,  so  long  they  are  not  in 
the  Grand  Man  y  they  are  only  being  introduced  y  but  when  they 
are  representatively  in  the  blood,  they  are  in  the  Grand  Man. 

hill.  Those  who  have  been  very  anxious  about  the  future, 
especially  those  who  on  that  account  have  been  rendered  self- 
willed  and  avaricious,  appear  in  the  region  of  the  stomach.  I 
have  seen  several  there.  The  sphere  of  their  life  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  nauseous  stench  tohich  is  exhaled  from  the  stomach, 
and  also  to  the  heaviness  arising  from  indigestion.  Those  who 
have  been  of  such  a  quality,  stay  long  in  that  region;  for 
anxiety  about  futurity  when  confirmed  by  act  dulls  and  retards 
the  influx  of  spiritual  life :  for  they  attribute  to  themselves  what 
is  of  the  divine  providence  y  and  those  who  do  this,  oppose  the 
influx,  and  remove  from  themselves  the  life  of  the  good  and  the 
true. 

5178.  Since  solicitude  concerning  futurity  is  what  causes 
anxieties  in  man,  and  since  such  spirits  appear  in  the  region  of 
the  stomach,  it  is  from  this  ground  that  anxieties  affect  the 
stomach  more  than  the  rest  of  the  viscera.  I  have  been  permitted 
to  apperceive,  how  these  anxieties  have  been  increased  and 
diminished  according  to  the  presence  and  removal  of  those 
spirits  y  some  anxieties  have  been  perceived  interiorly,  some 
more  exteriorly,  some  more  above,  and  some  more  beneath,  ac- 
cording to  the  difference  of  such  solicitudes  as  to  their  origins, 


602 


GENESIS. 


[Chap,  x] 


derivations,  and  determinations.  Hence  also,  when  such  anxi 
eties  occupy  the  mind,  the  region  about  the  stomach  is  tightly 
bound,  and  sometimes  pain  is  apperceived  there,  also  anxieties 
appear  to  arise  thence',  and  hence  also,  when  a  man  is  no- 
longer  solicitous  about  f  uturity,  or  when  all  things  go  well  with 
him,  so  that  he  is  no  longer  afraid  of  any  misfortune,  the  re- 
gion  about  the  stomach  is  free  and  expanded,  and  he  experiences 
delight. 

5179.  On  a  certain  time  I  apperceived  somewhat  of  anxiety 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  stomach,  whence  it  was  made  manifest 
to  me  that  such  spirits  were  present.  I  entered  into  conversation 
with  them,  and  said,  that  it  was  better  they  should  retire,  as 
their  sphere,  which  occasioned  anxiety,  did  not  agree  with  tJie 
spheres  of  the  spirits  who  were  attendant  upon  me.  I  had  then 
some  conversation  with  them  concerning  spheres,  observing,  that 
there  are  very  many  spiritual  spheres  about  a  man,  and  that 
men  neither  know  nor  are  willing  to  know  that  this  is  the  case, 
because  they  deny  all  that  is  called  spiritual,  and  some  ivhat- 
ever  is  not  seen  and  touched ;  thus  that  some  spheres  from  the 
spiritual  world,  which  are  agreeable  to  his  life,  encompass  a 
man,  and  that  by  those  spheres  he  is  in  society  with  spirits  of 
similar  affection,  and  that  hence  very  many  things  exist,  which 
the  man  who  attributes  all  tilings  to  nature,  either  denies  or 
ascribes  to  a  more  hidden  nature  ;  for  example,  in  the  case  of 
what  is  ascribed  to  fortune :  some  by  experience  are  altogether 
persicaded  there  is  something  secretly  operating,  which  is  called 
fortune  J  but  they  know  not  from  what  source.  That  such  an 
operating  poioer  is  from  a  spiritual  sphere,  and  is  the  ultimate 
of  Providence,  will,  by  the  divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  be  show?i 
elsewhere,  from  experimental  testimony. 

5180.  There  are  genii  and  spirits,  who  occasion  a  species  of 
suction  or  attraction  in  the  head,  so  that  the  place  where  such 
attraction  or  suction  exists,  is  in  pain.  I  once  apperceived  a 
manifest  sense  of  suction,  as  if  a  membrane  were  sucked  up  to 
the  fullest  extent.  I  doubt  whether  others  could  have  endured 
it  on  account  of  the  pain  ;  but  as  I  was  accustomed  to  it,  I  at 
length  frequently  endured  it  without  pain.  The  principal 
place  of  suction  was  in  the  crown  of  the  head,  ana  thence  it 
propagated  itself  towards  the  region  of  the  left  ear,  also  towards 
that  of  the  left  eye;  the  suction  towards  the  eye  was  from 
spirits,  that  towards  the  ear  was  from  genii  ;  both  of  them  ap- 
pertai?ied  to  the  province  of  the  receptacle  and  ducts  of  the 
chyle,  whither  also  the  chyle  is  attracted  from  all  parts,  al- 
though likewise  at  the  same  time  it  is  impelled.  Moreover  there 
were  others  who  acted  inwardly  in  the  head,  almost  in  the  same 
manner,  but  not  with  such  a  force  of  suction.  I  was  told  that 
these  correspond  to  the  subtle  chyle,  which  is  brought  toward* 


5179— 5182.] 


GENESIS. 


603 


the  brain,  and  is  there  mixed  with  new  animal  spirit,  that  it 
may  be  returned  again  towards  the  heart.  Those  vj/io  acted  out- 
wardly, I  first  saw  in  front  a  little  to  the  left,  afterwards  higher 
there,  so  that  their  region  was  observed  from  the  plane  of  the 
septum  of  the  nose  rising  towards  the  plane  of  the  left  ear. 
Those  who  constitute  that  province,  are  of  a  twofold  genus  / 
some  are  modest  enough,  some  petulant.  The  modest  are  those 
who  have  desired  to  know  what  men  have  thought,  with  the  in- 
tent  of  alluring  and  binding  them  to  themselves :  for  he  who 
knows  what  another  thinks,  is  acquainted  with  his  secrets  and 
interior  principles,  which  cause  them  to  be  conjoined  together  ; 
the  end  regarded  being  conversation  and  f  riendship  ;  these  de- 
sire only  to  know  what  is  good,  and  explore  it,  and  put  a  good 
interpretation  on  what  is  not  so.  The  petulant  desire  and  study 
by  all  methods  to  search  out  another 's  thoughts,  with  the  intent 
either  of  making  gain  or  of  doing  hurt  thereby  /  and  because 
they  are  in  such  desire  and  study,  they  detain  another's  mind  in 
the  tiling  which  they  wish  to  know,  not  receding,  but  even  add- 
ing assent  from  the  affection,  thereby  attracting  even  the  secret 
thoughts  ;  they  act  in  like  manner  in  the  other  life  in  the  socie- 
ties there,  and  yet  more  cunningly,  not  suffering  another  to 
wander  from  his  idea,  which  they  also  influence  and  thereby  en- 
tice forth :  hence  they  afterwards  hold  others  as  it  were  in 
bonds,  and  at  their  disposal,  being  privy  to  their  evils.  These 
spirits  are  among  the  wandering  ones,  and  are  frequently 
chastised. 

5181.  It  may  also  in  some  measure  be  knoxon  from  the  gyres, 
to  what  province  in  the  Grand  Man,  and,  correspondent^  in  the 
body,  spirits  and  angels  belong.  The  gyres  of  those  who  belong 
to  the  province  of  the  lymphatics,  are  slender  and  slow,  like  a 
gently  flowing  stream,  so  that  scarce  any  gyration  can  be  apper- 
ceived.  Those  who  belong  to  the  lymphatics,  are  afterwards  con- 
veyed into  places,  which  they  said  have  reference  to  the  Mesen- 
tery ;  and  it  was  told  me  that  there  are  as  it  were  labyrinths 
therein,  and  that  they  are  next  taken  away  thence  to  various 
places  in  the  Grand  Man,  that  they  may  serve  for  use  like  chyle 
in  the  body. 

5182.  There  are  gyres  into  which  newly  deceased  spirits  are 
obliged  to  be  inaugurated,  to  the  intent  that  they  may  be  ini- 
tiated into  the  consorts  of  others,  so  as  both  to  speak  and  think 
together  toith  them  y  it  being  expedient  in  the  other  life  that 
concord  and  unanimity  prevail,  so  that  all  may  constitute  a 
one,  like  all  things  in  a  man,  which,  although  they  are  every 
where  various,  still  by  unanimity  make  a  one.  The  case  is 
similar  in  the  Grand  Man  •  and  to  this  end  it  is  needful  that 
the  thought  and  speech  of  one  be  in  concord  with  the  thought 
and  speech  of  others.    It  is  a  fundamental  principle,  that  the 


604 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  si. 


thought  and  speech  should  in  themselves  be  in  concord  in  every 
individual  in  a  society,  otherwise  somewhat  discordant  is  ap- 
perceived  like  a  grating  noise,  which  strikes .  the  minds  of 
others  i  every  thing  discordant  is  also  disjunctive,  and  is  an 
impurity  which  is  to  be  rejected.  This  impurity  arising  f  rom 
discord  is  represented  by  the  impurity  with  and  in  the  blood, 
from  which  it  is  to  be  defecated  :  this  defecation  is  effected  by 
agitations,  which  are  temptations  of  various  kinds,  and  after- 
wards by  introductions  into  gyres.  The  first  introduction  into 
gyres  is,  that  they  may  be  accommodated  together  y  the  second, 
that  the  thought  and  the  speech  may  be  in  concord  together  /  the 
third,  that  they  may  mutually  agree  amongst  each  other  as  to 
the  thoughts  and  affections  :  the  fourth  is,  that  they  may  agree 
together  in  truths  and  goods. 

5183.  I  have  been  permitted  to  apperceive  the  gyres  of  those 
who  belong  to  the  province  of  the  Liver,/)??'  the  space  of  an  hour. 
The  gyres  were  gentle,  flowing  about  variously  according  to  the 
operation  of  that  entrail,  and  affected  me  with  much  delight: 
their  operation  is  diverse,  but  it  is  commonly  orbicular.  That 
their  operat  ion  is  diverse,  is  represented  also  in  the  f  unctions  of 
the  liver,  which  are  diverse  ;  for  the  liver  draivs  the  blood  to 
itself,  and  separates  it,  and  pours  the  better  blood  into  the  veins, 
removes  that  of  a  middle  sort  into  the  hepatic  duct,  and  leaves 
the  vile  for  the  gall-bladder.  This  is  the  case  in  adults  ;  but  in 
embryos  the  liver  receives  the  blood  from  the  womb  of  the  mother, 
and  purifies  it,  insinuating  the  purer  part  into  the  veins,  so  that 
by  a  shorter  way  it  may  flow  into  the  heart:  it  then  acts  as  a 
guard  before  the  heart. 

5184.  Those  who  belong  to  the  Pancreas,  act  by  a  sharper 
mode,  and  as  it  were  by  a  sort  of  sawing,  and  with  a  noise  like 
that  of  saiving,  which  is  sonorous  in  the  ears  of  'spirits,  but  does 
not  affect  the  ears  of  men,  unless  they  be  in  the  spirit  while  in 
the  body :  their  region  is  between  that  of  the  spleen  and  of  the 
liver,  more  to  the  left.  Those  who  are  in  the  province  of  the 
Spleen,  are  almost  directly  above  the  head ;  but  their  operation 
falls  thither. 

5185.  There  are  spirits  who  have  reference  to  the  pancreatic, 
hepatic,  and  cystic  ducts,  consequently  to  the  biles  contained 
therein,  which  the  intestines  eject.  Those  spirits  are  distinct 
one  from  another  f  but  they  act  in  consort  accordinq  to  the  state 
of  those  to  whom  their  operation  is  determined.  They  present 
themselves  principally  on  occasions  of  ch  istisement  and  punish- 
ment, which  they  are  willing  to  direct :  the  most  abandoned  of 
them  are  so  contumacious,  that  they  are  unwilling  on  any  ac- 
count to  desist,  imless  they  be  deterred  by  apprehensions  and 
threats  !  for  they  are  afraid  of  punishment,  and  when  alarmed 
promise  any  thing.    They  are  those  who  in  the  life  of  the  body 


5183—5188.] 


GENESIS. 


605 


had  remained  obstinately  fixed  in  their  own  opinions,  not  so 
much  from  evil  of  life  as  from  natural  depravity.  When  they 
are  in  their  natural  state,  they  think  nothing :  to  think  nothing 
is  to  think  obscurely  of  several  things  at  once,  and  not  distinctly 
of  any  thing :  their  delight  is  to  chastise,  and  thereby  to  do 
good  ;  nor  do  they  abstain  from  filthiness. 

5186.  Those  who  constitute  the  province  of  the  Gall-Blad- 
der, are  situated  at  the  back;  they  are  those  who  in  the  life  of 
the  body,  have  despised  what  is  virtuous,  and  in  some  measure 
what  is  pious,  and  also  who  have  brought  virtue  and  piety  into 
discredit. 

5187.  A  certain  spirit  came  to  me,  inquiring  whether  I  knew 
where  he  might  stay.  I  thought  he  was  well-disposed  I  and 
when  I  told  him  that  possibly  he  might  stay  where  he  was,  the 
agitatory  spirits  of  this  province  came,and  agitated  him  miser- 
ably, which  I  was  sorry  for,  and  in  vain  desired  to  prevent.  I 
then  observed  that  I  was  in  the  province  of  the  gall-bladder ;  the 
agitatory  spirits  were  those  who  had  despised  virtue  and  piety. 
I  was  permitted  to  obsei^ve  one  kind  of  agitation  there,  which 
was  a  comptdsion  to  speak  with  a  rapidity  exceeding  that  of  the 
thoughts,  which  they  effected  by  an  abstraction  of  the  speech 
from  the  thought,  and  then  by  compulsion  to  follow  their  speech, 
which  was  done  with  pain.  By  such  agitation  the  slow  are  in- 
augurated into  a  quickness  of  thinking  and  speaking. 

5188.  There  are  some  in  the  world  who  act  by  artifices  and 
lies,  xohence  come  evils.  I  was  shown  their  quality  and  mode 
of  action  :  they  apply  the  harmless  as  ministers  of  persuading, 
and  also  induce  characters  pretending  they  had  said  so  and  so, 
whereas  they  had  said  nothing  of  the  kind  ;  in  a  word,  they  use 
evil  means  of  attaining  their  end  whatever  it  be/  these  means 
are  deceits,  lies,  and  artifices.  Such  have  reference  to  the  sores 
called  tubercles,  which  usually  grow  on  the  pleura  and  other 
membranes  f  and  these  sores,  wherever  they  are  rooted-in,  spread 
widely,  till  at  length  they  bring  decay  upon  the  whole  mem- 
brane. Such  spirits  are  severely  punished ;  their  punishment 
differs  from,  that  of  others,  and  is  effected  by  circum-rotations  ; 
they  are  turned  round  from  left  to  right,  like  an  orbit  at  first 
plane,  which  in  turning  round  swells  out  y  afterwards  the  swell- 
ing appears  to  be  depressed  and  to  become  hollow,  in  which  case 
the  velocity  is  increased  /  it  is  wonderful  that  this  is  according 
to  the  form  and  in  imitation  of  such  swellings  or  imposthumes  : 
I  observed,  that  in  the  circum-rotation  they  attempted,  to  draw 
others,  for  the  most  part  the  guiltless,  into  their  whirl,  thus  into 
destruction  y  thus  that  it  was  of  no  concern  to  them  whom  they 
drew  into  perdition  provided  the  persons  so  drawn  seem  to  them- 
selves to  perish.  I  also  observed,  that  they  have  the  most  intense 
sight,  instantly  as  it  were  seeing,  and  thereby  seising  upon  most 


606 


GENESIS. 


[Chap.  xl. 


favourable  means  /  thus  that  they  are  more  sharp-sighted  than 
others.  They  may  also  he  called  mortiferous  ulcers,  wherever 
they  are  in  the  chamber  of  the  breast,  either  in  the  pleura,  the 
pericardium,  the  mediastinum,  or  the  lungs.  It  was  shown  me, 
that  such,  after  punishment,  are  rejected  to  the  bach,  into  the 
deep,  and  that  they  lie  there  with  the  face  and  belly  doionwards, 
with  a  small  portion  of  human  life,  thereby  deprived  of  their 
sharp-sightedness,  which  was  that  of  the  life  of  a  wild  beast. 
Their  hell  is  in  a  deep  place  beneath  the  right  foot,  a  little  in 
y  front. 

5189.  There  once  came  some,  spirits  in  front,  and  before  their 
approach  I apperceived  a  sphere  from  evil  spirits,  whence  I  was 
led  to  suppose  that  the  approaching  spirits  were  evil ;  but  they 
were  their  enemies.  That  they  were  their  enemies  I  discovered 
from  the  troublesome  and  hostile  influence  which  they  inspired 
against  them.  When  they  reached  me,  they  placed  themselves 
over  my  head,  and  accosted  me,  saying  they  were  men.  I  re- 
plied they  were  not  men  endowed  with  a  body  such  as  men  in 
the  world  have,  who  usually  call  themselves  men  from  the  form 
of  the  body  ;  nevertheless  they  were  men  because  the  spirit  of  a 
man  is  truly  a  man.  From  these  observations  I  did  not  apper- 
ceive,  on  their  part,  any  dissent,  because  they  confirmed  them. 
They  said  f  urther,  that  they  were  dissimilar  men  •  but  as  it 
seemed  impossible  to  me,  that  there  should  be  a  society  of  dis- 
similars  in  the  other  life,  I  entered  into  conversation  with  them 
on  the  subject,  and  said,  that  if  a  common  cause  impelled  them 
to  unity,  they  might  still  be  consociated,  because  thereby  they 
would  all  have  one  end.  They  said,  that  their  quality  was 
such,  that  each  speaks  differently  from  another,  and  yet  they  all 
think  alike,  which  thty  also  illustrated  by  examples,  whereby  it 
appeared  to  me  that  they  all  had  one  perception,  but  their  speech 
was  diverse.  They  next  applied  themselves  to  my  left  ear,  and 
said  they  were  good  spirits,  and  that  it  is  their  custom  so  to 
speak.  It  was  said  respecting  them,  that  they  come  in  a  col- 
lected body,  and  it  is  not  known  whence  they  are.  I  perceived 
the  sphere  of  evil  spirits  was  most  offensive  to  them  j  for  evil 
spirits  are  the  subjects  whom  they  agitate.  Their  society, 
which  is  a  wandering  one,  was  represented  by  a  man  and  a 
woman  in  a  chamber,  clad  in  a  garment  which  was  turned  into 
a  robe  of  a  sky-coloured  blue.  I  perceived  that  they  have  refer- 
ence to  the  Isthmus  in  the  brain,  between  the  cerebrum  and  the 
cerebellum,  through  which  the  fibres  pass,  and  are  thence  spread 
in  various  directions,  and  in  every  direction  operate  diversely  in 
externals :  also  that  they  have  reference  to  the  Ganglia  in  the 
body,  into  which  a  nerve  flows,  and  thence  parts  asunder  into 
several  fibres,  some  of  which  are  conveyed  in  one  direction,  some 
i?i  another,  and  in  ultimates  their'action  is  dissimilar,  never- 


5189,  5190.] 


GENESIS. 


607 


theless  it  is  from  one  principle  /  thus  in  ultimates  it  is  dissimi- 
lar as  to  appearance,  yet  similar  as  to  the  end.  It  is  also  well 
known,  that  one  force  acting  in  the  extremes  is  capable  of  mul- 
tifarious variation,  and  this  according  to  the  form  which  exists 
there.  Ends  are  also  represented  by  the  principles  from  which 
the  fibres  proceed,  such  as  they  are  in  the  brain  ;  the  thoughts 
thence  derived  are  represented  by  the  fibres  from  those  principles  : 
and  the  actions  thence  flowing  by  the  nerves  which  are  from  the 
fibres. 

5190.  The  subject  of  correspondence  with  the  Grand  Man 
will  be  continued  at  the  close  of  the  following  chapter. 


EMD  OF  VOLUME  FIFTH. 


